Summer, the season where our grills get oiled up and gleaming for the all the parties they will be hosting over the next few months. Doesn’t the food from the grill taste so good? Open fire makes literally all foods taste so much more rich and flavorful. Today I will highlight what I believe to be the best game plan for an excellent BBQ season!
Grill Prep
Clean & Season– do you leave your grill outside all year like I do ( LOL), if so now is the time to head out and with some coarse salt, a thick brush, and get to scrubbing all of the rust and caked on mess. Next take some hot tap water, rinse and scrub until everything is squeaky again.
To season your grill use either corn oil, canola oil or PAM and apply a thin layer of oil onto the grates. If you have a cast iron treat your grill just like that.
Finally it’s time to preheat! Fire it up and let’s head back inside to get our meal ready.
Marinades
To make for ultimate yum- PLEASE SEASON YOUR FOOD at least 30 minutes before cooking. Here are some super basic and low cost marinades that will make everything taste good and help you get grilling! *PRO TIP- store bought Italian dressing tastes amazing with everything and makes a perfect marinade for all foods*
- Vegetables- olive oil sea salt and black pepper.
- Poultry- oil, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, lemon juice and either dried oregano/thyme/basil.
- Red Meat-oil, soy sauce ( use those packets sitting in your sauce drawer), black pepper, onion powder, cumin powder, dried parsley
- Seafood- olive oil, lemon juice dried thyme, sea salt and white pepper
Cooking
Cooking in the outdoors is a little nuanced so it’s best to listen to your heart. If you are a practical heart I would tell you cooking on coals takes longer than expected so take it easy and expect things like veggies, fish and thin slices of red meats to take at least 10 minutes. Pork chop and burger to take about 15 minutes and chicken/thick steak cuts 25 to even 35 minutes depending on how consistent your heat is.
Clean and Repeat
Final tip is to clean and scrape while your grill is still hot! I know it’s a little scary but, the heat makes the gunk slide off so clean and quick that it is worth sweat!
Thank you so much for reading my takes on grilling! Drop your favorite BBQ tips below and let’s help eachother out!
If you would like to learn more about seasonal eating and how it can benefit you contact us today and chat with Chef Mayari on creating a prepared meal plan that works for you!