#7. Don't Play With Your Food
My girls used to watch the movie Lion King over and over when they were little, and there was a line in it when Zazu says to Scar, "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?"
It's true when it comes to grilling and a mistake many home cooks make. They can't help themselves from constantly fiddling with what they are cooking - moving food around, poking it, flipping it, pressing down on it.
What gives most foods you grill so much flavor is the caramelization that takes place when the food is seared and left alone.
Of course, you have to flip what you are cooking at least once to cook both sides, and if you use the two-zone technique mentioned previously, you'll move the food again but try to resist the urge to give it a poke or constantly flip. Instead, let it develop the wonderful flavors available from grilling.
Chris
You left out probably the most important thing in grilling like a pro tips. Since nearly everything is done to a stage or (doneness), a thermometer for internal temp is required to ensure tremendous success. With a thermometer a novice can actually cook a 2 lb rib eye to perfection better than a restaurant. I'm finding out at my over middle age that nearly all people that grill get lucky if they happen to cook with success and do not use such a simple tool.
LNWeaver
That's a good point that a gas grill will only get as hot as it's rated in btu's. Charcoal lets you control the heat more directly. You can also take charcoal wherever you go.
G. Stephen Jones
Good points Larry. Thanks for sharing.
Todd
Some great points - especially "don't play with your food". That was one of the things I had hard time with when I started grilling. I would get worried it was burning so I kept moving it around, flipping, etc. Just leave it be! 🙂
Lisa Thompson
Great points!
If you haven't ever tried Porter & York Brand Meats, you might want to give it a try. They ship their meat out in special packaging designed to keep the fresh, never frozen, beef that has been raised naturally (grass fed, grain finished). I was able to cut one of their filet mignon's with a fork. Delicious.
Ashley Turns
I'm planning on getting my husband a new grill pro for his birthday. So thanks for the suggestion that he should use some oil or something else to grease up the grill unless what you're cooking has already been using oil for something. I'll be sure that the hamburgers and hot dogs we make on his birthday with his new pro tool are cooked on an oiled up grates.
Deb Pearl
I am getting my husband a grill for his birthday and I wanted to include some tips with it so he can learn how to grill like a pro. These are all wonderful tips! I didn't know about grill zones before! That's cool that you can get direct heat and indirect heat to help cook the food. Thanks for the tips! I'm sure these will help my husband cook like a pro!
G. Stephen Jones
You are welcome. I'm sure he will be thrilled with his new grill.
Hilmy M.
Wonderful points especially on grilling techniques. Surely using charcoal is more convenient in managing the heat transfer, but both have advantages and disadvantages. thanks for sharing.
G. Stephen Jones
You are welcome Hilmy.
william
One reason to not use olive oil is that it smokes/burns at a lower temperature than Canola or Safflower.
Adam Golightly
Thanks for your tips about how grease in the middle of the trap can make it a lot harder and making sure that the grill is clean can be really useful in making sure that there is better heat. I have been trying to cook more for my kids and I really want to make a great BBQ and learn how to do it with ribs so that we can have a great dinner. Getting some better equipment from a professional could be really useful and help me understand how to do some better cooking.
Zoe Campos
Thanks for letting me know that it is easier to cook barbecue on a gas grill. I've been serving vegetable meals to my kids for the past few weeks and they requested for spicy barbecue for next week. Aside from practicing my grilling skills, it would be a good idea to look for a condiments store that sells good hot sauces that they would love.