14 Tips for Grilling Out This Summer

Here are some Grilling Tips

We are well into summer and the grilling season, but there is always time to learn something and get better.

The Food Adventure Crew worked to develop a few tips that you may not be familiar with. They are tips and philosophies that will help you in a lifetime of grilling techniques. Whether out at the pool, a lake, a park or your back yard, we hope you find these grilling tips handy.

Hungry? Let’s head out to the grill for a Food Adventure.

We give you our…

14 TIPS FOR GRILLING OUT THIS SUMMER:

— GRILL LOCAL:

Many local farms provide quality chicken and beef

Get to know your local butcher, local farmers and local fish mongers. This will give you access to the freshest and finest cuts of meat around. They will give you quality and extra deals the better they get to know you. Local farmers and butchers will also educate you on the cuts of meat, types of fish etc. Of course there is also the benefits of buying and supporting local businesses that makes this theory thrive.

Marinating Chicken with a rosemary blend

—SEASONING and ‘ or MARINADE:
Do not forget that important step of seasoning and or marinading your meats or grilled items. Much of this work can be done the night before and will infuse flavor into your meals. We suggest your favorite BBQ Sauce, or salad dressing for shortcut marinades. The other option is use vegetable oil and lemon juice and various spices like garlic, pepper and salt. Experiment and add any flavors you desire from yogurt to basil and oregano, the world is your oyster. Our favorite steak marinade is Worcestershire sauce, Soy sauce, minced garlic, and Szeged Steak Rub sold at Greg Meats in Springboro.

Make sure the meat is near room temperature when you grill

— MEAT TEMPERATURE BEFORE GRILLING:
Don’t throw your meat on the grill right from the cooler or refrigerator. Let the meat almost become room temperature before you place it on the grill. This promises more even cooking and will prevent undercooking. This goes for steaks, burgers, sausages, chicken etc..

—MUSTARD ??
Try this trick from the old days. Cut into some steaks 3 times on each side and brush your favorite mustard on each side of your steak and grill it.

YES MUSTARD ! Mustard makes a great glaze/marinade on steaks and has been a secret at many steakhouses in the 60’s and 70’s. Experiment with your own recipes and let us know how it came out . Some people call this “Mean Mr. Mustard” Steak recipes. The Big Ragu’s dad suggested this tip.

Mustard Rubbed Steaks Great for Ribeye Steaks.

Grill Corn, Eggplant, Squash, and more

— GRILL YOUR VEGGIES:

Don’t neglect veggies when you think of grilling. It is an excellent opportunity to grill things like corn, squash, peppers, eggplant, asparagus, onions and so much more. Brush your vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper and place on a hot grill. Don’t touch them for at least 2 minutes. You can even grill fruit, like pineapple!

Pounded Chicken Breasts

— POUND YOUR CHICKEN BREASTS:
Before marinading those monster chicken breasts, take the time to pound them a bit flatter for easier, more even grilling. Whether Italian dressing, or BBQ, this will allow for better taste across the board.

— GRILL YOUR BUNS:
When doing burgers, dogs and sausages, grill the buns when you can. This allows a more resilient bun when holding the condiments and allows easier grip. The taste of toasted bread is just better too.

Grilled Buns

— GRILL WITH CHARCOAL:
Whenever possible, grill with charcoal. In a world of gas grills, the taste is completely different. We realize it is not environmentally friendly, so use this tip as a special treat. Chicken, Steaks, Burgers and Dogs are delicious over charcoal grills.

Dont overflip the meat. Let the grill do the work

—LET THE GRILL DO THE COOKING, DON’T “OVER FLIP”:
Flip the food only once if possible. The more you touch the food on the grill, the more it will stick and begin to fall apart. Let the food sit on the grill. It is there to do the cooking, let it do its job without interference. Your food will cook faster when it is left alone, especially when you close the hood.

— SLATHER FOOD ITEMS AFTER GRILLING:

Put sauce on the BBQ chicken as you remove it

Doing some BBQ Ribs or Chicken on the grill? Maybe some fish? Make sure and slather these items after you take them off the grill in the serving sauces. Maybe a nice BBQ sauce over the ribs or an Italian dressing sauce on the chicken? Drizzle some butter or honey sauce over the fish while on the serving plate post grill. By slathering more sauce on the items it helps with taste and presentation of the food. Nothing looks better than a freshly grilled chicken breast with a fresh glaze of BBQ sauce.

Did you know you could gill clams?

— GRILL OUTSIDE THE BOX:
Think of other items to grill that you normally wouldn’t. From Clams to Shrimp Skewers and even putting a sautee pan on the grill. The sky is the limit. Remember, they sell some grillable pizza crusts in the stores. Talk about a fun event, creating grilled pizzas all night at a party.

— CLEAN GRILL = CLEAN FOOD:

Make sure the grill and utensils are clean

It is ok to have some residual seasonings on the grill but for the most part, your grill and the utensils should be very clean. To help with cooking, oil down the grilling grates with a spray vegetable oil in a can. This will help with ease of grilling and prevent food sticking to the grill.

— DON’T SLICE GRILLED FOOD RIGHT AWAY:
Once your steak or chicken is off the grill, wait at least 5 minutes before slicing. This gives the juices a chance to settle back into the meat. Same goes for burgers. Let them settle a bit before you bite in. Juicyness is just a couple of minutes away.

— AFTER GRILLING, PUT FOOD IN A SEALED CONTAINER:
Nothing is more unappetizing than bugs and flies all over the BBQ food. Ever go to grab a burger just as a fly pounces on it? Yeah, pretty gross right? Well, solve all of this by putting the finished grilled items into a sealed container with a lid and people can open the lid and serve themselves, worry free of bugs or flies. Make your grill out more enjoyable and more sanitary. Tell the flies to take a hike.

Grilled squash and pineapple

We hope you found these helpful and maybe incorporate them into a future picnic, etc. Grilling is an essential part of a foodie’s summer. Take advantage of the sunshine and share the feast with some close friends. Make your neighbors jealous with the smell. Besides grilling at home, consider a trip to a park with grills, or an area near a lake campground. How about your local swim club? Everyone loves a grill and pool party with good eats. The bottom line is get to know food sources, hone your flavors and develop your own techniques and grilling style. Best of luck !

Food Adventures is a local food blog with an exclusive weekly column right here at Dayton Most Metro. Please come by and read our local food feature each and every week. From restaurant features, to recipes we lave no local plate unturned. Food Adventures is on FACEBOOK – like them by clicking HERE.