Great Grilling Tips From Barb

Fire Up The Grill...


It's that wonderful time of the year to enjoy outdoor grilling. If
your taste buds have been longing for that outdoor grilled steak,
you'll enjoy some of the following tips to make your experience
tastier, easier and more rewarding.

* Fat is flavor. Purchase cuts of steaks with plenty of marbled fat.
Steaks that are too lean will turn out tough.

* Turn up the heat. Make sure your cooking surface is extremely hot
before placing food on it. This will sear the surface of meat and seal
in flavor and juices.

* Timing and touch. Most people cut slits into a steak to see if it's
done. The experts use timing and touch. Cook a 1-inch thick steak
about 3 to 4 minutes per side for rare; 5 to 6 minutes for medium, and
7 to 8 minutes for well done. Press the center of the steak with your
finger. A rare steak will be soft, like the base of your thumb. A well
done steak is firm, like the base of your small finger.

* Marinade building blocks. There are three basic building blocks to
every marinade: an acid (i.e. lemon juice, vinegar, lime juice), an
oil (i.e. olive, sesame, etc.), and seasoning (salt, pepper, onion,
rosemary, cayenne, etc.).

* Grill the entire meal. Grilling should not be limited to hamburgers,
hot dogs, steaks, sausage and chicken. For tasty vegetables, just
slice and cover in a thin coat of olive oil; add salt, pepper and
seasonings of choice. Place all on a large sheet of heavy duty
aluminum foil, and bring ends up and fold over to seal and make a
cooking pouch. Making a baked potato? Do the same and place right in
the coals to cook while you are preparing the rest of the meal atop
the grill.