Summer is back and with that, comes grilling season!
There is nothing quite like the excitement of tearing open a fresh bag of charcoal, stacking the perfect coal pyramid and setting it on fire.
Grilling brings back a sort of primal nature in all of us. An action connecting us to our inner cave person. A time when we would hunt for our food, build a fire, and cook our catch on the spot.
Grilling is as American as apple pie and, with more households joining in everyday, it is no wonder the BBQ Grill market earned itself over 8 billion dollars in 2021. Either you own a grill or someone you know does, heck, maybe every household in your family does, I know we are guilty.
Whether you own a grill, or are dreaming of purchasing your first one, here are a few tips and tricks to keep that grill ( and you ) happy for many meals to come.
First. Season your cooking grates.
This is perhaps one of the most crucial steps of owning and using your grill.
The last thing you want is to put all kinds of time and energy into making your food perfect, only to have it stick to the grill and disintegrate before your very eyes. There are other factors at play here which I will go over later but believe me, seasoning your cooking grates is essential and key factor numero uno!
Start by scrubbing your grill grates in hot soapy water, rinse all the soap off and then thoroughly drying them.
Next you are going to apply a thin coat of canola oil on the grates and set aside. We find that canola oil works better than most oils and adds a glorious protective coating for tastiness to rest upon.
With your grates primed and ready, it’s time to build a fire.
Begin by stacking your coals in the center of the grill. Keep in mind, you don’t need a ton of coals at this go around as we are not actually cooking any food yet, we only want the heat for our protective coating.
When the coals are nice & hot, they should have turned white – which is after about 10-15 minutes under flames – spread them in an even layer across the bottom of the grill.
Next, grab your oiled up grill grates, place them on the grill and put the lid on.
Make sure any vents you have are closed as this will keep all the heat inside the grill. Further adding to the protective coating we’re building.
If you are using a gas grill, turn it on a low/medium heat let the grill come to temp then add the grates on.
Now all that’s left is to wait, it’s really that easy.
With the lid on, the heat from the coals will bake the canola oil into every nook and cranny of the grates and create a “seasoned” coating that will help to keep your food from sticking.
For those that often cook with cast-iron pans, I’m sure notice the similarities in this process.
After about an hour, your grill should be hot and ready for action!
Maintenance: We like to re-season our grill periodically, how often really depends on how much you grill. For avid grillers ( meaning you fire it up at least once a week ), you’d probably want to re-season once a month or so. For those that grill less than that, seasoning is really up to you and how you feel about the stickiness of the grates.
When re-seasoning, you should use a brush to scrub off the grates and any excess food bite that might’ve caked on in previous use, then add a little oil to a cloth and wipe the top of the grates down again. A good time to do this is right after you finish cooking, that way the next time you cook your grill will be ready already.
Second. Light My Fire.
Depending on the size of your grill the amount of fuel you will need will vary, but the manufactures usually recommend about two to four pounds of charcoal.
Start by stacking your briquettes or lump coal in a pyramid, douse with lighter fluid and let soak in for about 30 seconds then light. Long matches of a grill lighter with a long tip work best.
Keep the lid of the grill off / open and let the coals burn for about 10-15 minutes or until the coals are all white hot and there is hardly any or no black left showing on the coals.
Once the coals are ready, scatter them evenly across the bottom of the grill and place the grill grates back on. For best results close the lid and let the grates heat up for about five minutes.
Next, you get to play with the fire.
About the coals: There is a myriad of options for coals, from lump to briquettes to the Matchlight kind that already has the lighter fluid soaked into the coals, for ease-of-use matchlight charcoal is our general favorite.
Third. Burn Baby Burn, but Hopefully Not.
Now that you have your grill seasoned and the coals glowing and happy, it’s time to cook.
For their overall popularity as a grill item, let’s say you have some juicy burgers ready for the flames. Grab those patties and gently place them on the grill evenly spaced out. You want to make sure not to overcrowd the grill so that everything has a chance to cook. Having spaces between the patties will allow for the heat from the coals to flow around the food providing you with a faster and more even cook.
After about two or three minutes, give your burgers a flip and cook the other side for roughly the same amount of time. You are looking for a nice deep brown color with grill marks (the lines the hot grill leaves when it sears the meat that touches the grill itself).
If you’re feeling a little fancy, about halfway through cooking the first side of the burger, give the patties a half turn on the grill. This will give you an X pattern on the burgers instead of just the normal straight lines. This method generally works better on larger cuts of meat that need more time on the grill, like a T-Bone steak for example.
If you are having trouble with your items sticking, it probably means it is not ready to be flipped yet, so give it another minute or so then try some flip action again.
And with that method in mind, you can drop just about anything on the grill!
So, What’s Next?
Now that you know the basics, it is time to expand your horizons.
There really is no shortage of tasty items you can toss on your grill that go from alright to almighty!
From steaks to ribs, or pork chops and fish, oysters and seafood, or corn on the cob (always a crowd favorite), the options are almost limitless, almost.
Fruits and veggies also grill up unctuous and delicious. Charring them on the grill tends to bring out a little extra sweetness as well. Pineapples and peaches are a couple of our favorites, highly recommended.
Some items like potatoes or garlic are wonderful when cooked on the grill as well.
Recipes to Try:
Perfect Potatoes –
Grab a russet potato and poke a bunch of holes in it with a fork, then rub it with Olive Oil and seasonings. Salt and Pepper are always a good combo.
Next, grab your seasoned potato and wrap it in aluminum foil. Then place it on the grill, preferably in an area away from the hottest part of the grill. The side usually works well or if your grill has a top rack above the grill grates this is a perfect spot.
Now, close the lid and let ‘um cook, usually 30-45 minutes depending on how hot your coals and grill are. Like anything you put on the grill, you’ll want to make sure and give the potatoes a little flip now and then to ensure even cookery.
Grandiose Garlic –
Nab a fresh bulb and cut the very top off, drizzle Olive Oil on it and wrap in aluminum foil. After 20-30 minutes on the grill, you’ll have a delicious bulb of roasted garlic ready to be spread on any and everything. Bread and Steaks are our favorites.
The list truly is endless, so I guess the next thing to do is to fire up that grill of yours and find your own favorites.
So, with that, we’ll catch ya next time. Happy grilling and feel free to drop a comment or shoot us an email with your favorite things to grill or recipes we should try. Heck, if it comes out good, we might even turn your recipe its own post, with a shoutout to our new friends of course.
P.S. A tasty cold beverage always pairs nicely when standing next to smoking hot grill.
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