Great Grilling Tips

Shish kabob on the grill

It’s time to pull out the barbeque and get grilling! Here are a few tips to help make your grilling a great success.

Getting Started

• A fire extinguisher is important to have in the event that a mishap occurs. You can also keep a stray bottle handy to extinguish any flare ups.
• Place your grill in a well-ventilated area away from trees, lawn furniture, or anything that could obstruct it.
• Remember to preheat your grill prior to cooking anything. This will allow the grill to come to an appropriate temperature.

Cooking

• Know where the hot spots are on your grill, so you can rotate your items and allow them to be cooked thoroughly.
• Use tongs to turn the food as a fork will pierce the surface and drain away juices.
• Keep cooked meats hot by keeping them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the grill where they could burn.
• Check for proper doneness with an instant-read thermometer and use separate platters for cooked and raw foods.
• Try to keep the lid down. Lifting the lid will allow the heat to escape and increase the total cooking time. Open only when turning foods or checking for doneness.
• Always keep the grill area clean. Use a grill brush to take away leftover residue.

Marinating

• Marinades containing tomato or sugar should be used towards the end of grilling since they tend to caramelize or burn if subjected to high heat for a prolonged period of time.
• Never reuse marinades as they have juices from raw food which could be contaminated with bacteria.