Tips for a Great Grilling Season

Are you ready for non-stop grilling? Check out these tips for a great grilling season so you can get off to a great start!

Many of us are grilling nearly year-round. And, some of us are grilling spring-fall. Wherever you fall into this category, it’s always a great time for a look at some general grilling tips for great food, superb marinades and enhanced safety.

Check out our top tips for a great grilling season:

General Tips

Spray your grill rack with a thin coating of vegetable oil before grilling for easy clean-up.
Always marinate your meat.
Use tongs to flip your food.
Use a small brush to apply barbecue sauce to your meat as it grills.
Get “professional” grill marks – re-position your steak two times at a 90 second interval rotating clockwise, once at noon and once at 3 pm.
Don’t add salt to your meat until it is full cooked or you’ll suck the moisture out of it, and it will be dry.
To avoid dry hamburgers, add an ice cube or chip to the burger before it goes on the grill. Try it – you might be surprised.
Grilling isn’t just for meat and main courses.Try dessert on the grill or try your hand at outside baking. It’s a great way to keep the house cool during the summer while enjoy a sweet treat.
Use hardwoods to add more flavor.
Start dark meat poultry before you would light meat as it takes longer to cook.

Keep Your Food Safe

You want to always cook your meat to a safe temperature to destroy harmful bacteria that can make you sick.
Use a food thermometer (not the color of the meat) to make sure meats have reached a safe minimum internal temperature.
Cook in one setting. It’s not a good idea to partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.
After grilling meat and poultry, keep it hot until served — at 140 °F or warmer.
Once raw meat has touched a plate, it goes in the wash. Don’t use it for your cooked meat. Same goes for utensils. Harmful bacteria in raw meat and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food.