With summer well underway, the unofficial official barbecue season is in full swing. Barbecue is practically destined to taste good, but the experts know how to take average grilling, and make it exceptional. Here’s how to avoid the common pitfalls and keep your grilling bursting with flavor and perfectly cooked.
If you ever watch the Food Network, then you’re likely familiar with Tyler Florence, who always begins with high-quality ingredients. The end result will only ever be as good as the cut of meat, or the freshness of your vegetables – no matter how much salt you pour on. And speaking of salt, too much will toughen up your meat! When it comes to flavoring, marinate everything for at least 30 minutes - unless it’s citrus-based, in which case five minutes will do – but keep the salt content down until after your food has cooked.
With the right ingredients, you can move on to grill preparation. According to Florence, you have to begin by cleaning your grate. Dirt and burned-on leftovers make for poor tasting meals that stick to the grill. Add some olive oil to the grate once it’s cleaned and heating up. Another newbie mistake is placing meat on the grill before it’s hot enough. This means your charcoal should be coated gray and sending up heat waves. When the meat hits the grate it should sizzle, making perfect sear lines, and be left untouched for a few minutes before rotating to the other side.
Worried about over or undercooking your meat? There’s a simple fix: pick up an instant-read thermometer to avoid giving a bloody steak to well-done kind of person, and to avoid bacterial poisoning. Different meats require different techniques, but these basic skills make up the foundation for ultimately becoming a grill master.
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