tuesday tidbits - grilling

I'm not sure what it is about the grill that intimidates so many, but it seems like we are quick to confess our grilling inadequacies and then give up altogether. And yet, we long to grill all sorts of things.

We've lived in 2 upstairs apartments that had no a/c, with concrete block walls and no attic to deter any of the heat. I learned a long time ago how NOT to use the oven OR the stove, out of a desire to sleep in a room that was lower than 100 degrees. We've made all sorts of things on the grill - from pizza to enchiladas, burgers to brownies. And we've learned some tips along the way. Here are some tips on grilling meat. Tips on grilling seafood & stove-top-type food will come later on.



High-to-low: starting with high heat sears the meat to seal in the juices. Then as the meat cooks the rest of the way on a lower heat, it will keep from drying out. The key here is to sear it for a max of 2 minutes on each side on a pre-heated grill.


Timing: Keep a timer handy. Cuts of meat vary depending on how much fat is in them, how thick they are, and how large the cut is (how big around). A general rule of thumb? Flip the meat when you see juices running up through the top of the meat. Grill for the same amount of time as the first side.

Too much fussing: It's easy to fuss over food too much, but in the words of my wise mother and also my wise grandma-in-law: "If you want perfect rice/dumplin's, DON'T LIFT THE LID!" what they both instilled in all of us listening was that the more you fuss with the food, the less chance you have it will turn out perfect. So, once you finish the high-heat searing, just watch carefully for those juices, flip it, let it cook a bit longer, and leave it alone. No flip-flopping all over the place.

Not quite done: I confess: I like my meat medium-well. I don't want any red whatsoever. I know, don't tell. But no matter how you prefer your meat, you've got to pull it off right at the exact moment BEFORE it's done. I know, no pressure, right? For chicken, when the juices run almost-completely-clear-but-it-looks-like-there's-a-teensy-tinge-of-pink-but-you-can't-quite-tell, take it off. For pork, when it's nice and tender to the touch, take it off. For beef, take it off 1/2 a stage before it arrives at your desired doneness (in other words, 1/2 way between medium and med-well if you want it to end up med-well). And remember, it can always be done longer if it needs to be. Butcha just can't go back and add in liquid to combat the dryness of over-cooked meat.

Happy Summer!