8 Barbecue & Grilling Tips To Make Your Barbecues Sizzle!

1) Never place food on the grill until the temperature is correct. The fluctuation in temperatures will cause your food to dry out or burn. If you are using a charcoal grill, make sure that the coals are completely gray before putting the meat on the grill. This will allow the temperatures to level out, and the majority of the lighter fluid to burn off. In addition, putting your meat on a grid not properly heated will cause it to stick.

2) Cooking with charcoal lighter fluid can be good or bad. The lighter fluid will cause the food you are cooking to taste different then with other types of grills. In addition, attempting to not use lighter fluid may cause a lot of frustration due to the fact that charcoal can be difficult, if not impossible to light without lighter fluid.

3) You must properly prepare the meat you are cooking, before cooking it. You should never attempt to cook meat on a grill when it is still frozen, or even partially frozen. Thaw your meat by sitting it out about 12 to 24 hours before you plan on cooking it, or by thawing it in a microwave. If you meat is thawed, but in the refrigerator, set it out long enough for the meat to get to room temperature.

Having said that - I can tell you I do use frozen beef patties for my burgers and I put them on the grill frozen. After heating the grill, I set the heat to low so the burger begins cooking, thawing it as that happens. I have found the burgers are extra juicy doing this. My brother-in-law thought I was crazy doing this until he tried one. Now he freezes his patties and pulls them out frozen to cook.

This does not work for steak or chicken and I have only done this successfully with burgers.

4) Once meat is cooked, never put it back in on the same plate you had it on when it was raw. This could cause the spread of many unwanted illnesses. Do not handle cooked meat with the same utensils that you used when it was raw.

5) Poking holes in meat will cause the juice inside to leak out into the bottom of the grill. Not only will this make your food dry and unappealing in the end, but it also could potentially ruin your barbecue grill. At the very least, it will cause a buildup of unwanted grease and juices on your grill, which will make cleanup harder.

Now - when the burger i nearly finished grilling, using a small tipped thermometer is fine. Using it when the meat is nearly cooked works - continually poking it as you are grilling is not.

6) Once the meat is on the grill, try not to open the lid too many times. Each time you open the lid, you change the temperature in the grill. The constant change in temperature and the air flow will cause your meat to dry up quickly. This is particularly true in the winter.

7) While using tin foil or aluminum foil will make cleaning easier, it will cause your food to have more of a fried taste then a grilled taste.

8) If you are planning on using your favorite barbecue sauce, be sure to wait as long as possible to put it on the meat. Putting barbecue sauce on to early will not only cause your meat to dry out, but it could also burn.