We’ve assembled a few tips & tricks that will help elevate your grilling experience to a whole new level.
Next time you grill, impress your friends & family and become known as the “Grilltime Master”. Happy grilling!
Before beginning to grill, let cuts of meat rest at room temperature for up to 30 minutes to aid in increasing tenderness. Even after you take your meat off the grill, it continues to cook. So let it rest for around 5 minutes before serving. The juices will redistribute inwards creating a tender and juicy masterpiece.
While the meat is standing, be sure to pre-heat your grill to between 350° and 425° F. You may also try “misting” or wiping the cooking grid with oil. A pre-heated and oiled grill will help prevent food from sticking, giving your meat those great grill marks and locking in the flavour!
Try using a dry rub to infuse foods with added flavour! Rubs come in a variety of flavour combinations and spice levels; you can even make your own using dried herbs and spices. Dry rubs are best used on foods that require only a short time for cooking. Consider chicken or pork.
Marinating is a great way to infuse flavour or tenderize your grilled foods. Try using acidic ingredients like citrus juice, wine or ginger to create a tenderizing marinade, or use
aromatic ingredients like herbs, garlic and onions to create a flavourful marinade. You can even brush your meat with fresh marinades while cooking to add even more flavour!
Sauces are another great way to add flavour or spice. When using a sweet sugar-based sauce, wait until the meat is nearly done before applying. This will help prevent the sugars from burning and charring the meat. Also try serving warm BBQ sauce with your meats; heating the sauce will enhance its flavour!
To make those perfect grill marks on your meat, place on a hot grill at a 45° angle, rotate once 90°, flip and repeat. For best grilling results, only flip once, and use long tongs rather than a fork. When you poke meat, it releases the flavourful juices causing it to dry out.
You can use the “poke test” to determine if your meat is cooked to your liking. Using your finger, gently push the top of the meat -- the more resilient, the more well done!
Rare: Soft & Squishy (130° F)
Medium Rare: Slightly resilient (145° F)
Medium: Semi-firm (160° F)
Well-done: Firm (170° F and Above)
Tip: Also consider using a digital thermometer to accurately measure the internal temperature of the meat.
Seafood is best cooked over a medium to high heat, on a well-oiled grill. Cooking skin-side down to start allows the natural oils in the fish to coat the grill. This helps reduce the sticking. Do not over-cook fish! When it’s done, it should easily flake off and appear opaque all the way through.
After cooking, burn off any residue on high heat, scrape down the grills with a BBQ brush and brush with oil. This will remove any excess material left over from cooking. Next time you grill, you’ll be ready to go with a clean surface!
