Tips and Techniques III
Patience is the secret of Smoking. Be attentive but not invasive. Meaning, don't be lifting the lid every 20 minutes to take a taste or check the progress, but do keep a close eye of the temperature and the fire.Serve meat straight from the grill. The few minutes that a steak or pork chops sits waiting to be served can do a lot to dry the meat. If you are not going to serve within a minute or two, cover the meat to avoid drying.
Whether you grill indoors or out a small fire extinguisher can save you the trouble of looking for a new house.
When grilling meats with a long strip of fat down one side, make cuts in the fat every inch to prevent the meat from curling as the fat shrinks.
If your using a pizo-electric igniter on your gas grill, push it a couple of times before turning on the gas. This helps clear the contacts and makes starting a little easier.
Plan your side dishes as carefully as the main course. A heavy dish should be accompanied by light sides. A spicy dish should be accompanied by something that cools the spices. Etc..
Keep your charcoal dry. This doesn't mean just keeping it away from water. Humidity will also reduce the quality of your charcoal. If you keep charcoal for long periods of time or if you live in a humid area, try storing it in an airtight container.
Avoid excessive salts in your rubs. This means more than just limiting the table salt, look for salt in prepared spice mixtures as well.
Avoid trimming fat from meats before smoking them. The fat adds moisture and flavor through the cooking process. Trim fats after the meat has been cooked completely.
Grill Pork Chops fast and hot to maintain moisture and trap in the flavor.
Watch Chicken closely on the grill and keep it moving to avoid flare-ups.
When preparing chicken make sure to wash everything that might have come in contact with the bird. A good policy is to put the chicken in the smoker or grill and then take everything you used to prepare it and give it a good wash in very hot water. Repeat the process right before you take the chicken out of the smoker or grill.
Use coarsely ground meat for moister burgers.
For low fat meats from the grill that are not dry, trim the fat and brush with a light vegetable oil.
Keep a grill fork handy at all times so you can lift foods up to get a good look at the underside. Foods can burn quickly even if there are no flare-ups.
Take Ribs slowly. When grilling use the lowest setting and either keep ribs to the upper rack, farther from the direct flame, use a foil pan to catch grease or cook indirectly by lighting only one side of the grill.
Additional Information:
Tips & Techniques I
Tips & Techniques II
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