How to Grill: A Concise Guide

Summer is the time for gatherings in nature and, of course, simple, but very tasty food prepared right in the fresh air. In our country, barbecue is traditionally widespread, but recently it has become popular to cook on the grill, which provides more scope for culinary creativity. As with other cooking methods, the grill has several important rules and secrets that are simply necessary for anyone who wants to achieve excellence in street cooking.

Your grill is a thing in itself, a complete kitchen on the street. A host of new possibilities open up before you, from salads with brightly grilled summer vegetables to hearty grilled chicken and fish dishes and even desserts made from grilled fruits. This quick guide contains the basics to get you started with grilling, and with good practice, you will practically be able to do it with your eyes closed.

What is a grill?

Grilling involves cooking food on a wire rack over a heat source, usually charcoal or ceramic briquettes, heated by a gas burner. Direct exposure to heat quickly burns the surface of the food, creating a characteristic, rich aroma, sometimes with pleasant “burnt” notes, and a wonderful crust. If food is cooked over moderate heat, it will not only develop a crust, but also a more intense haze aroma.

In addition to what we call a grill here and later in this article, there are other gadgets and ways to simulate grilling. One of them is the Grill Pan, a heavy pan with a grooved bottom that allows you to fry foods over high heat with a minimum of oil, resulting in a mouth-watering “mesh” that is imprinted on their surface. I talk about it in more detail in the article Grill pan, my winter summer, here we will talk about street grills.

Equipment

When choosing between a gas or charcoal grill, choose whichever suits you best: the end result will be very similar, if not the same. Of course, charcoal grilled food has a wonderful flavor, but it can be added with wood chips added at the right time. For more versatility, choose a grill with a large baking top and lid.

In the United States, where grilling championships are held, two-thirds of consumers prefer a gas grill because of its convenience and the persistent heat produced by a gas burner, while the rest choose the traditional charcoal heat. an electrically heated spiral located under the grate.

This is a very handy device that makes grilling almost hassle-free, but you can’t take it with you to a picnic, so it’s a choice for those who prefer cooking in the courtyard of an electrically powered country cottage.

Other useful tools you will need in your grilling process include:

• coal ignition device
• long forceps
• scapula
• brush for smearing
• thick mittens
• wire brush
• disposable foil dishes
• meat thermometer

Direct and indirect heat

The heart of a grilling workshop is the correct use of two types of heat, direct and indirect. The difference between the two lies in how you position the food relative to the heat source, that is, a pile of coals or heated briquettes, and also in the heat regulation with the lid.

For thin cuts of meat that cook quickly (cutlets, steaks, chops, etc.) and most vegetables, direct heat is best — the food is directly over the heat source and the lid is usually left open. Just like regular roasting, this method involves cooking quickly at high heat, and is not suitable for large pieces, as the intense heat will burn the surface of the meat before it is cooked inside.

For food that requires a longer cooking time (for example, pork shoulder or whole chicken), indirect heat is used – the coals are raked on the edge in one or two piles, and the food is positioned away from them so that hot air circulates around it.

With this method, the grill is covered with a lid, which creates convection heat. This is a more delicate method of grilling and can be used to cook large pieces completely without burning them.

The simplest rule of thumb for determining a suitable grilling method is: if the dish takes less than 20-25 minutes to cook, use direct heat, otherwise use indirect heat.

An exception to this is fillet of large fish, which is best done with indirect heat, although directly over the fire it could be cooked in less than 15 minutes. The fish fillet is so tender that it will cook too quickly and dry out in direct heat.

In addition, if the skin burns, it creates a fishy aftertaste that many don’t like. Using indirect heat will cook the fish best and retain its juiciness.

Maintaining cleanliness

Preheat the wire rack over maximum heat for 10-15 minutes, depending on the cooking method you intend to use. This will help burn off any residue from previous use of the grill, making it easy to clean up.

Then walk over the grate with a bristle, preferably with copper bristles – steel can damage the enamel of some gratings (if you do not have a copper brush, crumple a sheet of foil, pinch it with tongs and wipe the grate). Thoroughly clean the wire rack to remove food residues from previous cooking. Repeat this procedure each time you use your grill.

Before the summer season starts, preheat the grill on maximum heat for an hour, and then clean the grate. This should only be done once to prepare the grill for the season. In fact, by burning everything you can, you are using the principle of a self-cleaning oven for your grill.

Lighting up the grill

If you have a gas grill, simply turn on the burners to maximum power. In case you are going to use indirect heat, unplug one side of the grill after preheating.

In the case of a charcoal grill, the simplest way to light charcoal or logs is to use a starter, a special ignition device. If you don’t have one, just use a lighter fluid or crumpled newspaper to light the charcoal. Let the charcoal burn until it is covered with white-gray ash, the appearance of which indicates that the temperature is most suitable for cooking.

If using the direct method, spread the charcoal evenly over the entire surface of the grill, otherwise separate the charcoal and slide it away from the center of the grate, under which you place a disposable aluminum dish. Place food above a platter to catch dripping fat and direct heat towards the food. Many cooks shift charcoal to one side of the grill, leaving the other empty – but spreading charcoal on all sides of the food (if space permits) creates a steady heat that envelops it.

How to grill

Actually, there is nothing complicated in the process of grilling, it is only important to maintain the right temperature and keep an eye on the food so that they do not burn or dry out. Maintaining the desired temperature on a gas grill is very easy, you just need to turn the knob. On a charcoal grill, the heat is controlled by the ventilation holes.

To avoid restricting the air flow, do not block the openings on the bottom of the grill with charcoal. Also, leave the hole on the top of the grill at least partially open. The more you open the vents, the more intense the heat will be. If you want medium temperature, cover the holes about halfway.

Grease food (not the wire rack) with oil or marinade to enhance the caramelization and appearance of these famous grill stripes and to avoid sticking. If you don’t grease the food, the juices will evaporate as you cook, and it will turn out dry – this is especially true for cooking pieces of vegetables.

Grill recipes

I really love to grill when the weather permits, so new recipes for grilling are regularly posted on the site. For this article, I have selected links to a few of my favorite recipes: Grilled Salad with Cheese Sauce

• Grilled vegetable salad
• Perfect homemade burger
• Beef entrecote with pepper sauce
• Chevapchichi
• Grilled chicken with garlic and thyme
• Chicken wings in soy sauce with honey
• Grilled pork steak
• Salmon shashlik

In addition, each subscriber of my mailing list receives as one of the gifts the book “The best recipes for barbecue and grill”, with which you will have access to recipes even where there is no Internet. Enjoy your street cooking!