Saturday, July 7, 2012

Grilling Tips and Tricks


 There is no doubt that grilling is an art, and getting the food right is a matter of technique and practice. If you are having trouble getting your grilled foods to turn out just right, here are a few simple grilling tips and tricks. If you’ll follow them you can transform your grilled foods into works of art:
1. To make cooking go faster, partially cook food on the range or in the microwave, and then immediately finish cooking the food on the grill.

2. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes before using to keep them from scorching. Spray or brush metal skewers with vegetable oil.

3. Use tongs or a spatula to turn meat because piercing it with a fork causes precious juices to escape.

4. While cooking, keep the top and bottom grill vents open. Close them when cooking is finished to extinguish the coals. Also, before you start the fire, make sure the grill's vents are not clogged with ashes.

5. The easiest way to clean a soiled grill is to scrub it with a stiff wire brush while it is still warm.
6.How to know how hot is a charcoal grill? A quick and easy way to estimate the temperature of the coals is to hold the palm of your hand about 4 inches above coals. Count the seconds you can hold your hand there before the heat forces you to pull it away. Then use this simple determination of temperature: 2 seconds – coal temperature is 3750 F or more; 3 sec – 3500 to 3750; 4 sec – 3000 to 3500; 5 sec – 2000 to 3000.

7.To light a charcoal fire, place the coals in a pyramid shape 20 to 30 minutes prior to cooking.
To start with lighter fluid, soak the coals with about 1/2 cup fluid. Wait 1 minute to let the fluid soak in, then light with a match. Do not use gasoline or kerosene because either one can cause an explosion.
To use an electric starter, place the starter in the center of the pyramid and plug in. Once ash begins forming, after about 8 -10 minutes, unplug the starter and remove it. Remember, the starter will be very hot and should cool in a safe, heatproof place.

8. Charcoal briquettes are ready for cooking when they are glowing red and their surface is covered with gray ash. Coals will take 20 to 40 minutes to reach this stage. Once coals are ready, spread them out for even heat.
9.Cleanup is easier if grill rack is coated with nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil before grilling. Do not spray the grill over the fire, because this could cause a flare-up.
10.Charcoal readily absorbs and holds moisture, so better to store it in dry place.

Also, remember about some safety things, like: position the grill on a heatproof surface, away from the bushes and trees that could catch a spark and out of the path of traffic; have a spray bottle with water to control wild sparks and very small flare-ups on a charcoal grill; but do not use water to quench flare-ups on a gas grill, just close the hood and turn down the heat until the flames subside; and etc.

Follow these simple tips and tricks and you will be able to grill quickly and easily with great results. Good luck and have fun!


No comments:

Post a Comment