Nothing says summer like food fresh off the grill! We’ve collected some tips for you to get the most out of your grilling this summer! Enjoy!
1. At BLT Burger in Las Vegas, chef Laurent Tourondel brushes burgers with butter while they’re on the grill. The natural sugars caramelize, making the meat extra-delicious.
2. Chef Nate Appleman of A16 and SPQR restaurants in San Francisco swears by coating vegetables with a mayonnaise-based marinade; it creates a beautifully blistered crust when grilled.
3. When grilling a meal, chef Robert Del Grande of Cafe Annie and Bar Annie in Houston threads ingredients for sauces onto skewers to cook alongside the meat. While the meat rests he purees the sauce ingredients in a blender.
4. Jerk chicken gets its aroma from being grilled over wood from pimento trees, the source of allspice. Chef Jose Garces of Philadelphia’s Amada mimics jerk by soaking allspice in water, then throwing the berries onto hot coals.
5. Chef Robert Del Grande swears by his grandmother’s trick: “I saw her do this when I was a kid. She would tie fresh herbs to a brush and baste chicken on the grill with it. Some things just stick in your mind.”
6. Chef Emeril Lagasse honors simplicity in his new book, Emeril at the Grill: “I keep lemons, limes and oranges on hand for spritzing over simply grilled meat, seafood and vegetables. Then I drizzle on olive oil.”
7. To keep fillets intact, chef Anita Lo of Annisa in New York City wraps them in briny grape leaves—a tasty combination.
8. Even on a clean grill, lean foods may stick when placed directly on the rack. Reduce sticking by oiling your hot grill rack with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel: hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)
9. Food safety is a top priority, so keep these simple rules from the USDA in mind: avoid cross-contamination by using separate cutting boards, utensils and platters for raw and cooked foods; refrigerate foods while marinating; and never baste with the marinating liquid. (Make extra marinade just for basting or boil your marinating liquid first.)
Do you have a favorite recipe for the grill? We’d love to see it!
