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With the approach of warm weather, blue skies, spring bulbs and lambs, our thoughts turn to grilling. It’s time to dust off the barbecue and uncover the patio furniture. Here are my top ten tips for enjoying hearty meals hot off the grill.
It all boils down to how do I get it started? and when is it done? Everything in between should be simple and fun. I used to prepare appetizers on the grill for hundreds of people on wine festival weekends. For the most part, I had great success, except when I set fire to the barbecue itself (a feat my ‘ex’ didn’t think possible), or the time our friends decided to use walnut firewood to start a twelve-hour barbecue fire, good for dinner and breakfast.
I use a Weber kettle-style barbecue, because I like the intense heat produced by coals, as well as even heating when the lid is closed. My 26″ Weber can get up to 600? very quickly with the lid closed. My friends and I don’t actually grill at that temperature, in our saner moments, but we can grill on cold, windy evenings, without losing heat to wind and frigid outdoor temperatures. In cold, windy conditions gas flames just cannot keep the grill hot enough, even with the lid closed. Gas emitters clog with grease and ash, and since I like to grill often, that’s extremely inconvenient. So I stick with my trusty Weber, piling coals in the middle for a nice hot center, and leaving the edges open for radiant heat, or piling them to one side if I’m going to rotisserie. You can also use moistened wood chips and herbs in a coal barbecue.
Here are my ten simple steps for successful and enjoyable grilling:
1. Give yourself plenty of time.
Time to get the coals started, time to prepare and marinate the meat, time to cook the meat slowly over medium-hot coals. Grilling is not an activity that should be rushed. Give yourself an early start so you can visit with guests and enjoy a leisurely pace.
Grilling is fun, and it should be relaxing, so there’s something to be said for starting the evening with dry coals, a clean grill, a grill brush that still has plenty of wires on it, and a lighter that works. Use a small cupboard or storage unit to hold grilling detritus like extra coals, paper grocery bags, old pots, drip pans, mesquite chips, wooden skewers, and toothpicks for serving sausage. It keeps everything dry and out of sight, and provides extra counter space next to the barbecue.
If you’re not already a grill god or goddess, make sure you’ve got space nearby for a cutting board, spices, a knife, and barbecue tools. It’s more fun to hang out comfortably by the grill with everything you need than to scurry in and out of the house fetching tools.
I suggest using a grill chimney to start the coals. Lighter fluid and self-lighting coals impart a chemical flavor and aroma to grilled foods. Plus, they’re generally more expensive. With practice, a chimney makes starting coals easier (and in some cases safer) than any other method.
Paper mashing is an art. Don’t mash too much paper into the bottom of the chimney or air won’t be able to feed the flames. If the chimney paper and coals don’t cheerfully ignite, just tip the chimney at an angle for a minute to allow air to flow under the flames and paper.
Keeping the grill clean is a matter of debate. Guys seem to prefer plenty of “char” on the grill, making it less likely that food will stick. I maintain that congealed, half-life grease looks nasty when black bits of it show up on seafood. Therefore, I keep an old grill and a new one on hand, so there’s always a clean grill, or one that’s relatively easy to brush clean, for fish, shellfish, and lighter meats.
To remove excess char, get the grill hot over the coals, then brush vigorously with a stiff wire brush. A painter’s wire brush will work better and last longer than the fussy versions sold as barbecue accessories.
To keep red meats tender and juicy, it’s very important to turn your meat frequently, over fairly hot coals, for the first few minutes. Even a slight sear will help to seal in moisture. Light meats and fish do not need a charred exterior, just a quick sizzle on each side. Thicker cuts of meat benefit from being turned frequently at first while the coals are still hot so they get that yummy, crusty exterior with the pretty char marks. Marinades and bastes are very important for this step-a little extra sugar in the marinade will help it adhere, and the meat will caramelize quickly, sealing in moisture, juice, and heat. Tilt cuts of meat on their edges briefly to seal all sides of the cut.
There are two camps on basting philosophy-one camp claims that basting prevents crispy caramelization, and the other camp claims that basting keeps grilled cuts moist. Our findings, after hundreds of field trials, are that red meats should be allowed to caramelize over high heat, then moved to the edge of the grill to continue roasting. Fish, on the other hand, should be grilled over lower heat, with frequent basting to keep the fish moist and succulent. I encourage you to perform your own field trials.
Always err on the moist, underdone side. Grill temperatures can be quite hot, and after food is removed from the grill, it will continue to cook in its own retained heat. You can always return meat to the grill, so if you think it’s almost done, place the meat on a cutting board and let it rest for several minutes. Cutting a thin slice off the end will give you a good idea of how the center is doing..
While turning meat to caramelize the exterior, remember that barbecue sauces have quite an impact at this stage. The more sugar in the sauce, the faster the exterior will seal. Move large cuts of meat slightly off center to continue cooking near, but not directly over, the hottest coals, or all the way out to the edge to heat all the way through without boiling out the meat juices.
After searing, grill your meat on each side of the cut for an additional two to ten minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut. A T-bone steak one to two inches thick would need to cook an additional four to five minutes on each side, while a triangular tritip cut would need at least ten minutes on each side.
Grilling is not always done in early evening, with warm breezes wafting through a chartreuse canopy of spring walnut leaves. I enjoy those evenings, but my friends and I have also been known to grill a roast in the kitchen window’s castoff light on a cold, crisp November night while waiting for a star shower. I recommend the use of a good meat thermometer, but if you don’t have one (or can’t find it), another way to test grilled meat for doneness is to give it the “jelly” test. If it feels wiggly when you squeeze it with tongs, it’s a long way from done. When meat starts to firm up, it’s hot and probably cooked through. Remove the meat to the radiant heat portion of the grill and check the interior by slicing it slightly open with a knife.
When meat is removed from the grill, it will continue to develop toward doneness, just as a roast would, from its own retained heat. Keeping this in mind is doubly important if you use a sweet marinade to sear the meat. Your grill meat will have an “envelope” that not only holds in juice, but heat as well.
To ensure the center of a large cut is done, cover the meat with two layers of aluminum foil and a kitchen towel for 10-15 minutes. If the meat is done on the outside, but you would like the interior to cook a little more, this technique allows the center to heat through without applying more char to the exterior.
Soak mesquite chips in water, so you don’t set the barbecue on fire. If your coals have died down, a single dry wood chip or two will help flame up new coals without the chemical off-gassing of lighter fluid, but don’t-trust me, don’t-add more than one or two.
Wet mesquite added to coals will create soft, smoky flavors during radiant heat cooking. Since you only need to use a few chips at a time, one small bag should last through several grilling sessions.
If you have an herb garden, this is a great way to use deadwood from perennial herbs that need to be pruned back. Harvest an armful of overgrown wood, soak them in a bucket of water for an hour, and apply a handful at a time to very hot coals. I usually perform this step after caramelizing the exterior of large cuts, and right before closing the lid.
Tarragon stems contribute a heady licorice scent which is nice with fatty red meats. Lavender has a floral, slightly bitter and pungent aroma, terrific with lamb. Oregano gives off a spicy, Italian scent, and rosemary creates a romantic, mouth-watering incense.
10. Soak herb wood for laying on the coals
9. Keep a bag of mesquite chips on hand
8. Remember the radiant
7. Feeling for doneness-the “jelly test”
6. Don’t overcook
5. Go for the allover sear
4. Keep the grill clean
3. Use a starter chimney
2. Set up a comfortable work area
Mary Baker is the author of the popular relationship and dating journal A Year by the Lake.
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