Grilling Tips
Summer is here, which means it's finally grilling season. Whether you’re a BBQ newbie or your family’s appointed grill master, it's never too late to learn something new in order to up your grilling game. After all, this is the easiest way to ensure your guests always walk away with full stomachs and smiles on their faces. It also means you’ll become a more confident chef.
With that in mind, here are some essential grilling tips you can rely on this summer and beyond.
Clean Your Grill Before and After Use
It goes without saying that you should always clean your grill before and after use. This extends the longevity of your grill and also ensures you’re being as hygienic as possible.
Use a stainless steel brush
A stainless steel brush is one of the best tools for keeping your grill clean. It's one of the easiest and most efficient ways to remove grease, grime, and burnt food remnants from the surface of your grill—even those that initially appear to be quite stubborn.
Use a ball of foil
If you’ve yet to invest in a stainless steel brush, you could also use a ball of foil (held in a pair of tongs) to the same effect. This technique will help to remove greasy residue from the surface of your grill.
Use an onion
While using an onion as a cleaning product may seem somewhat unorthodox, you’d be surprised about just how effective it can be. This is because an onion's “natural acidity and fluids can loosen dirt, stuck-on food, and grease, and have your grill looking nearly new in minutes.”
Preheat your grill properly
Preheating your grill correctly is essential, as it helps prevent food from sticking to the surface while ensuring it cooks correctly.
Heat for 10-15 minutes
Ideally, you should preheat your grill for at least 10-15 minutes before you start to cook. This will help you to achieve the ideal grilling temperature and a great, smoky taste that your guests are sure to comment upon later.
Close the lid
While the grill should be lit while open, closing the lid when preheating will also help to speed up the process, as the grill is no longer exposed to the elements. This means you can get started on serving up some delicious food sooner rather than later.
Prepping the grill
Whether you’re cooking ribs or burgers, it's also essential that you prep your grill accordingly, following the aforementioned steps.
Never spray oil on a hot grill
Spraying oil directly onto a hot grill is a significant health and safety hazard. For example, it could ignite and cause a fire or cause oil to splatter everywhere. Instead, pour oil over a paper towel and use tongs to spread it across the grill's surface. This will also help ensure oil is spread evenly, making for an easier cooking experience.
Use grill-safe foil
Using foil on your grill can prevent food from sticking to the surface. However, if you’re using foil when grilling, ensure that you purchase non-stick grill-safe foil; otherwise, it could stick to your grill's surface and be difficult to remove.
Rub a potato on the surface of the grill
Rubbing an uncooked potato on the surface of the grill (again using tongs) can also help prevent food from sticking to the grill. The starch within the potato can form a protective barrier on the grill before cooking.
Keep children away from the grill
Another important health and safety tip you must not gloss over is keeping small children as far away from the grill as possible. This is a hot surface, which, if touched, can lead to severe burns and other injuries (which is why you should make a great effort not to touch the grill yourself).
At the start of your BBQ, give kids a quick health and safety talk and encourage them to play in other areas of your yard instead. This will also give you greater peace of mind when cooking, as you’re less likely to be disturbed.
Lid down or lid up?
Leaving the lid up or down is the age-old question when it comes to grilling, and while this could come down to preference, most experts agree that when cooking, it's best to keep the lid down. After all, this can:
- Help to keep food hot, ensuring that it cooks all the way through.
- Speed up the cooking process by keeping grill temperatures as high as possible.
- Trap smokiness within the grill, leaving your food tasting better than ever.
- Protects your food from outside elements, helping you to maintain high levels of food hygiene.
Remember, use high-quality meat
While the above steps will help you develop useful skills, it's equally vital that you know how to cook your meat correctly. By using high-quality meats, you’re allowing for an easier cooking experience without excess fats, improper cuts of meat, and even cooking surfaces when grilled.
Let your meat rest after grilling
No matter how hungry you (or your guests) may be, it's important that you let your meat rest after grilling. This is because doing so lets the juices within the meat rest, which helps to lock in flavor and stops your food from drying out when serving. As dry food is often one of the biggest complaints at BBQs, this small tip could save the integrity of your meat.
Easier Grilling with Better Meats
No amount of culinary skills can replace the benefits of using high-quality meat when grilling. After all, this is the best way to ensure that you’re serving delicious food each and every time.
Grand Peaks Prime Meats has all your grilling meats ready to go. Whether you’re looking for beef, chicken, or combo packages, we’ve got you covered. With 65+ years of industry experience and locally sourced meats, you know you’re always in good hands when ordering any of our selections.
If you’re ready to place your own order for your next grill day, put in a home delivery order today and start preheating that grill!