Learn How to Avoid Making Common Outdoor Cooking Errors
Grilling is no easy task. In fact, it can take years of practice—and mistakes—to master. But when you finally lift the lid for that expertly finished, outdoor-cooked meal, your taste buds will thank you for putting in the extra effort.
From the seasonal griller to the seasoned grill master, there is a plethora of overlapping cooking errors that occur way too often. And the team at Bolton believes that it saves you time and money to learn from others’ mistakes instead of having to learn them firsthand. So, whether you’ve fired up your grill every night this summer or you’re looking to buy a barbecue in Gwinnett County, GA, for the first time, our team is dishing out some professional tips every griller needs to read.
The Grill Is Hot. But Is It Properly Preheated?
There’s a huge difference between your grill radiating heat and the grates being hot enough to begin cooking. It’s crucial that you preheat your grill properly. But why?
Preheating creates those dark, attractive grill marks and makes it easy to remove meat from your grill. When you don’t preheat your cooking apparatus before adding meat, it causes the meat to tear and shred. And because cool metal and raw meat form a chemical bond that’s nearly impossible to break cleanly, you’ll find your food sticking to your grill and falling apart when you’re removing it.
So here’s what you need to do. After you light your grill, cover it and let it preheat for at least five to 10 minutes. This gives the fire enough time to transfer heat to your grill’s grates and is guaranteed to leave that attractive, fresh-grilled look on your food. It’ll also make it easy to remove your food once it’s done cooking.
Last Night’s Meal Was Delicious, But Do You Want These Leftovers?
Burned food left on the grates from last night’s meal does not add flavor to tonight’s meal. So keep those grates clean. Our professionals have found that the best time to clean your grill is the time period that falls after your grill is preheated for the next meal yet before you throw on your food. This will make it easier to scrape off the grease and leftover food that’s not on tonight’s menu.
Your Lid Has a Handle for a Reason. But Are You Overusing It?
For some reason, there’s this irresistible urge to constantly check your food while it’s cooking. But doing so actually causes more harm than help. This means you need to take your hands off of the lid and stop spying on your food.
Every time you lift your grill’s lid, smoke and heat escape. This creates less flavorful food that takes longer to cook. When it comes to grilling, patience—and self control—are key. And no, it’s not bad to flip your burgers or steaks multiple times. But keep in mind that every time you open and close your grill’s lid, you’re creating inconsistent cooking temperatures.
Sauce Leads to Flavor. But Are You Adding It at the Right Time?
Sauce adds flavor to your meal. But adding it too early causes it to burn and turn acrid before your meat is even close to ready. To avoid the hassle of scraping burned sauce off of your finished meat and attempting to mask the bitter taste by adding more sauce, figure out the right time to add it.
Remember that most sauces burn quickly. So as a general rule of thumb, our team suggests you cook the meat until it is almost done. Then, apply the sauce and only cook it enough so it begins to caramelize. Now you may serve it, which brings us to our next tip…
Your Guests Are Ready. But Is Your Food?
Don’t let hungry guests determine when your food is served. You see, cutting into a steak that’s too hot causes meat to unleash a torrent of juices that run all over your cutting board and your plate. Worst of all, it’s sure to burn your mouth, too.
So let your meat rest off of the grill for a few minutes before cutting or serving it. This brief cool-down time will allow the internal juices to thicken and redistribute, which cuts down on the cutting mess and creates a juicer finish to your meal.
Contact Bolton Today!
Before you can begin putting your grilling expertise to use, it’s important that you have all the equipment you need—and as a Georgia resident, you’re in luck. That’s because, from grills to smokers to barbecues for sale in Gwinnett County, GA, and beyond, you can count on Bolton to have all of the outdoor cooking equipment and accessories you need to make your next meal the best meal yet. So come on down to our showroom to see our products firsthand or fill out our online form today!