Simple Secrets to Grilling

Grilling is great. It is a welcomed change of pace from the kitchen range and adds needed variety to one's cooking repertoire. Besides nothing is manlier than searing a thick, juicy, piece of red meat over a open flame. However the finer points of grilling are often lost on many. Sadly, this often results in carbonized hunks of flesh that resemble hockey pucks or shoe leather. So here are some grilling basics that will help you look like a pro.

1. Hold the salt! Seasoning is fine, but hold the salt until you are done cooking. Salting raw meat will draw moisture out of the meat. Only apply salt after the meat is seared, locking in the juices. Beware of seasoning mixes, many are mostly salt.
2. Choose carefully. Not all cuts of meat are the same. This is especially true of steaks. Understand the differences in texture and fat content between the different cuts. Ask your butcher, he can help. Also look at the fat distribution in the cut. Fat will appear in three forms: tallow, the thick white stuff on the edges of a cut, veins of fat running through the cut, and marbleized far dispersed across the cut. Higher quality cuts of meat will have less tallow, and fewer veins, with more marbleized fat. Super premium cuts purchased by high end restaurants have high levels of marbleized fat. This is what makes the steak juicy and tender.
3. Temperature regulation. Controlling temperature on a gas grill is easy, it takes more practice to gain the same level of control on a charcoal grill. For steaks you want a hot fire in the center of the grill and a cooler grilling surface near the edges. Sear your meat on the hot center on both sides and then move it to the cooler edges to cook until it is done just the way you want it.
4. Take it slow! Thick cuts of meats like roasts or large pieces such as whole chickens or turkeys can be very intimidating. People often make the mistake of trying to build a hot fire to cook it quicker. This will result in a charred outside and a underdone inside. Build a relatively cool fire and be prepared to let it cook for several hours. This will result in a evenly cook piece of meat that is tender and juicy.
5. Got wood? Charcoal grills are great because you can burn things other than wood. When slow cooking add maple, cherry, apple, or hickory chips to add flavor. A woodsy flavor can be added to fish with cedar. Soak an untreated cedar board in water overnight. Place the fish on the board and place the board on the grill. The board keeps the fish moist and makes it easy to handle.