Before you fire up your grill, here’s a list of simple BBQ tips to make your meal a mouthwatering success. If you aren’t using a convenient natural gas grill, check out the many benefits – from easy clean up to never running out of fuel. Happy grilling!
Most important of the BBQ Tips – Food safety first
Just the same as in your indoor kitchen, food safety is important. Raw meat and fish should not come into contact with other foods. Be sure to thoroughly sanitize your cutting board with each use. Use different sets of plates and utensils. One set for handling the uncooked meat and one for use after cooking and the meat is ready to be served.
Trim the fat
Trim excess fat off of meat before grilling and you’ll reduce the amount of drippings and resulting flare-ups. Leave a very thin layer of fat to help hold the meat juices in while cooking. You can trim this layer off after cooking.
Put the meat over the direct heat for 2 minutes each side. Turn the barbecue down to 350ºF and move the steak over a part of the grill with no direct heat. Cook each side between 4 and 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak and the desired doneness.
Too much mixing or squeezing of ground beef causes dense and tough burgers when they’re cooked. Turn hamburger patties with a metal spatula, but don’t flatten them. Flattening them squeezes out flavorful juices and makes the burgers dry.
Piercing or stabbing
If you pierce or stab meat, you lose juices that keep it moist and tender. One of the easiest BBQ tips is to turn food with long-handled tongs instead of piercing it with a fork.
Roasting on a spit
Baste poultry or meat as it turns on the rotisserie spit. Use a spray bottle or basting brush. If you place a heavy-duty disposable foil drip pan to catch any drippings, you can add herbs in wine or broth to infuse extra flavor and moisture. Since foil can slow down the cooking process, keep the pan as small as possible.
Cut the meat in even-sized pieces. Use flat-bladed skewers to keep food from twisting as you turn it.
Fish types vary greatly, but as a rule, it turns from translucent to opaque during the cooking process. When it’s done, insert a toothpick into the thickest part. The toothpick should go in easily without resistance and come out clean.
Sweet sauce last
Another of the simplest BBQ tips is when basting with sweet sauces with sugar, honey or syrup, add them during the last few minutes of grilling to prevent burning. Sauces using savory ingredients such as mustard and teriyaki can be applied throughout grilling.
Remember that higher water content foods require less cooking time. Tomatoes have high water content and cook very quickly. Potatoes have a low water content and can take longer to cook than the meat course.
Use these tips to make the best cookout ever. Enjoy.