These are the best grilling tips that I’ve given in 3 decades.
Simple tips that really help. Learn how to grill the perfect steak, how to grill hamburgers, how to grill chicken and much more.
Grilling Tips
To heat a charcoal grill – you light the coals and wait for them to turn white and ashy, and then cook your food. The wait time can be up to an hour.
When it is time to cook your food, you can easily adjust the temperature of a gas grill. You can also easily cook foods at different temperatures – depending on the size of your grill.
Now to certain extent you can also adjust the temperature on a charcoal grill; but this involves moving all the charcoal to one side of your grill. You still may find that the grill is too hot, so you wait for the coals to cool and by then you may risk that the charcoal is too cool before the food is done cooking.
The second thing I considered when purchasing a grill, was the taste. Many folks believe that the charcoal adds a wonderful taste – but other people would argue that gas grilling will give you the same smoky flavor.
Do you know what gives the food a smoky flavor? It’s not the gas nor the charcoal, it’s the fat the drips on the heat source which creates smoke that adds to the flavor. In other words – both will give you great flavor.
Gas vs Charcoal grilling? So which one will you choose? That is totally up to you, of course.
I have 3 steps which will greatly increase your chances of success with a gas grill or a charcoal grill, and they are:
1. Prepare the grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions for MEDIUM heat.
2. Season the food directly from the refrigerator. The first step in gas vs charcoal grilling is to marinate it.
3. Take the meat out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature and THEN grill it. It makes all the difference in the world.
Gas vs Charcoal grilling is totally by preference and I hope that I helped you make your decision.
Grilling Tip #1
First of all – liquid marinades seep in deeper than dry rubs to lend a rich flavor. Plus, the acidic ingredient of the marinade tenderizes the meat. When you purchase your meat and chicken in bulk, use the food-saver and add a steak marinade or chicken marinade recipe before sealing.
The food-saver pulls all the air out after it is sealed, so the marinade is sucked into the muscle which means a MORE TENDER meat. This eliminates marinating chicken or marinating steak just before grilling – bring the meat to room temperature and start grilling.
Grilling Tip #2
The container you use for this steak marinade or chicken marinade recipe is critical. Use a glass, plastic, stainless steel or ceramic dish for marinades. Aluminum and some other metals react with acids and will affect the flavor.
Grilling Tip #3
Use a steak marinade recipe for tougher cuts of meat like tri-tip, flank steak, London broil, skirt steak, and beef ribs. They benefit tremendously when the steak marinades over night. These tougher cuts of steak are also economical to purchase and now you can save money without sacrificing flavor.
Grilling Tip #4
Rub the grill grate with an onion and this will make them non-stick. Just cut one in half and rub away.
Deep frying Turkey, grilling fish, smoking meat, and grilling turkey or grilling pork without brining the meat first is costing you the taste of what could of been a beautiful, succulent bird or moist dreamy chops.
One tip I use to brine turkey is to use a large cooler or a clean bucket and keep in the garage overnight in the winter – or use a large stock pot, or a large turkey roasting bag to brine in the summer.
Beer Can Chicken Recipe above
The best steak topping.
BEST STEAK MUSHROOM SPREAD
3 TBS butter
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1-1/2 TBS flour
1 cup homemade sour cream
1/2 tsp 1 tsp homemade garlic powder
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the mushrooms and onion; fry until tender. Sprinkle with flour, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the garlic powder, lemon juice and then season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and top with parmesan cheese. Put in the refrigerator overnight for best flavor.
When ready to serve, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Serve with crusty french bread or garlic pita chips.
STEAK BUTTER
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 garlic cloves
Combine in a food processor or blender. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Place on a hot grilled steak before serving.
I offer more than grilling tips. Please check out more grilling must-dos below.
