Grilling Techniques
GRILLED STEAK
Turn your grill on "HIGH" and close the lid. Allow it to heat up for 20-30 minutes. While it is heating up, get your
steaks out and allow them to warm up to room temperature. The steaks will cook much more evenly if the internal
temperature of the meat is even. To prepare the steaks, first pat them dry with a paper towel. Then, brush a little olive
oil onto each side and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make sure your grids are clean and oiled before you put your
steaks on them. To oil the grid, using tongs, rub fat trimmed from your steaks onto the hot cooking grids. Lay the
steaks away from direct flames. As the steaks cook, fat will drip down and cause flare-up and burn the steak. Cook
the steak for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on how you like it cooked, and then rotate the steak 45 degrees and cook
another 2 to 3 minutes to give the steak diamond-patterned sear marks. Turn the steak over and repeat the process
on the other side. To preserve the natural juices of the meat, do not poke it or stab it with forks or knives while it's
cooking. Always use tongs to turn your steak. You can usually tell how done a steak is by pressing down on the
meat with your tongs. Rarer steaks are softer than well-done ones. Don't turn your meat too often Constantly lifting
the lid will cool off your grill and cause your steaks to cook more slowly, and it will be harder to maintain a steady
temperature. Let the steak rest for five minutes before serving. If you don't let it rest, you'll lose the juices when you
make your first cut.
Cooking Times: Rare: 1-inch (8-10 minutes) or 1 1/2-inch (10-12 minutes) Medium: 1-inch (12-14 minutes) or 1 1/2-
inch (14-16 minutes) Well-done: 1-inch steak (16-18 minutes) or 1 1/2-inch steak (18-20 minutes).
GRILLED PORK CHOPS
Turn your grill on "HIGH" and close the lid. Allow it to heat up for 15-20 minutes. Rule #1: Go thick, not thin. Don't try to
grill thin pork chops. Bread them and fry them and they'll taste great. But if you put them on the grill they'll cook too fast
and end up tough and flavorless. Buy chops that are at least 3/4 to 1-inch thick. Choose bone-in chops, like a gracefully-
curved rib chop or center-cut T-bone, which cook more evenly and have more flavor than boneless chops.
Rule #2: Brining pork chops, even for a short time, provides a little wiggle room on doneness. If you are forgetful and cook
the chops for a minute or two too long the brine will help keep the meat moist. Remember to pat the chops dry with paper
towels so they sear on the grill. Rule #3: Watch the heat. Pork doesn't like high heat. Put a chop over a hot fire and you'll
end up with a tough piece of meat, even if you've brined it. Setting up your grill for indirect grilling is a good way to go. You
can put a quick sear on both sides of the chop and then move it to the indirect-heat area for slower cooking. Your target
temperature is around 145°F.
GRILLED CHICKEN
Turn your grill on "HIGH" and close the lid. Allow it to heat up for 20-30 minutes. While it is heating up, get your chicken
breasts out and allow them to warm up to room temperature. The chicken breasts will cook much more evenly if the
internal temperature of the meat is even. Chicken breasts are one of the most popular and also one of the easiest items to
grill. It's also easy to produce chicken jerky if you don't know what you are doing. The great thing about boneless, skinless
chicken breasts is that you can cook them over direct, high heat without much risk for flare-ups since they are so lean. This
means you can cook them really quickly and sear in all of those juices. The directions below are for relatively thin chicken
breasts, less than an inch thick. Times may vary based on the thickness of your breasts and how hot the grill is.
1. Light the grill and leave it on "MEDIUM HIGH" for direct heat grilling.
2. Rinse the chicken breasts under cold running water and then blot dry with paper towels.
3. Rub the chicken breasts with a little olive oil.
4. Season the chicken to your liking. A simple choice would be a little salt and some fresh ground black pepper.
5. Place the breast on the hottest part of the grill and don't touch them for about 2-3 minutes before flipping.
Important note: If you try to flip them too quickly, they will stick to the grill. There are two common methods of testing
grilled chicken breasts for doneness. The safest and surest method is to use a digital meat thermometer. Insert the tip into
the thickest part of the breast and when the internal temperature reaches 165°F, remove it from the grill. The other option is
to cut into the breast and take a look. The meat should be white, without a rubbery texture, and the juices should run clear.
However, this method will release some of the juices.
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