The Thrill of the Grill

Grilling is the perfect summertime meal solution because it’s relatively fast, simple, and a great way to enjoy the gorgeous weather we look forward to all year.  Clean-up is a cinch because there are no pots or pans to scrub and somehow, a juicy burger or steak makes even Chinette feel like fine dining when you’re enjoying dinner on the patio.

When grilling there are a few things to keep in mind. First, as with all other culinary endeavors, you will need some basic tools: 

• 2 sets of tongs with long handles
• a clean vessel on which to transport fully cooked food to the serving table. For food safety reasons, do not transport cooked food on the same platter you used to bring the raw foods to the grill.
• a stiff grill brush for cleaning grilling surface (I just bought a nice one at HomeGoods)
• an old towel, rolled up and tied with butcher’s twine for oiling grill
•  a rectangle dish for canola oil to dip the cloth in
• an instant read thermometer
• a pastry brush for basting 

Grill Preparation

1. pre-heat grill, preferably with 2 heat zones – one for searing items and one for longer, slower cooking or finishing . This ensures that the proteins you’re grilling are nicely browned on the outside and completely cooked on the inside. Many times, people char the outside and the interior of the meat is raw!
2. wipe grates several times with the towel roll that has been dipped in the canola oil (use the tongs to do this). You will find that you need to do this several times.
3. Use the grill brush to brush the grates as needed to prevent food from sticking.