Grilling Basics and Benefits
Are you a little intimidated by your barbecue grill? Whether it’s a gas or charcoal grill, it definitely takes some practice to learn how to grill so that everyone can get their meat the way they like it and nothing is cooked only on the outside – and not the inside. With just a few tips, you can become quite accomplished on the grill.
Preparing the grill. If you are using a charcoal grill, building the fire is one of the most important steps. One tip is not to choose the least expensive charcoal. There are many reasonably priced self-lighting brands of charcoal. It’s OK to use a little lighter fluid, but try to keep it to a minimum. No one wants that chemical taste in their meat or whatever is being grilled. Don’t begin cooking until your charcoal has turned white. That’s when the real heat is being released. Also, rub down your grill with vegetable or canola oil to minimize sticking.
Don’t handle meat too much. One of the biggest mistakes novice grillers make is to turn steaks, chicken and other meat on the grill far too often. In fact, grilling experts recommend handling whatever you are grilling as little as possible. If you don’t follow that advice, the result will be meat that is dried out and, often, not fully cooked because of the number of times it is poked or squeezed as you flip it over. Instead of prongs or a fork, consider a spatula and only turn over the meat once or twice while on the grill. With ground beef, if you turn too often you risk the hamburger breaking up because it was squeezed or grabbed before the meat had cooked sufficiently.
Go for vegetables and fruit. Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and onions are just some of the vegetables that can be deliciously grilled and included along with the entrée or in a salad that includes grilled meet as well. Many people do not get enough vegetables and fruit in their diet, and grilling veggies is a great way to encourage healthy eating. Among the fruits that do well on the grill are the pineapple, pear and mango.
Lean grilling. Every type of cooking can be done smarter and healthier, and grilling is no different. When grilling meat, experts say you can reduce the saturated fat by cutting off all the visible fat on the meat. With poultry, remove the skin and you’ll end up with less fat and fewer calories.