With the popularity of grilled foods on the food network shows, it’s understandable that a lot of people are starting to grill for the first time. Grilling can be fun and challenging at the same time. Here are some mistakes people that are new to grilling make. Many times you will not realize why these are mistakes until you commit them yourself. Believe me, I started grilling just before the activity really become popular about five years ago and I’ve made all of these mistakes at least once. That is how you learn. After trial and error I have become a very good cook at the grill, what some might call a “grillmaster” depending on your definition of the term. I am hoping I can help many of you avoid making the mistakes I made as I learned how to grill. Yet, if you do all that means is you will know what not to do the next time. Most grilling mistakes are done in the very beginning and at the very end of grilling, with a few made in between as well. Here are my list of 10 mistakes many people make when grilling.
1. Not Waiting For The Coals To Get Hot Enough- Make sure you allow the coals to burn for a good fifteen to twenty minutes before placing meat above them on the grilling surface, they should have a greyish ashen color to them when they are at their hottest.
2. Not Controlling Temperature Zones– It’s best if you create a pile of coals on one area of your grill for high temperature grilling, a smaller layer of coals for lower temperature cooking, and an area with no coals whatsoever for indirect grilling or to let the food rest as it finishes cooking. Different types of meat and styles of cooking require different levels of heat.
3. Not Soaking Wood Chips Long Enough When Smoking Meats- Keep in mind that wood chips should soak at least an hour before placing them on the coals, longer can be even more helpful. This way the wood chips smolder instead of burn, therefore resulting in a longer production of smoke. Also make sure you replenish your smoking chips every hour the meat is on the grill.
4. Flipping The Meat Too Often– Everyone loves to be a hands on “grillmaster”, but in reality you shouldn’t have to flip the meat more than once or twice during it’s cooking cycle. If you flip it too early it might not be ready to release off the great and you will have your meat stick when you attempt to flip the meat.
5. Poking The Meat While It Cooks With A Utensil– Never use a utensil to pick up the meat that has a point on it while your meat is grilling. This will puncture the meat and cause the juices to run out while the meat cooks. Also, refrain from using an instant read thermometer until you know the meat is close to being completely cooked. This too will create a puncture for juices to escape through.
6. When Grilling With The Hood Closed, Leave It Closed– Too many people forget that when indirect grilling you need to have the lid of the grill closed so the heat circulates within the grill itself. Opening the lid will allow the heat to escape, and any smoke that is in the grilling chamber if you are smoking the meat.
7. Putting BBQ Sauce On The Meat Too Early- Keep in mind that many barbecue sauces have a high level of sugar in them. Sugar will burn when exposed to high heat. If you put the bbq sauce on the meat too early you are likely to have the sauce char on the outside of the meat instead of forming a flavorful coating as you want it to.
8. Putting Marinade On Too Late– Marinade should do it’s work before you grill, not as you grill most of the time. Soak the meat before grilling. If you insist on putting marinade on the meat while grilling do not use the same marinade you soaked the meat in during the end of the grilling process. This marinade will have been exposed to bacteria on the meat and may not reach the correct temperature to kill the bacteria if you put it on the meat too late in the cooking process. If you glaze the meat with a marinade at the end of the grilling cycle, use marinade that has not touched raw meat and preferably has been boiled to be safe.
9. Forgetting To Check The Meat Temperature– As you become more experienced in your grilling you can tell the level of doneness of meat by the firmness when you press on it. This is only an estimate though. Every grillmaster should have an instant read thermometer to check the temperature of the meat so you know it is safe to eat. Remember though, only check the temperature as you get towards the end of the grilling period or you will lose a lot of juice from your meat and it will dry out.
10. Forgetting To Let The Meat Rest Before Slicing– Keep in mind that while you are grilling, the juices in the meat are moving throughout the meat itself. If you cut it as soon as you remove the meat from the grill those nice juices will escape. Instead, let the meat sit for ten to fifteen minutes before slicing so the juices redistribute as the meat cools.
Grilling is a lot of fun, and don’t worry if you make these mistakes as you learn to grill. Hopefully by being aware of them ahead of time it will lower the number of these types of mistakes you make but even the best still make some of these. The important thing is that you enjoy cooking over the open flame and get to make some quality food for your friends and family to be impressed with your grilling skills. Happy grilling to everyone.
