Top Ten Grilling Tips

  1. Make sure the grill is hot enough. Preheat your grill, otherwise food will stick. The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue says that when your gas or charcoal grill is ready to cook on, you will be able to hold your hand five inches above the grate for two seconds if the fire is “hot” and three to four seconds if the fire is “medium-hot.”
  2. Make sure you grill safely. Don’t grill in an enclosed area; use baking soda to control a grease fire, not water; have a fire extinguisher, bucket of sand, or garden hose on hand; and be sure your grill is on stable ground before firing it up.
  3. Oiling your grates before cooking on them helps keep food from sticking.
  4. Leave an unheated space on the grill. This way you will have somewhere to put food when a flare-up occurs.
  5. Keep the lid up for veggies. By keeping the lid down, the heat and moisture stays in, thus making the veggies lose their crunch and gain a smoky taste. Only veggies which can benefit from some steam, like squash or potatoes should be cooked with the lid down.
  6. Apply barbecue sauce later. Too often sauces are applied at the beginning of grilling. This causes the sauce to burn and lose its flavor. Brush the sauce on a few minutes before you are ready to pull the meat off the grill.
  7. When cooking fish fillets, always start with the skin side up. If the skin has been removed, the skin side will appear slightly darker. By cooking this way, the natural fat carried beneath the skin will be drawn into the fillet, keeping it rich and moist. When turned, this leaves the more attractive side up for a perfect presentation.
  8. Thick steaks are best cooked in two stages. First sear each side over very high heat to set the exterior then move meat to a cooler section of the grill (medium-high) and cook until halfway done on one side, then flip over one more time until done.
  9. Grill chicken over medium heat and turn often, yielding even browning and avoiding overly charred sections. Larger cuts with bone will take longer than smaller and/or boneless pieces.
  10. Always cook meat to the proper temperature and be sure to check with an appropriate meat thermometer. Failing to check or cook to the correct temperatures could leave unwanted bacteria alive.


Written for PetesOutdoorGrills.com by Elizabeth Livingston

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Top Ten Grilling Tips