How to get meat done inside and out, and other grilling tips
Because both of my parents have now gone on to their reward, I can let you in on some family barbecue history without fear of a Christmas stocking filled with butterscotch pudding.
The truth is, our barbecued chicken was like a character from a Tim Burton movie. Blacker than Satan’s soul on the outside, with insides as pink and bloody as a war wound. Ewww, right?
Incidentally, and apropos of nothing, I had cousins who used to keep firecrackers in their tackle box so they could turn fish that were too small to keep into piscatorial grenades.
It’s a wonder I eat meat at all. Today, let’s have you not make the same mistakes, either in grilling or in choosing your cousins.
WHY YOU NEED TO LEARN THIS
Satan. War wounds. I think we pretty much covered this in the opening.
THE STEPS YOU TAKE
Our tragic back story begins in Westfield, N.J., back in—well, never you mind about the decade, Missy. Let’s just say that it was before the ubiquity of the Weber Grill. It was a simpler time: Men were chimps, and grills were coverless and only a few inches deep.
Charcoal was piled in the center, doused with “magic water” and set ablaze with a match torn from a cardboard matchbook. Remember those? Once glowing, the briquettes were distributed evenly across the entire surface of the bottom of the grill and all food was cooked directly over them.
With the emergence of the Weber (and no, I don’t get any money from them, so kindly disensnark your questions about my journalistic integrity), we’ve all learned about the differences between direct and indirect heat. Direct heat is great for small or thin items that cook quickly. Indirect heat works best for larger items, things that take longer to cook.
Back in the day, though, who knew from indirect heat? Everything went directly over the coals. Hence, our nightmare on BBQ Street.
Fortunately, in today’s modern world of Webers and iPhones and double-breasted suits, we don’t have to cook over direct heat unless we want to.
Thus, anything that’s small or thin—burgers and franks; boneless, skinless chicken breasts; salmon fillets; pork chops—can be cooked directly over the heat source, whether it’s charcoal or gas. We’re talking less than five minutes per side. More than that and it’s like a beach filled with vampires.
Or my Irish ancestors.
With longer-cooking items— whole chicken, thick steaks or double chops—you have some options. One is indirect heat. This means the charcoal’s on one side of the grill, and your food’s on the other. Cover the grill, and it’s like an oven with the food roasting in the enclosed heat.
Another option is to precook your items until almost done, then simply mark them on the grill. This is great if you’re feeding a bunch of people: Roast your chops, steaks or seafood on a sheet pan to the desired doneness. (Use a meat thermometer.) At serving time, throw them over direct heat for a minute or so a side and, blammo, dinner.
For sausages, I poach them first in broth or beer before marking on the grill. Then I reduce the poaching liquid, whisk in a little butter, and, another blammo, a yummy sauce. (You reduce marinades like that, too.)
Oh, and while we’re on the subject, here’s some more good advice: After your grill is nice and hot, clean it with a grill brush, then oil it to help keep the food from sticking: Fold a clean but unwanted dish towel in half or thirds, lengthwise, then roll it up and tie it with string. Dip it in vegetable oil and use a pair of tongs to wipe it on the grill grate and again with the blammo, no sticking food.
Now, here’s even more good advice, advice that will have your dinner guests proclaiming, “Madge, this is like something I would eat in the finest restaurants in Paris.”
OK, that may not happen, even if your name does happen to be Madge, but here’s a little restaurant trick to make your food look as good as it tastes: grill marks.
For oblong or oddly shaped items (steaks and fillets rather than burgers or dogs), place them presentation-side down at a 45-degree angle to the grate. After a minute or two (depending on the thickness), rotate it 90 degrees. In other words, start it at 10 o’clock, then rotate to 2 o’clock. When you flip (and you’ll only flip it once), you don’t need to rotate, because that’s the side that will be seen only by the plate, and most modern plates don’t have eyes.
The last bit of advice I have is to make sure you have your mise en place done before you start cooking. That means, have everything that you’re going to need out by the grill: Your bowls of marinating beef or your plate of poached Italian sausage, serving platters for the cooked food, tongs, clean towels (or hot pads) and a spray bottle to control flare-ups.
And an ice-cold beverage. Don’t forget that.
KOREAN-STYLE MARINADE
Prep: 10 minutes
Makes: 2 cups
This marinade is like that used for the classic beef dish, bulgogi. It can be used on anything else, however, with delicious results. 1 cup water
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons minced ginger 1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 ounces onion, grated (about half an onion)
2 ounces apple or pear, grated
(about half an apple)
Ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients. Marinate items to be grilled for 1 hour before grilling.
To use the marinade as a sauce, reduce it in a saucepan over low heat to desired consistency, then whisk in a tablespoon or so of butter.