Grilling Basics for the Reluctant
Summer invokes images of pools, baseball, beer, and grills. Why is it when you see a grill, most of the time it is a male next to it?
At some point an advertiser placed a male next to it’s grill and said, “it is a man’s job” to grill. Most people believed them, or at least that has been my experience. The real reason this advertising worked: grilling is easy. Why wouldn’t a guy volunteer for one of the easiest forms of cooking, which gets him outside, usually with a drink, and without children. Grilling can be for anyone!
Once you figure out how to actually turn on the grill, it only requires patience. And a beer (or that’s what Brandon believes).
The basics:
Turn on knobs, turn on propane (don’t ask me about charcoal), push start button
Get a beer (if you so choose)
Depending on the state of your grill and what you are grilling, you may need a slight grease which can be done easily before turning on or carefully after.
The heat will drop about 100 degrees every time you open that lid, so avoid frequent checks
Monitor grill closely for the first few minutes of cooking any meat to watch for flareups
Low and slow always wins on flavor
Nothing wrong with temping meat to make sure it is cooked, but not over-cooked
Let it rest when it comes off the grill. It keeps cooking during this time and the juices will be absorbed, rather than spilling out if you cut too early.
Baking soda (not flour) puts out grease fires.
Burger Grilling example: Start with grill closed on low until reaching around 550 degrees, add the burgers. After 4 minutes, quarter turn (not flip) and increase heat to medium. After another 2 minutes, flip the burgers. Turn down heat to medium-low and finish. Around 9 minutes total is when it should be a rare burger (still squishes easily when touched). 11 minutes is about medium-rare. 12-13 minutes will be close to a true medium. The meat should still give when touched but not too much. If it feels firm, it’s well-done (i.e. burnt) so just give it to the dog.
Grilling Ideas:
Brats or hot dogs (Gilbert’s Sausage makes chicken brats that we love)
Burgers
Beef or Bison recipe here
Veggie Burger recipe here
Chicken: great for meal prep! Brine chicken thighs during the day and grill at night, let rest and slice for an easy salad topper
Steak: Eat solo with a side or use for fajitas or a steak sandwich
Potatoes: bundle diced potatoes in aluminum foil with butter and seasoning
Veggies: asparagus, corn, zucchini, squash, romaine, peppers
Fruit: peaches, mango, pineapple
Pizza: Yes, we often grill pizza! Slide on the raw formed dough on high heat, remove and flip, add toppings, and return on low heat to cook toppings
Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash
