4 SURPRISING GRILLING TRICKS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED
You're comfortable in front of the grill. Your tongs are an extension of your hand. You have a knack for knowing when that steak is perfectly cooked. But what separates the great grillmasters from the rest is the drive to always get better. So here are five crucial tips:
The Gray Area
Some guys are so eager to get their grill game on that they don’t wait long enough for the charcoal to be ready. It's one of the most common grilling mistakes. For a proper charcoal grill session, you want to make sure your coals are hot and ready. That means you want about three-quarters of your coals covered with whitish-grayish ash. You'll also see that beautiful red glow. This takes about 15-20 minutes from the time you fire it up. Now you're ready.
One Good Turn
You know the guy. He throws some meat on the grill, then just can't let it go, constantly poking, pressing and moving it around. It's important to let the grill, you know, actually grill. That means letting the meat sit and develop a nice crust. Only then is it time to flip and let the same thing happen on the other side. Usually just one turn is all it takes. If you've let it cook long enough, the meat will come away from the grill grates without leaving that nice crust behind.
Space It Out
Kebabs are a cookout crowd-pleaser. Sometimes it's easy to get into kebab-building mode, just cramming those pieces of meat and veggies together, squeezing as many onto a skewer as you can. However, it's best to keep things separate (your veggies on one skewer and your meats on another), since vegetables and meats cook in different times. Separating the meats is a good idea too: beef together, chicken together, etc. Leaving a small space between each cube on the skewers will ensure evenly cooked meat.
Down The Flames
When you grill, you're going to get flare-ups from time to time. It happens when some fat drips through the grates – and let's face it, some fat will drip through the grates. Most flare-ups aren't a big deal, but for those bigger ones? Well, those need to be dealt with. Some people like to have a squirt bottle in a holster to douse the flames. It isn’t necessary though. A cleaner, more effective way to handle those dancing flames is to simply cover the grill. You cut down the oxygen and that puts out the flames. You'll look calm and collected as you coolly place the lid on your grill instead of getting all spray-happy with a squirt bottle – and potentially making a mess. Once the flare-up is down, remove the lid and get back to doing your thing: owning the grill.
The next time the party's at your place, you'll be behind the grill, handing out great food – and these tips – to your (impressed) guests.
