It’s definitely grilling season, which means it’s the perfect time to perfect your BBQ game. In this article, we go over our top eight tips on how to do that.
Grill often.
One of the best things you can do to improve your grilling skills is just to do it. If you only grill once every couple weeks, you’re probably not going to put in enough time to get better at it. But if you grill multiple times a week, especially this time of year when the weather is right for it, your skills will really improve.
Get to know your grill.
This tip goes hand in hand with grilling often because the more you grill, the better you know and understand your grill. You know it’s hot zones and any flaws it might have. This can help you grill better food as you start to learn and understand more.
Clean your grill.
It can be tempting, especially if you’re using your grill often, to skip out on cleaning it. Not only is this not safe, it can also affect your food. Those old food particles can transfer old food flavors onto what you’re currently grilling, and grease buildup can affect how your grill distributes heat. This means there’s more likely to be uneven cooking and hot spots that affect how well you’re able to cook your food.
Be prepared.
If you’re planning on grilling, it’s important to have everything prepared ahead of time. That means you know where all your utensils are, you have your meat seasoned and ready to go, any veggies are chopped and season, etc. This makes sure you’re not scrambling at the last minute and potentially overcooking something while you try to get everything together.
Leave it alone.
More often than not, you just want to leave your protein alone. You should only flip it about two times, and you shouldn’t continually open the lid and check on it as this drops the temperature and disrupts the cooking process.
Experiment with rubs and marinades.
While different pit masters swear by one marinade or one dry rub, it really is up to personal preference and taste. Both dry rubs and marinades can take your grilling up a notch, so experiment with different versions of both to see what you prefer.
Choose the right cut of meat.
The right cut of meat can make all the difference in grilling. Different cuts have different levels of tenderness and fat, which impacts how they cook up. And while a tender cut of meat is important for true grilling, if you’re taking more of a low and slow approach like smoking, tougher cuts of meat are likely the right choice.
Upgrade your grill.
While all the tips above are important, sometimes it might just be time for an equipment upgrade. Cheap grills just won’t give you the same amount of control as a Napoleon BBQ Grill, and something like a Big Green Egg can really help you lock in moisture in whatever you’re grilling in a way that most other grills can’t.