Don't Break The 7 Golden Rules Of Grilling
The beach can be nice, but summer is all about grilling. As common as it is, many people would never claim to be grilling pros. Or they think they are, but let's just say they might need a refresher. We'll even admit to feeling insecure about our grilling abilities sometimes. Will the steak stick? Will the chicken burn before it cooks through? To foil or not to foil?
As someone who had a “grilling complex” for a long time, I can sympathize. But I’m also here to say that if I can master it, you can too. Follow my golden rules of grilling and you’ll be hosting that next backyard cook-out with confidence.
1. Prep Your Grill's Grates for Success
Before you start the grill, make sure it’s in good working order. Clean the grates, using a long wire brush (or non-wire brush!) to scrape off any charred bits or debris, and then oil them. A paper towel dipped in oil works great for this. The goal is to lightly grease the grates but not to over-oil them to the point that the oil will drip into the flames once the grill is lit and cause flare-ups.
2. Preheat the Grill—and Then Preheat It Some More
Once the grates are cleaned and oiled, preheat the grill for at least 10 minutes; 15 is even better! According to Jessica Gavin, certified culinary scientist and food scientist, this substantial preheat time “ensures the grates are sufficiently hot, allowing for desired sear marks on food.” It also helps to “create a nonstick surface by “closing [the microscopic] pores” on the grill grates. The result is a smoother surface which leads to less sticking.
What happens if you try to cut short this preheat time? You end up with grayish food that’s been steamed rather than seared—hardly appetizing. And it probably also stuck like crazy to those grill grates. Be patient. It’s worth the extra time.
3. Create Your Zones
Some food can be cooked completely over hot and fast heat: burgers, steaks, some veggies. But others benefit from a lower, slower cook to ensure they reach the correct internal temperature: chicken, pork, or big cuts of beef. This is why it’s important to create direct and indirect cooking zones.
Don’t freak out: this is easier than you think. Basically, the goal is to create hotter and less hot areas of the grill. If you’re grilling over a gas grill, this might mean just turning down the heat on one side to create a cooler area. If you’re grilling with charcoal, you’ll want to bank the coals on one side so that the grates directly over the coals stay very hot while the grates that are not directly over the coals are a “cool zone.”
A two-zone set-up isn’t strictly necessary if you’re only planning to cook beef burgers and hot dogs. But it’s a great tool to keep in your back pocket for when you decide you want to try grilling chicken.
4. Salt Your Food in Advance
We all know that salt is flavor. But did you know that when you properly season your food it can have a big impact on its texture as well? According to Gavin, salting meat 30 minutes in advance of grilling allows the salt to “penetrate the food,” increasing moisture retention and “resulting in juicier and more flavorful grilled dishes.”
Salting some proteins, like fish, in advance is never a good idea, since the salt will dry it out and begin to denature the fish. Additionally, salting in advance may pull moisture out of the steak, making the surface wet. Gavin says we should “dry the surface [of the meat] with a paper towel to remove excess moisture” before grilling. If your meat is wet when it hits the grill, it will steam instead of searing—and no one is wants steamed meat at a cook-out.
5. Let It Be
Once the food hits the grill grates, it’s important to leave it alone. Shifting the food too soon or too frequently will prevent it from searing properly and developing those grill marks. Also, if you try to move the food before those marks have properly formed, there’s a good chance it will stick to the grates and you’ll end up with ripped proteins and grates with little bits of food stuck to them. Hardly desirable.
If you’re concerned your food might be getting over-charred (otherwise known as burned!), try lifting just the corner with the tongs and taking a peek underneath. If the food is well-marked, you’re probably good to flip. If the marks aren’t dark and the food also seems to be sticking, let it ride.
6. Keep the Lid Closed
Unless you’re actively shifting food around on the grill, keep the lid closed. One reason for this is that if you’re cooking with charcoal, keeping the lid closed traps that smoky flavor, allowing it to better sink into the food.
Keeping the lid closed also “traps the heat circulating above and below the food, ensuring even cooking without,” she says. Every time the lid is open, “several degrees of heat are lost, which can significantly increase the cooking time.” A grill is just like an oven: if you keep opening and shutting the door, it will get cold and your food will suffer.
7. Wait to Glaze
A sweet and tangy glaze on a piece of grilled chicken or cauliflower is hard to beat, but while you might be tempted to start slathering as soon as that food hits the grill, resist! Glazes and barbecue sauces typically contain a lot of sugar, which can quickly burn when exposed to high heat.
For best results, wait to start glazing until the food is almost finished grilling. I usually start about two minutes before I plan to take it off. This is just long enough for the glaze to meld with the food and caramelize slightly, but not long enough for it to burn.
Do you have grilling tips you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments below.
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