Clik here to view.
Erika Monroe-Williams on grilling.
Get a Handle on Summer Grilling!
Erika Monroe-Williams ventures outside to experiment on the grill and serves up her 11 delicious grilling tips.
For years, I stayed away from the grill, only approaching it when my husband was home and could take on the duties. I certainly never ventured out to the “man cave,” as my husband calls it, on my own (our grill is in a covered outdoor area that actually resembles a cave). My hubby is the master griller, so why would I even bother to try? For one thing, I certainly don’t want to step on his toes. I like to let him take over where he feels it’s his “job” at home––starting the fire on cold nights, replacing lightbulbs, fixing things, and of course, grilling.
I started doing some experimenting on my own one day when I was craving my warm grilled lime chicken and vegetable salad and Matt was nowhere to be found. What was the true secret of tender, juicy grilled meats? How could I conquer this gas-breathing monster on our back patio without letting it beat me first? I spent some time reading through my cookbooks, searching the Internet, and examining the grill itself to come up with some foolproof ways to win this battle between man and beast.
Here are my top 11 grilling tips:
1) Find great meat, fish, or poultry. Meats should be marbled, which essentially means lots of fat throughout the meat. Marbeling gives lots of flavor.
2) For meat eaters, bring that steak to room temperature before grilling (about 30 minutes depending on the size of the steak)––same with fish. You don’t want to put a cold piece of meat right onto the grill—it will make for a longer cooking time to get that middle warmed up.
3) Clean the grill before starting. Those charred leftover bits inhibit the flavor and heat distribution of what you’re grilling.
4) Preheat that sucker for as long as it takes. Don’t jump the gun here, because waiting a few minutes could mean the difference between a ho-hum steak and a steakhouse-worthy piece of meat. The grill should heat at least 15 minutes, and you shouldn’t be able to hold your hand over it for more than a few seconds
5) Season meat, fish, and poultry before grilling. For steaks, season generously with kosher salt.
6) Pat dry, and lightly oil meats and poultry before grilling. This will help the meat not stick to the grill.
7) For juicy chicken, try brining—marinating with water and salt—the pieces for one to two hours before grilling (always pound boneless chicken breasts to even thickness before grilling as well, regardless of whether you’re brining them).
8) Don’t cut into meats and poultry to test doneness. All that delicious juice will escape immediately! Use your fingers to test doneness instead. Rare steak feels soft and squishy, medium-cooked steak bounces back when pushed, and well done feels firm and doesn’t bounce back.
9) Use a grilling basket for vegetables. I brush mine with olive oil and sea salt and throw them in a basket on the grill––these baskets are little wonders and make the best vegetables!
10) Always err on the side of caution when cooking a steak. Overdone is impossible to undo, so don’t overdo it.
11) Let meats and rest for at least five minutes before cutting into them.
Erika is the face behind TheHopelessHousewife.com. A Paradise Valley resident and mom, she recently was a contender on The Taste cooking competition.