So, I Want to Learn How to Grill. (The Grilling 101 Thread)

[Hubbs]

I've always been upset with myself for never learning how to grill. I love steak (hell, I love virtually any kind of meat), and it would be great if I could put together a killer dinner (or tailgate menu) on my own. Seeing as I know a decent number of guys who are in the same boat, I figure there are probably some ES regulars who are also woefully uneducated on this subject. I already know that there are plenty of guys (and girls) here who enjoy sharing techniques, recipes, and ideas for all things meat. On behalf of non-grillers everywhere, I say to those experienced hands: Please tell us what the **** to do.

As the title indicates, I'm thinking of this as sort of a Grilling 101 thread. Seeing as it's January, I'm using "grill" as a bit of a catch-all verb to include indoor things like the use of stovetop grill pans, skillets, broiling, etc. In fact, I'm not even really sure what the definition of broiling is. Hence the desperate need for sage wisdom.

So in the interest of starting somewhere, how should a beginner start out on a Quest to Grill? Is there a particularly simple steak you'd recommend? An easiest method to get the hang of? What are the most important things to know about cuts of meat (starting with beef, I suppose)? How did you start out?

[sportjunkie07]

In fact, I'm not even really sure what the definition of broiling is.

haha i used to be in the same boat. broiling is when the heat comes from above.

[Hubbs]

haha i used to be in the same boat. broiling is when the heat comes from above.

Okay, my "heat rises" instinct is kicking in. The heat comes from above... how, exactly?

[SnyderShrugged]

I love grilling! I have no idea if my methods are any better or worse than anyone elses, but I have always been complimented on my mad grill skillz!

LOL, seriously, get a good charcoal grill that has a side fire box(under $200). This will allow youy to both grill and smoke using one unit.

for steaks, we like to have a tenderloin cut up into steaks from the butcher. I typically use a charcoal chimney starter to get the coals good and hot (you can get one for under $20.)

I'll pour the hot coals on the far side of the grill only leaving a "cold" side too. I also put a few pieces of fruit wood in with the coals to make some extra smoke. Get the grill temp up to around 400 degrees.

I sear the steaks for about 2-3 min per side on the hot side of the grill over the coals. Then I transfer the steaks to the cold side and let them cook for about 15 more minutes. This makes a nice pink center and some would say a "medium" done.

Throw on some asparagus lightly brushed with olive oil and some nice russet potatoes for sides and you have one bangup meal!

---------- Post added January-11th-2011 at 06:10 AM ----------

here is a link to the one I use lately, its been a great overall value.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=chargriller&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=3020606361430715431&os=reviews

[Veretax]

Okay, my "heat rises" instinct is kicking in. The heat comes from above... how, exactly?

The same way over head radiant heat works. Thermal systems like any other in the environment move from areas of high concentration to low concentration. In an oven for example, you've got an enclosed area where heat warms up the inside of the oven, so the heat can't really escape. The entire point of an oven in fact is to capture and keep hot air in one place so you get steady temperature range for cooking.

A Broiler, warms from the top of an oven down. Now, I'll caution you that most ovens with broilers, broil best if you place the food on a rack closer to the top here the broiler is. Otherwise it would likely not be much different I imagine than baking in the oven. I typically with steaks have two ways I cook them in my electric oven at home.

1. Big cookie sheet with olive (or your favorite) oil, put the steaks on it and then poke them with a fork a few times, then flip them over to coat them in the oil. I stick them in the oven, at around 350 for about 12-18 minutes (depending upon the cut). I may flip them in the middle. Near the end I'll switch the oven to Broil if I want a broiled taste, and move them to a higher rack for just a minute or two, because usually that's all it takes is just a couple of minutes.

2. I have a stove top lodge lode (think that's the company) cast iron griddle that's reversible. I use the 'grill' side stick it over top the same big cookie sheet and heat it up inside the oven to bring it to temperature. When ready I plop the steaks down and they sizzle. While it may take more time to warm up the oven this way, I find the steaks often come out better. I'll pull the rack out and flip them half way through, but I watch them because the grill keeps the meet up away from the grease so they dry out a lot faster.

Most of the time this is how I cook steak, and whether its eye of round, top sirloin, bottom round, or strip steak may alter how I cook it. Bigger thicker steaks I prefer the griddle/grill over the plain cookie sheet.

(And yes I know people that also use a broiler pan that can collect the droppings, which is similar. I don't have one of those unfortunately so I've had to improvise.

[Goaldeje]

The direct/indirect heat thing mentioned above is critical. When I first started out, I got really frustrated making BBQ chicken, as the outside would look amazing, but the inside was still raw. I had only been cooking over the direct heat for a couple minutes a side and the skin crisped up perfectly, but the inside wasn't getting cooked. Just move the chicken to the indirect side of the grill and let it sit there for 10/15 minutes. Use a meat thermometer starting out, that will help a great deal. You can also speed up the process a little by putting the top down.

For steak, SS nailed it. If you are cooking indoors, try this. Take a ribeye or NY strip, rub it with fresh garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Get a cast iron pan or a stainless steel pan very hot with some olive oil and butter in the bottom of the pan. The key is to get the pan HOT, with a tiny little bit of smoke coming off the oil. Steak should be close to room temperature at this point, also. Place the steak in the pan, carefully, laying it away from you so you don't get splattered. Let it sear for 2-3 minutes then flip it and repeat. Once both sides have a nice, brown color, take the pan off the burner and place it in a 325 preheated oven. If you want an incredibly moist juicy steak, leave the oven door ever so slightly ajar and let it cook for 15 minutes or so.

Best damn steak you can cook anywhere. I don't know where you live, but if you bespoil that work of art with any form of steak sauce, I will hunt you down and kill you myself.

Try that recipe, it's a good one. As others have mentioned, throw some veggies on too, nothing like grilled asparagus. I thought I hated asparagus until I tried it that way. Yum! Invest in a meat thermometer, preferably digital, that will help starting out as well.

We now grill pizza out, quesadillas, anything you can think of! Welcome!

[budski]

Get one of those weber grills for charcoal, the black one that looks like an egg. It is really hard to burn anything on it and is easy to use. I just used my on 27 December, the day after the big snow storm here for Barbecued chicken.

[dfitzo53]

Fairly important things to know about meat:

1) Searing does not lock in juices. As with almost any application of intense heat, it actually dries out the outside of the cut. However, it adds wonderful flavor and texture and is worth doing properly.

2) Let meat (yes, even chicken and pork) warm up before throwing them into the fire. Anything that develops in the half hour on the counter (longer for larger cuts) is killed in the oven. Just make sure to be super clean about your utensils, hands and prep area.

3) Different cuts of meat need different cooking and serving methods. Tougher meats that are higher in connective tissue need long, slow cooking methods such as braising to break down all that fiber. If they are cooked with a high-heat, low-time method like grilling, they need to be thinly sliced against the grain. More lean, tender meats like beef tenderloin, salmon, tuna, etc. generally take well to high heat for a short time. They develop an attractive (and tasty) sear, but cooking them for long periods tends to produce a dry, flavorless lump. They just don't have the fat content that slowly tenderizes and moistens things like ribs, pork butt, pot roast, etc.

4) No matter what kind of meat it is, lest it rest after cooking, especially if cooked with a dry heat method. This isn't as important with braising. As food cooks the moisture inside turns to steam and tries to force its way outside the meat. Cut into it too early, and you let all those juices run out of the meat and onto the carving plate.

As something to try if you've never done it before, I highly recommend beer can chicken.

[SnyderShrugged]

Fairly important things to know about meat:

1) Searing does not lock in juices. As with almost any application of intense heat, it actually dries out the outside of the cut. However, it adds wonderful flavor and texture and is worth doing properly.

2) Let meat (yes, even chicken and pork) warm up before throwing them into the fire. Anything that develops in the half hour on the counter (longer for larger cuts) is killed in the oven. Just make sure to be super clean about your utensils, hands and prep area.

3) Different cuts of meat need different cooking and serving methods. Tougher meats that are higher in connective tissue need long, slow cooking methods such as braising to break down all that fiber. If they are cooked with a high-heat, low-time method like grilling, they need to be thinly sliced against the grain. More lean, tender meats like beef tenderloin, salmon, tuna, etc. generally take well to high heat for a short time. They develop an attractive (and tasty) sear, but cooking them for long periods tends to produce a dry, flavorless lump. They just don't have the fat content that slowly tenderizes and moistens things like ribs, pork butt, pot roast, etc.

4) No matter what kind of meat it is, lest it rest after cooking, especially if cooked with a dry heat method. This isn't as important with braising. As food cooks the moisture inside turns to steam and tries to force its way outside the meat. Cut into it too early, and you let all those juices run out of the meat and onto the carving plate.

As something to try if you've never done it before, I highly recommend beer can chicken.

Target sells a great beer but chicken rack. It is nice because it has a veggie/tater ring around the outside of it (Think of a wide brimmed hat).

If the beer flavor is too much (it is for some folks like my parents), try using gingerale instead. We typically will rub the chicken with a brown sugar, cayanne and adobo rub a few hours before cooking and let it sit on the counter for the last half hour.

We will usually speard the coals more evenly for doing a beer but chicken, and will keep the temp closer to 300. We add yellow squash, zuccinni, carrots and onions to the veggie basket (sometimes coated in a tiny bit of olive oil and dill) when the chicken has about 10 minutes left to cook.

[Tweedr01]

I've always been upset with myself for never learning how to grill. I love steak (hell, I love virtually any kind of meat), <----thats what she said and it would be great if I could put together a killer dinner (or tailgate menu) on my own. Seeing as I know a decent number of guys who are in the same boat, I figure there are probably some ES regulars who are also woefully uneducated on this subject. I already know that there are plenty of guys (and girls) here who enjoy sharing techniques, recipes, and ideas for all things meat. <----giggidyOn behalf of non-grillers everywhere, I say to those experienced hands: Please tell us what the **** to do.

As the title indicates, I'm thinking of this as sort of a Grilling 101 thread. Seeing as it's January, I'm using "grill" as a bit of a catch-all verb to include indoor things like the use of stovetop grill pans, skillets, broiling, etc. In fact, I'm not even really sure what the definition of broiling is. Hence the desperate need for sage wisdom.

So in the interest of starting somewhere, how should a beginner start out on a Quest to Grill? Is there a particularly simple steak you'd recommend? An easiest method to get the hang of? What are the most important things to know about cuts of meat (starting with beef, I suppose)? How did you start out?

You want to learn how to grill?!?!?! Grilling is something you are born with, not something you learn. It requires a ton of skill, it's not like football where you can just join a team and be good, GEEZ!

But really, its pretty simple stuff. Grilling is an all year deal, you can't just quit in the winter, in fact I will be grilling tonight...during the snow most likely...because it tastes better and is healthier too. I would start off with a thinner steak if I were you, they cut them at different sizes at just about every grocery store. If you start off with a thinner steak it'll give you a better idea of how long it takes to cook a steak (rare, m.rare, med, m.well, well) because when you first start off it's really hard to tell if it is done.

[Homercles82]

best flank steak you ever had

1. Obtain flank steak. Look for a cut around 1.5" thick. Buy individual cuts or butcher a long steak yourself.

2. Get your grill going. You need temperatures of at least 550F, max 750. Depending on your grill you may want to stay near 550. I have a Big Green Egg (ceramic cooker) which can handle up to 1,000F

3. Rub steak down with olive oil (extra virgin)

4. Liberally apply coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper.

5. Let it rest and warm up

6. SLAP it down on the grilling grid. Approximately 2-3 minutes per side. THAT IS IT.

7. Pull it off the grill and LET THE DAM THING REST. If you cut it now you ruined it. IT HAS TO REST 10-15 MINUTES. Why? If you cut a piece of meat immediately after pulling off the grill the juices flow like Niagra Falls. Resting allows the juice to redistribute through the meat.

Enjoy with potatoes. Always cut flank steak against the grain and use a sharp knife.

Flank steak is cheap and is delicious when cooked properly.

---------- Post added January-11th-2011 at 08:19 AM ----------

If you start off with a thinner steak it'll give you a better idea of how long it takes to cook a steak (rare, m.rare, med, m.well, well) because when you first start off it's really hard to tell if it is done.

Absolutely correct. I know thatr 2" thick T-Bone looks delicious but if you are not experienced enough you will ruin it. As you gain experience cooking beef you will learn the finger test. The more done the meat is the firmer it feels.

[zoony]

don't use olive oil when cooking steak. It has the lowest smoke point of any of the oils and will burn and taste like ass. Use peanut oil. Use olive oil for salad dressings.

[SnyderShrugged]

don't use olive oil when cooking steak. It has the lowest smoke point of any of the oils and will burn and taste like ass. Use peanut oil. Use olive oil for salad dressings.

I never use it on meat, but a light brushing of olive oil on fresh veggies to be cooked on the grill is tasty, especially when coupled with some sea salt

[dockeryfan]

don't use olive oil when cooking steak. It has the lowest smoke point of any of the oils and will burn and taste like ass. Use peanut oil. Use olive oil for salad dressings.

Butter for steak

[bpoch]

Target sells a great beer but chicken rack. It is nice because it has a veggie/tater ring around the outside of it (Think of a wide brimmed hat).

If the beer flavor is too much (it is for some folks like my parents), try using gingerale instead. We typically will rub the chicken with a brown sugar, cayanne and adobo rub a few hours before cooking and let it sit on the counter for the last half hour.

We will usually speard the coals more evenly for doing a beer but chicken, and will keep the temp closer to 300. We add yellow squash, zuccinni, carrots and onions to the veggie basket (sometimes coated in a tiny bit of olive oil and dill) when the chicken has about 10 minutes left to cook.

I do my beer can chicken smothering the chicken with some olive oil and a nice heavy coating of Old Bay.

[SnyderShrugged]

I do my beer can chicken smothering the chicken with some olive oil and a nice heavy coating of Old Bay.

hmm. havent tried old bay on poultry, we usually use it for sea food, especially my wife's sepcial jambalaya. I'll have to give it shot!

oh, another tip for beer can (we say beer but) chicken.... stuff the cavity with a whole onion before putting the can in, it adds a ton of flavor and makes it even more moist

[Tweedr01]

....i know it's obvious, but it seems like every other sentence in this thread makes the 12 y/o in me laugh.....meat, hahahaha, ok back to work

oh and:

giggidy!

---------- Post added January-11th-2011 at 08:46 AM ----------

hmm. havent tried old bay on poultry, we usually use it for sea food, especially my wife's sepcial jambalaya. I'll have to give it shot!

oh, another tip for beer can (we say beer but) chicken.... stuff the cavity with a whole onion before putting the can in, it adds a ton of flavor and makes it even more moist

i didn't either until I tried the old bay wings at BWU....WOW, they are really, really good!

[Goaldeje]

don't use olive oil when cooking steak. It has the lowest smoke point of any of the oils and will burn and taste like ass. Use peanut oil. Use olive oil for salad dressings.

Yeah. Or learn how to cook, one of the two.

[Elessar78]

Done-ness is a measure of temperature not the color of the steak. It comes with experience but to really make sure a piece of meat is rare/med.rare/med etc you need a meat thermometer. But for steak it's good to know how meat generally feels at different stages. That's what she said.

[SiCkSoULjA]

1. Big cookie sheet with olive (or your favorite) oil, put the steaks on it and then poke them with a fork a few times,

Someone said that on this thread but please please DO NOT poke in a steak that's so so wrong.

[Homercles82]

don't use olive oil when cooking steak. It has the lowest smoke point of any of the oils and will burn and taste like ass. Use peanut oil. Use olive oil for salad dressings.

I have never had an issue with it.

[zoony]

Yeah. Or learn how to cook, one of the two.

steak must be cooked at temperatures above the smoke point of olive oil.

And oil should be used incredibly sparingly with steak. maybe a teaspoon for your average cut, if that. It is there not to provide flavor... it is there simply to promote even heat distribution. But what you don't want is the residual taste of burnt oil.

And if you are cooking a crappy cut like a round or a flank, use a marinade and soak it overnight. Don't just salt it and throw it on the grill. If you are cooking a quality cut like a strip or a filet or a ribeye, use a tiny bit of peanut oil and a liberal amount of kosher salt. Anything else is sacrilege.

[SnyderShrugged]

steak must be cooked at temperatures above the smoke point of olive oil.

And oil should be used incredibly sparingly with steak. maybe a teaspoon for your average cut, if that. It is there not to provide flavor... it is there simply to promote even heat distribution. But what you don't want is the residual taste of burnt oil.

And if you are cooking a crappy cut like a round or a flank, use a marinade and soak it overnight. Don't just salt it and throw it on the grill. If you are cooking a quality cut like a strip or a filet or a ribeye, use a tiny bit of peanut oil and a liberal amount of kosher salt. Anything else is sacrilege.

I usually will coat my grill rack with a liberal amount of bacon grease before and after cooking steaks on it. It keeps it from sticking and adds a wonderful flavor.

We aldo coat the outside of the grill with old bacon grease too. I find it really protects it (and you always end up with an incredible smell while cooking anything!

[zoony]

regarding chicken breasts, the best way I've found to cook them, bar none, is sauteed over medium low heat in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil.

low and slow... they turn out tender and juicy.

The other thing I think you'll find is that bbqing is often the worst way to cook just about any meat, as most of the flavor and moisture drips down between the grates and dissapears forever. It is fun to do and cleanup is a cinch, but if you want to cook meat properly the best way to do it is on a flat solid surface. There is a reason that fine restaurants do it this way.

---------- Post added January-11th-2011 at 09:48 AM ----------

I usually will coat my grill rack with a liberal amount of bacon grease before and after cooking steaks on it. It keeps it from sticking and adds a wonderful flavor.

We aldo coat the outside of the grill with old bacon grease too. I find it really protects it (and you always end up with an incredible smell while cooking anything!

thats a good idea, sounds delicious

[Homercles82]

And if you are cooking a crappy cut like a round or a flank, use a marinade and soak it overnight. Don't just salt it and throw it on the grill. If you are cooking a quality cut like a strip or a filet or a ribeye, use a tiny bit of peanut oil and a liberal amount of kosher salt. Anything else is sacrilege.

Yes, salt it throw it on the grill. The meat does not need to marinade overnight or soak in anything. Trust me Zoony.