Kitchen Quick
Grilling Basics
Whether you’re using an old fashioned charcoal barbecue or the latest and greatest Electrolux gas grill, everything tastes better when it’s cooked over an open flame. Below are a few things you should know when planning your next outdoor cook-off.
1. Grill Prep: Preheat the grill, and when it’s hot, clean the grate with a stiff wire brush, then using a folded paper towel, coat the grill with olive oil to prevent meats, fish, and vegetables from sticking.
2. Grilling vs. Barbecuing. Grilling is quite a bit different from barbecuing. During the grilling process you are cooking at high temperatures, often in excess of 700 degrees, directly over the heat. In barbecuing, the heat is not directly affecting the meat. The heat is raising the temperature in the cooking chamber where the meat resides. Proper barbecuing temperatures are 210 degrees to 225 degrees. This is the optimum temperature for prolonged barbecuing. Barbecuing is a slower cooking process and produces a more tender meat than grilling.
3. Briquettes vs. Lump Charcoal. I highly recommend using lump charcoal over briquettes. Briquettes are commonly found at most local grocery stores and are really part charcoal; the rest is filler added to make the charcoal last longer. The filler often contains non-wood substances such as petroleum, and these impurities burn while cooking your meat. On the other hand, lump charcoal contains no foreign substances and it burns much hotter and faster than the regular charcoal briquettes. It’s better for you and the environment.
4. Marinate it: The basic premise of preparing a marinade for any piece of meat is to infuse it with flavor and tenderize it. Start with equal parts olive oil and vinegar and then add your spices and/or herbs. Salt, garlic, peppers, basil, oregano, dried mustard, and onion are the most common. For something a little Asian in flair, try Teriyaki sauce or a soy sauce.
5. Basting. When using a dry rub during barbecuing, don’t start basting the meat with a sauce until the meat has been cooking for at least one third of its needed cooking time. The dry rub needs to adhere to the meat securely before basting or you’ll defeat the purpose by "washing off" the dry rub seasonings.
6. Seafood Simplistics: For even cooking, make sure seafood is at room temperature before placing it on the grill.
7. Ribs 101: When preparing your ribs for barbecuing, if you’ll be using a dry rub, lightly coat the ribs first with mustard to help keep the dry rub on. The mustard will also create a tender crust.
8. Vegetable Basics: Use a light olive oil to coat the vegetables and protect the skins from drying and burning. Once they’ve been lightly coated in oil, dust them with coarse salt and pepper and seasoning such a Lawry’s Season Salt, fresh rosemary, basil, or parsley. My favorite vegetables hot off the grill include Vidalia onions, zucchini, squash, asparagus, bell peppers, and potatoes. To make a delicious barbecued vegetable salad, once cooked, cut the vegetables into small pieces, toss with the lettuce of your choice, and add dressing and serve.
