Grilling Like a Pro

With the outside temperatures warming up at last, it's time to start getting ready for al fresco entertaining!

Grilling is one of our favorite ways to prepare a meal in the great outdoors - be it on the deck, rooftop, beach or balcony.   To help heat up your planning for outdoor gatherings, we thought we'd share some favorite grill master tips and resources.

Grill Basics

~ Keep food from sticking by rubbing grill with vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray.

~ Leaving space around each food item on the grill allows for even cooking and smoke penetration.

~ Turn meat just once on the grill—for steaks, turn them when the juices start to bubble on the uncooked side (the clearer the juice, the more well done the meat).

~ Apply sauces containing honey, brown sugar or molasses during the last 10 minutes to prevent the sauce from burning.

~ Keep a spray bottle filled with water handy so you can spritz flare-ups, which can blacken your food.

~ Place cooked foods on a clean plate, not one that has previously held raw meat, fish or poultry. Bacteria from raw food can contaminate the cooked food and cause food poisoning.

~ Brush the grilling surface (once it's cooled) with a wired brush to remove any stuck on food.

How to Direct/Indirect Grilling

~ Direct Grilling

A good method to cook foods that take less than 30 minutes directly over heat (boneless chicken, steaks, fish fillets, hamburgers and hot dogs).  Weber advises that for even cooking, food should be turned once halfway through the grilling time.  This approach is also necessary to sear meats ~ adding those gorgeous grill marks, along with flavor, to the food surface.

~ Indirect Grilling

Similar to oven roasting, this method is recommended for foods that are higher in fat and take longer than 30 minutes to cook.  Indirect grilling will provide grilled texture and flavor that can't be had from an oven.  Similar to cooking in a convection oven, the heat circulates under the closed grill lid, making it unnecessary to turn the food while cooking while still preventing burning. Foods that benefit from this approach include roasts, whole turkeys, bone-in chicken, ribs and briskets.

What the Pros Have to Say...

Here's a short list of some of the best guides we've found, and like to have on hand, to help turn out the most delicious grill results.

(1) Weber "Loved by millions, see why.."
~ Weber's Grilling What's Good For You Guide (36pp downloadable .PDF)
~ Grilling Tips including Smoking Basics, Spice and Herb Chart, and Grilling Guides (including cooking time and appropriate thickness) for Poultry, Beef, Pork, Veggies, Game, Fruit, Lamb, and Fish/Seafood.

(2) Elizabeth Karmel's  Girls at the Grill ~ "If you can eat it, you can grill it!"
~ Start by Testing your "Grill Skill" to see if you're a little sparky, smokin', or RED HOT!
~ Grilling 101 talks you through the "hardware"
~ ABCs of Grilling Basics
~ Testing for Doneness Chart (including recommended temperatures for a long list of grillable items)
~ Checklist for Perfect Grilling


(3) The Barbequer ~ "Proud to be American-made"
~ How to Grill Fish
~ Barbeque Tips including "Put the lid down" and "Foil Boats" and "Smoker in Your Eyes"


(4) Filippo Berio Barbeque Recipe Book (20pp downloadable .PDF)
(5) Fine Cooking ~ A New Way to Grill: Barbeque-Braising
(6) Food & Wine ~ 20 Smart Tips for Everyday Grilling
(7) How to Grill Lobster (instructional video)

(8) Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet "the finest equipment for the ultimate outdoor kitchen"
~ Outdoor Kitchen Resource Book  ~ design resource guide to creating the outdoor kitchen of your dreams...(FREE downloadable .PDF)
~ Tips for Quick-Grilling 10 Great Foods ~ co-authored by Rick Bayless
(9) Kingsford "the original.."
~ Learn About the Fine Art of Charcoal Grilling (instructional videos)
~ Tips for Safe Grilling  
(10) Santa Maria Style Barbeque including a BBQ Brochure (16pp downloadable .PDF)
(11) The Art of Manliness ~ The Art of Summer Grilling
(12) The Steak Enthusiast ~ Top 10 Steak Grilling Tips (includes tips based on the right cut of meat and this steak grilling chart courtesy of Kansas City Steak Company, another excellent source of grilling tips and recipes)

This should be enough to get the party started!  But stay tuned as we update with great new ideas we find as the summer progresses!

And, if we missed your favorites, please SHARE!  We'd love to try out your treasured tips and techniques!!