Archive for: October 2006

Listen up. Premade frozen hamburger pattys from the store are excellent for grilling; if you get the right kind.

I buy 100% beef and have found Angus Burger pattys at our Sams club that are great and very juicy. I pull them out of the bag when I need them - frozen - and toss them right on the grill. The secret to this one is the reverse of what I said in previous posts - use low heat. This helps it defrost as it cooks.

I’m telling you - this is great and you don’t have to worry when you come home and don’t have meat thawed out.

However - DO NOT grill frozen steak.

As a follow up to my previous post, keep in mind that from time to time a lower heat may be called for.

If I’m doing ribs, for instance, I don’t want the high heat. If my steak is not very thick, grilling it on high heat is fine but you need to be careful not to overcook. I prefer a medium heat or - high heat but don’t close the lid.

Listen - the facts are this - you will get good tips from me and others about barbecuing - try them out. See what works for you. Maybe come up with a few of your own ideas and pass the tips on to this blog or others. The fun in barbecuing is just doing it.

Before you toss your steaks or chicken or burgers on the barbecue grill, make certain you have given the grill time to heat up. Generally it’s a good idea to turn the grill on - close the lid - and let it heat up for at least 5 minutes.

We’re talking about a gas grill right now. Many have the temperature guages on the front which measure from low temperature to high temperature. Wait until the needle reaches the high temperature mark and then . . . . . start to grill.

I know. A lot of people think barbecuing over a gas grill just isn’t barbecuing.

Get over it. Sure, there is a unique taste when you grill over charcoal that you just don’t get on a gas grill. But when you use a gas grill, you are getting a terrific grill taste over the flames and . . . . . here’s what’s even more important in my mind - It’s easy to fire up and grill!

I have mine sitting outside my sliding glass door on my deck. I grill all the time, no matter what the weather. That simply would not happen if I was using a charcoal grill. Throw in some of the special wood chips they have for flavor if you want to.

Yep - I’ll use charcoal once in awhile but don’t even try to take away my gas grill.

Barbecue

I know you always hear to put a steak on the grill - cook one side - then flip and cook the other. Well . . . . .

Ever notice how the juices tend to rise in the steaks and gather on the top? If you flip the steaks before this happens - the juices do not escape.

Try to flip a little more often the next time you cook a steak and see if your steaks are a little more juicy.