Nothing says summer like dinner sizzling on a hot grill. Whether you’re aiming for bacon-wrapped filet mignon, tangy barbecued chicken, mixed vegetable kabobs, swordfish steaks, and succulent pork tenderloin, or just some good old-fashioned hot dogs and hamburgers, grilling lets you decide how simple or creative you want to be.
For the sake of safety, know how to operate your particular grill, be sure your grill is on level ground and in a ventilated area, and keep a spray bottle of water nearby for quick dousing of flames, if necessary. Also, follow food safety measures by avoiding cross-contamination when handling raw meats and using a meat thermometer to ensure safe and proper doneness.
If you like the sound of “let’s grill out,”
but you have yet to master the grilling part, here are some basics to help you
get started…
Get Ready!
Gather your tools. Go for long-handled utensils, starting with a brush with rust-proof bristles and a scraper. Scrub the grill racks to remove those charred bits of last summer’s steaks and use a paper towel moistened with vegetable oil to grease the grates. Set out your tongs, turning fork, and spatula, and an instant-read meat thermometer. Depending on your menu, you might also need skewers, a basting brush, or other accessories.
Get Prepped!
Prep the foods you intend to grill. Since grilling is fundamentally a method of cooking tender foods quickly over high-heat, it’s best to go with thin cuts that are approximately an inch and a half thick, or less. Direct-heat cooking involves foods becoming seared by the flames, which helps to seal in the juices, but a thick cut of meat will char on the outside before the inside is fully cooked, and overcooking can produce results that are dry, tough, and rather unappetizing.
Marinades and dry seasoning rubs are popular ways to infuse flavor, add moisture, and tenderize some cuts of meat. Simply place meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables in a glass or ceramic dish, or you can use a sturdy plastic zip-lock bag, and cover with your marinade. A good marinade consists of an acidic liquid (lemon or other citrus juice, wine, vinegar, or soy sauce), oil, and herbs and spices, and may require steeping for anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, occasionally turning the meat during that time.
Grill!
Timing is everything. Once those marinated dinner items hit the hot grates, there is a natural tendency to want to peek every few minutes, but when you open the grill lid, you release the heat. It’s also tempting to flip, poke, and flatten a piece of meat while it’s cooking, but the more you mess with the food, the more its juices are ending up in the flames. Follow your recipe carefully. Searing chicken, for example, might require turning each piece several times as they brown, but if the instructions for a steak are to “grill five minutes on each side,” set a timer for five minutes and be patient.
Recipes
Super-Simple Meat Marinade
Try this fool-proof, catch-all marinade along with some easy-to-grill favorites.
Ingredients:
¼ cup lemon, orange, or pineapple juice
½ cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Dash of garlic salt
Directions:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Delicious as a marinade for chicken, beef, or pork.
Filet Mignon
Ingredients:
3 pieces filet mignon
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp salt
Directions:
On a plate, mix olive oil, salt, and pepper. Rub each filet, on all sides, in the oil and seasonings and let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. This gives the seasonings time to penetrate the meat and ensures more even cooking.
Preheat the grill on high for approximately 20 minutes.
Sear filets on each side for 3 minutes with the lid closed.Turn grill burners down to medium-low and cook filets for an additional 3-4 minutes per side. Inside will be pink (medium). (Reduce or increase cooking time by just a minute or two if you prefer rarer or more well-done steaks.)
Let the filets sit for 5-10 minutes while the juices redistribute after removing them from the grill.
Top with garlic butter, sautéed onions, or nothing at all!
Classic Hot Dogs
Directions:
Hot dogs are pre-cooked, so the goal is to simply heat them up.
Place them on the grill, farthest away from the direct heat, and sear for about 3 minutes per side.
Place each hot dog in a bun and top with ketchup, mustard, relish, sautéed or raw onions, chili, or mayonnaise or other salad dressing.
For a cheese dog, remove frankfurter from the grill and slice lengthwise almost entirely through.
Fold a slice of American cheese lengthwise and insert into hot dog.
Ingredients:
All-beef frankfurters (or choose reduced-fat chicken or turkey frankfurters)
Hot dog buns
Assortment of condiments and dressings
Ingredients:
Assortment of chicken thighs, breasts, or legs
Salt and pepper
Favorite barbecue sauce
Barbecued Chicken
Directions:
Preheat grill for indirect-heat cooking. (For a charcoal fire, arrange coals around perimeter. In a gas grill, preheat one side.)
Sprinkle chicken pieces on all sides with salt and pepper, and place them, skin side down, over the coals or heated portion of the grill.
Cook, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, turning each piece frequently, until browned.
Move the pieces to the center, or away from the direct heat, and close the cover. Cook for 10 minutes.
Turn chicken pieces and brush with barbecue sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.
Brush again with sauce and cook until chicken pieces are no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes.
Serve with remaining sauce.
