Grilling Tips

Grilling Tips: Helpful Tips and Tricks for that Perfect Bbq Recipe or Meal

      Getting your grill to perform at its full potential is ony a few steps away.  These tips will enghance your grilling experience and may just help you perfect some of those recipes you've been working on.  Below are the top ten grilling tips.

      Keep your grill clean - A clean grill will cook better and will last longer than a dirty grill. Last year’s burgers aren’t going to add any flavor to this year’s. If you keep your grill clean it will be hotter, cook better, and produce better tasting food.  For a guide on how to clean your grill, click here.

      Grill with safety in mind - When grilling safety is always an important part. Always have a fire extinguisher handy, grill in a ventilated area, and keep the flames under control. It’s also always a good idea to read your grills owner’s manual, and never leave the grill where you can’t see it.  

      Keep you grates oiled - A well oiled grate will keep rust from forming and keep your food from sticking. It only takes a minute with a gentle rub down from a soft cloth and canola oil.

      Keep your grill hot - Preheating your grill for 15 min will be a big payoff in the end. Making sure your grill is hot before you start grilling will sear food on contact, create better flavor, and juicer meat. Not to mention it will help reduce sticking, helps kill bacteria, and give you a cleaner grill to start cooking with. 

      Control your flames - Once your grill is nice and hot it may have the tendency to flare up. Burnt food doesn’t always taste good, and it certainly isn’t good for your health. Controlling flare ups is easy by selecting leaner cuts of meat, trimming fat, and having a squirt bottle of water to spray any excess flames.

      Leave extra Space on the Grill- If you do have a few flare ups one simple solution is to leave a little extra space on the grill to move things around a bit. Not only will this make it easier to flip steaks and turn veggies, but it will allow you to move things away from heat, and avoid flare ups. 

      Have everything you need close - The last thing you want to have to do is run inside when the chicken is burning up to grab the tongs.  Having everything you need in an arm’s reach will ensure your food is cooked to perfection and keep you from running around looking for things. 

      Don’t Smoke the veggies- Keeping the lid open on your vegetables will give them a crisper and less smoky taste without drying them out. 

       Sauce near the end- A common grilling mistake is to put on the sauce too early. It you wait till the last few minutes of grilling to put on your sauces, you will get a perfect caramelized graze rather than a smoky char. 

      Think food safety - Last but certainly not least is food safety. Always check for doneness with a food thermometer, use different platters and utensils for raw and cooked meats, and never use a marinade as a sauce.