Seasoning the Grill
You’ve just bought a shiny new grill and you can’t wait to cook out! But wait, before you grill those steaks, chops, burgers and garden fresh veggies – season your grill. Barbecue grills are like cast-iron skillets; they get better the more you use them. When food cooks on the grill,
the fats and juices are vaporized by the heating element and create the smoke that flavors
the food with the legendary grilled taste. The smoke accumulates on the inside of the grill and is “seasoned,” making your food “sing” with grilled flavor.
The easiest way to season your new grill or a grill that has just been cleaned for the season is to fill the cooking grate with link sausages – not the bulk breakfast variety. Grill the sausages slowly on a low-medium heat until very brown. Remove the sausages and let the grill burn off the residue for 20-30 minutes. Clean the cooking grates with a brass-bristle brush and you are ready to cook!
The Direct and Indirect Cooking Methods
It’s a given, that the first thing you need to do is always purchase the best quality raw ingredients. That said, the secret to great grilling is a simple one: know which cooking method to use. Virtually all cooking on gas and/or charcoal grills can be divided into three cooking methods: direct, indirect or combo. As the names imply, the difference between the methods is determined by where the food is placed in relation to the fire. The DIRECT method cooks foods with the direct heat of the flame. INDIRECT cooking uses reflected heat to cook; foods are placed away from the source of the flame. COMBO cooking is simply a combination of the two methods.
The Direct Method:
The DIRECT Method is used primarily for searing foods and for cooking foods that take less than 20 minutes to cook, such as steaks, hamburgers, chops and most vegetables. Food is placed directly above the heat source and must be turned once halfway through the cooking time to expose both sides of the food to the heat. The Direct method can be done on any grill but works best with the grill lid closed during cooking.
The Indirect Method:
This method is used for larger cuts of meat and other foods that require longer cooking times at lower temperatures such as barbecue; pork butt, ribs, brisket, whole turkey and chicken, chicken pieces, and other roasts. Foods are cooked by reflected heat and circulating heat, as in a convection oven. This airflow allows faster cooking and juicier meats without having to turn the food. You can cook indirectly with both high and low temperatures, but never any direct flame under the food. This method can only be used on a grill that is covered. In the INDIRECT method, food is placed between the heat source – never directly above lit gas burners or charcoal. Remember, indirect cooking is a no- peek cooking method — every time you lift the lid, heat escapes and can increase cooking time.
The secret to charcoal indirect cooking is to add briquettes to the fire every hour, in order to keep the fire burning and maintain an even cooking temperature. Charcoal briquettes can be added to the fire by dropping additional briquettes through the opening by the handles on each side of the cooking grate. Use this rule of thumb, put about 30 grey-ash covered coals on each side with a drip pan in between to catch fats and juices as the food cooks. Every hour add charcoal as needed to maintain the cooking temperature.
Tip: Light briquettes in a chimney starter set in a disposable aluminum pan 20 minutes before you need to add them. This way, the new briquettes are already at their prime (grey-ash) temperature.
Combo:
This is literally a combination of the two cooking methods. It is used to sear foods over high direct heat before finishing the cooking process slowly by indirect heat. Place food directly over the heat source until well-seared, generally only a few minutes, and then move it to the area of the grill that is set up for indirect heat, generally the center of the cooking grate, and complete cooking. This method is perfect for chops, steaks, whole tenderloins and chicken pieces that benefit from a seared, caramelized exterior and a juicy, tender interior.
Lighting the Fire
You can’t cook without lighting the fire. While it is the most basic step in grilling, many people are still confused about the proper way to start the fire. Following is a step-by-step guide to the process:
Charcoal Grill
1) Remove the lid and open all air vents.
2) Mound the briquettes into a pyramid-shaped pile OR pile the charcoal into a high capacity chimney starter.
3) Place either non-toxic fire starters or crumbled newspaper under the pile of briquettes and light.
4) When coals are covered with a light-grey ash (usually 20 to 30 minutes), arrange the coals according to the cooking method you are going to use.
5) For smoke flavor, consider adding hardwood chips or chunks (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes and drained) or moistened fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme or lavender. Place the wet wood or herbs directly on the coals just before you begin cooking.
Crusty Double-Cut Pork Chops with Grilled Orange Juice
Grilling Method: Combo/Medium Heat
- 4 double cut pork chops, 2 inches thick
- Olive Oil
- 1 cup chop rub (see below)
- 2 juice oranges, cut in half
Chop Rub
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon coarse ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika or Hungarian paprika
Mix all rub ingredients together until well combined. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Remove chops from wrapping. Pat dry with paper towels. Brush lightly all over with oil. Set aside on a clean platter or tray. Using your hands or an empty spice bottle, sprinkle meat all over with chop rub. Pat gently into meat to form a crust.
Put chops back on platter and let sit for 5 minutes. When ready to grill, place chops in the center of the cooking grate over indirect medium heat. Let grill for 15 minutes before turning. Turn and let cook 10-15 more minutes or until done. The outside should be crusty and the inside juicy and just a little pink. Remove from the grill and let sit for 5-10 minutes. While the pork chops are “resting” put orange halves on the cooking grate cut-side down over direct-medium high heat (increase the heat if need be) for 5 minutes or until flesh is marked and oranges are warmed through. Remove from grill and squeeze the juice from half of an orange over each chop. Or, for a more dramatic presentation, serve a chop and an orange half together and let everyone squeeze their own orange juice over their meat.
www.GirlsattheGrill.com http://www.girlsatthegrill.com
www.GrillFriends.com http://www.grillfriends.com
Thank you, Elizabeth for sharing your expertise with our readers.
Comments on this entry are closed.
{ 1 trackback }