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 Steven
Raichlen's Ten Commandments for Grilling
1.
BE ORGANIZED.
Have everything you need for grilling - the food, marinade,
basting sauce, seasonings, and equipment - on hand and at
grillside before you start grilling.
2. GAUGE
YOUR FUEL.
There's nothing worse than running out of charcoal or gas
in the middle of grilling. When using charcoal, light enough
to form a bed of glowing coals 3 inches larger on all sides
than the surface area of the food you're planning to cook.
(A 221/2-inch grill needs one chimney's worth of coals.) When
cooking on a gas grill, make sure the tank is at least one-third
full.
3. PREHEAT
THE GRILL TO THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE.
Remember: Grilling is a high-heat cooking method. In order
to achieve the seared crust, charcoal flavor, and handsome
grill marks associated with masterpiece grillmanship, you
must cook over a high heat. How high? At least 500°F. Although
I detail this elsewhere, it is worth repeating: When using
charcoal, let it burn until it is covered with a thin coat
of gray ash. Hold your hand about 6 inches above the grate.
After 3 seconds, the force of the heat should force you to
snatch your hand away. When using a gas grill, preheat to
high (at least 500°F); this takes 10 to 15 minutes. When indirect
grilling, preheat the grill to 350°F.
4. KEEP IT CLEAN.
There's nothing less appetizing than grilling on dirty old
burnt bits of food stuck to the grate. Besides, the food will
stick to a dirty grate. Clean the grate twice: once after
you've preheated the grill and again when you've finished
cooking. The first cleaning will remove any bits of food you
may have missed after your last grilling session. Use the
edge of a metal spatula to scrape off large bits of food,
a stiff wire brush to finish scrubbing the grate.
5. KEEP IT LUBRICATED.
Oil the grate just before placing the food on top, if necessary
(some foods don't require that the grates be oiled). Spray
it with oil (away from the flames - see page 13), use a folded
paper towel soaked in oil, or rub it with a piece of fatty
bacon, beef fat, or chicken skin.
6. TURN, DON'T STAB.
The proper way to turn meat on a grill is with tongs or a
spatula. Never stab the meat with a carving fork - unless
you want to drain the flavor-rich juices onto the coals.
7. KNOW WHEN TO BASTE.
Oil-and-vinegar-, citrus-, and yogurt-based bastes and marinades
can be brushed on the meat throughout the cooking time. (If
you baste with a marinade that you used for raw meat or seafood,
do not apply it during the last 3 minutes of cooking.) When
using a sugar-based barbecue sauce, apply it toward the end
of the cooking time. The sugar in these sauces burns easily
and should not be exposed to prolonged heat.
8. KEEP IT COVERED.
When cooking larger cuts of meat and poultry, such as a whole
chicken, leg of lamb, or prime rib, use the indirect method
of grilling or barbecuing (see pages 14 and 16). Keep the
grill tightly covered and resist the temptation to peek. Every
time you lift the lid, you add 5 to 10 minutes to the cooking
time.
9. GIVE IT A REST.
Beef, steak, chicken - almost anything you grill-will taste
better if you let it stand on the cutting board for a few
minutes before serving. This allows the meat juices, which
have been driven to the center of a roast or steak by the
searing heat, to return to the surface. The result is a juicier,
tastier piece of meat.
10. NEVER DESERT YOUR POST.
Grilling is an easy cooking method, but it demands constant
attention. Once you put something on the grill (especially
when using the direct method), stay with it until it's cooked.
This is not the time to answer the phone, make the salad dressing,
or mix up a batch of your famous mojitos. Above all, have
fun. Remember that grilling isn't brain surgery. And that's
the gospel!
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