Chars on the rise

Top chefs share their go-to grills, plus tips on how to make the most of ’em

“Restaurant: Impossible” host

Robert Irvine uses a built-in Coyote gas grill at home and suggests a couple of seasoning tips if you’re cooking meat. “Add salt and pepper just before grilling, after the steak comes out of the marinade,” he says. Also, consider adding paprika to your rub. “Paprika boosts its openfire flavor,” he says. “Placing a cast-iron skillet on the grill and preheating it allows you to cook steaks and burgers with a great sear,” says renowned meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda, who uses a Lynx gas grill. “If the skillet sizzles when a drop of water hits it, then it’s ready to cook on.” “Top Chef” alum Harold Dieterle loves his Big Green Egg, especially for sea bass. “Slow-cook fillets over vegetables at 350 degrees on the grill,” he says. “The flavor from the charcoal really comes through, and the fish is cooked gently and indirectly.” “The grill I have cooked on the most — being a city girl — is my mom’s Weber propane grill in her backyard,” says “Chopped” judge Amanda Freitag.

“The best part about it is that I can create different levels of heat just like I could at the stove. I make a hot spot for searing and getting grill marks, have a medium-low heat for finishing and then move to the upper shelf for holding.” The Weber Original Charcoal Kettle “distributes heat perfectly and does not cost a bunch of money,” says Ash Fulk, culinary director of Hill Country Barbecue Market. “Have a spray bottle with water on hand. If you have small flareups, you can give it a spritz, and it will calm the flames.”