Preparing Your Corn for the Grill

One of the biggest keys to grilling any type of food, including corn, is the preparation of the food. Before the corn is even placed on the grill, there are a few steps that you should take to ensure that everything goes as well as you would hope. First of all, do not peel off all of the husks; you want a couple of layers for protection while the corn is on the grill.

Then, you will probably want to soak the cobs of corn in cold water for awhile, perhaps about 15 minutes or so. You will be glad that you did this extra step, as it will help to provide necessary moisture for when you cook the corn! Of course, shake off any extra water when you are ready to put the corn on the grill. Then, brush the corn kernels with olive oil or butter before placing the husks back over the kernels, and you are ready to grill!

Grilling Corn the Right Way

You will want your grill to be at about medium heat for the purpose of grilling corn. While you are grilling your corn, make sure to rotate it to ensure that you don’t give too much time to any one side. You will turn it a few times, then place it away from the flames on one of the sides of the grill, and close the cover to let the corn slowly cook.

It will need to cook like this for about fifteen minutes. You will be ready to take the corn off the grill when juice shoots out of the kernels when they are pressed. If you cook the corn too long, it will become mushy, which you definitely do not want!

When you remove the corn from the grill, you will simply want to carefully hold it with some sort of protection for your hand (such as an oven mitt) and peel away the husks. Then, rinse off the grilled corn, and you are ready to serve it up with some butter!

Grilling corn does not have to be difficult. It is just like anything else; if you know the right way to do it, the process itself is actually quite simple. With these tips and instructions in mind, you are more than ready to serve some grilled corn at your next cookout as a delicious side item to go with grilled steak, chicken or fish!

[Header image source.]

Getting Started

First of all, choose some tilapia with the right attributes for grilling. About an inch of thickness is a good guideline that makes for easier grilling, for instance.

You will want to prepare the tilapia by applying some oil on both sides, although you should keep the amount fairly light. You can also season both sides of your tilapia with whatever marinade or spices you prefer before putting it on the grill. Some people go with a basic approach and a little salt and pepper, while others prefer more distinctive approaches with cayenne pepper or lemon pepper. The choice is really yours, and as long as you follow these grilling instructions, you should be quite pleased with how it all turns out!

Grilling the Tilapia Properly

The grill should be at about medium heat. You should be conservative with the heat unless you are planning on blackening your tilapia, at which case you can lean towards a medium-high heat level. You will want to maintain a conservative height with the fire when grilling, as well. This is because you really do not want the flames themselves to touch the tilapia.

You should also have used some non-stick cooking spray or oil (olive or vegetable oils both work great) on the area of the grill where you will be placing the tilapia, just to avoid any problems with sticking. This is where a separately raised tray or basket can come in handy, too.

In total, it should take less than ten minutes to properly grill your tilapia. Fish that is placed directly on the grill usually takes closer to five minutes to be done, while fish that is away from the flames or in indirect heat can take the full ten minutes or so. The key here is to check to see if your tilapia is done by looking for whitened meat with clear juices. You can flip the tilapia while you are grilling it, but use a metal spatula rather than a fork, so that you don’t lose any of the juices while flipping.

Tilapia is an excellent choice for any cookout, and as you can see, it can be very simply prepared by even an inexperienced person. As long as you check for signs of your tilapia being done and don’t skimp on the pre-grilling preparation, you should be very pleased with the results at dinner time. Follow these easy guidelines, and enjoy your tilapia hot off the grill!

Before You Fire Up the Grill

First of all, great grilled asparagus starts with finding the right asparagus to put on the grill in the first place! You always want to find nice, fresh asparagus with brighter colored green stalks. When checking asparagus at the store, you need to look for firm stalks with closed tips. It helps to store them in the refrigerator with a dampened paper towel around the stalks, as well.

Before you get ready to grill them, make sure that you rinse your asparagus stalks fairly thoroughly. Then, snap off the bottom of the stalks or use a knife to cut them. You want to snap it right about where the stalk goes from soft to stiff. This gets rid of the more bitter part of the stalks, which will help a lot with the finished product. Then, use a light amount of oil or some kind of marinade to coat the stalks, leaving them for about a half an hour. Drip off the excess amount, and you’re ready to grill.

Grilling Asparagus to a Tasty Finish

Now that your asparagus is ready, make sure the grill is nice and hot, and place the stalks in a bunch on the grill. It should only take a couple of minutes before you will need to turn them over, before grilling them for another couple of minutes on the other side. After that, they should be done, although you may require a little longer if your grill is not very hot.

While preparing asparagus on the grill, keep these things in mind:

• Tongs should be used to flip over asparagus, to ensure that none of the stalks are lost through the grill into the fire. Placing the asparagus sideways while grilling also helps.
• For extra flavor, you can add butter, some types of salad dressing or other little ingredients to accentuate and bring out the natural taste of grilled asparagus.

As mentioned earlier, grilled asparagus makes for a perfect addition to any grilled meal. It is a versatile enough vegetable that it will go perfectly well with grilled steaks, grilled chicken or even grilled salmon or other types of fish. The keys to preparing asparagus effectively on the grill for best taste include just keeping a close eye on them. They do not need very long to cook, but the flip side of that is that they are very easy to overcook if you are not attentive while you are at the grill! Keep all of these instructions in mind, and your grilled asparagus will be top notch!

Learning how to grill steak is something best learned when doing it for two. If you can master grilling for your significant other – someone who should be brutally honest with you – then you will be in a good place.

Things to remember:

• Skill can make a decent steak great
• A lack of skill will make a great steak mediocre
• Use cuts with a good amount of marbleization
• Let steaks come to room temperature before grilling

Guide Summary

1.    Preheat the grill
2.    Season steaks with kosher salt and cracked black pepper
3.    Let steaks stand if still cold
4.    Sear steak on first side
5.    Flip and cook through to desired temperature
6.    Remove from grill and let steaks stand
7.    Enjoy

Preheating the Grill

If your grill is charcoal, start the process. Coals are ready when the heat is even and there is an even ash on the majority of the coals. If you have a propane grill, simply preheat it to the appropriate temperature. Then go put on a skirt and some sweet smelling perfume. Just kidding.

Seasoning the Steak

Wars have been fought on how to season steak; people use rubs, marinades, steak sauce, even barbeque sauce. Start simple. Master the art of grilling steak using only simple ingredients. Kosher salt and crushed black pepper will outperform steak seasoning and marinades with most crowds.

The Importance of Temperature

For those with a discerning palette, only a few degrees separate perfection from a ruined dinner. It is important to let steaks come to room temperature before grilling to ensure an even cook. Steaks that are almost freezing in the center when they go on the grill are certain to come out one of two ways: underdone and inconsistent or overdone and dry.

Know your temperature and know the desired temperature of those you are cooking for and remember, a few degrees makes a big differences to those who even moderately appreciate steak. Use the beef temperature chart below (credit: wikipedia) for quick reference.

Cooking Steaks on the Grill

Choose a part of the grill that is hot enough to get the job done but is going to be manageable to work with. If you’re reading “how to grill steak” then the hottest part of the grill is not for you. Find a place with consistent, strong heat and lay down your steak. Once it’s down, don’t move it unless it’s an emergency. Over-flipping causes uneven grill marks and uneven cooking; both of which are unappealing. Aim to flip once.

Add cross hatches by rotating the steak clockwise after an acceptable sear.

Some sources will have you believe there is some sort of magic in knowing when to flip. When the bottom of the steak appears brown and has healthy grate marks on it, flip. After this flip, things come together pretty quickly. Again, avoid magic here. Many people methods like poking, squeezing, or eyeballing. They can be pretty accurate… but a digital grill thermometer is perfectly accurate. Simply insert the probe into the middle of the steak and remove the steak when it is a few degrees away from the desired temperature. The steak will continue cooking while resting.

Resting and Serving

One of the most important steps in the steak grilling process is resting. Resting a steak simply means leaving it alone for a few minutes after cooking. This allows the temperature to stabilize and juices to redistribute. Never cut into a steak before it is allowed to rest; the juices will all end up on the plate.

Serving steak comes down to style and personal taste. Soft rolls, grilled vegetables,   and sauteed mushrooms are particularly popular accouterments. Grilling steak can be simple, fast, and can make for a great dish. With practice and constructive criticism from a trusted source, you will be a master of grilled steak in no time.

[Header image source.]

Lose the grocery store marinade and don't overcook - it's a completely different chicken experience!

Chicken is a magical kind of meat. It’s relatively inexpensive and you can do just about anything you want with it. But that is part of the problem. Sometimes we do things with meat that is not in its best interest. So, let me give you a hint: the best way to be able to enjoy all that chicken has to offer— natural flavors and juicy tenderness— is to grill it. Here are a couple of guidelines:

1. Don’t overcook your chicken. The whole point of grilling it is to make it juicy, not dry.
2. Never overestimate the power of a marinade. As discussed in a previous post, “Grilling Tips: 6 Ways to Up Your Game,” store-bought marinades taste sterile and deprive you of creativity. Take our advice and just drop your traditional marinade. You’ll see.

To get started, choose between bone-in and skin or boneless and skinless. Some people say that when grilling, bone-in and skin-on meat is crucial to locking in the flavors. Just follow these tips and it won’t matter what kind of chicken you use, because you will have a perfectly cooked chicken every time.

The keys here are to preheat your grill, try something new with your marinade or rub, allow your chicken to reach room temperature before placing it on the grill, and to ensure that no flare-ups occur that will burn and overcook your chicken.

Whether your creativity leads you to a dry marinade or a wet marinade is unimportant. If you use a dry rub, then simply use your favorite spices and ingredients. This will allow you to individualize the taste of your chicken and keep your creativity. If you use a wet marinade, allow the chicken to soak in it for at least an hour before cooking. Be sure to take off any excess oil from the chicken. If any liquid drips off the chicken in the grill, it will cause a small fire, or flare-up, that will burn your chicken. If you have a burnt chicken, you have no flavor and definitely no natural juices. Thus, excess oil is bad.

Cooking times will vary depending on size, whether or not there is bone and skin, and grill type. Grill your chicken on medium-low heat. Since cooking time vary, it is very helpful (and necessary) to use a meat thermometer. Grill chicken to an internal temperature of 170 degrees. “Slow and low” is a nifty phrase I like to keep in mind. It helps to reduce burning, especially if you are easily distracted like me. Either way, just keep a close eye on your chicken.

When flipping the chicken, always use tongs. If punctured, all flavors will escape from the chicken. Do not puncture the chicken. Again, excess oil and puncturing are both bad.

In summary, chicken is flavorful—grill it so that you can enjoy this juicy, tender taste. Use whatever size or type of chicken you like; just be sure to keep an eye on it while it is on the grill and use a meat thermometer to check when it is cooked thoroughly. Never put a wet chicken on the grill and never puncture it, either. Follow these easy tips and you are on your way to enjoying a great piece of meat.

[Header image source.]

Handsome cuts of Filet Mignon. Good color; well-marbleized.

Filet mignon even sounds intimidating. However, grilling this tender cut of meat does not have to make anyone nervous. It’s actually a pretty simple process. The one key to remember throughout the entire process is that less is more—less preparation, less interference, less stress, and more enjoyment of a steak that will literally melt in your mouth.

To prepare the steak you will only need some simple spices. For lean meat, or if the fat has been removed from the outer edges of the filet, you may want to wrap a strip of bacon around it to keep the juices in. Then, rub fresh ground pepper over the filet for the perfect marinade by itself, and only add kosher salt to the meat after searing it on the grill. After all, the last thing you want is a dry filet mignon. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, any steak rub or traditional marinade will suffice for flavor. Either way, let your filet mignon sit for thirty to forty-five minutes before placing it on the grill. This will allow the meat to reach room temperature as well as to facilitate in the absorption of the spices.

While you are waiting for your filet to reach room temperature, preheat your grill. For a gas grill, a medium-high setting is best for searing, and it should take 15-20 minutes to preheat. For a charcoal grill, the coals should be evenly distributed and you will know it is ready when the coals are red-hot and covered with white ash. Proceed by placing the filet on the grill with tongs. It is important to never pierce the meat, as the juices will drain out. Always use tongs when turning the steak. Once the steaks have been seared for 3 minutes on each side, cook them for an addition 1-6 minutes on each side by indirect heat, depending on preference and thickness of the steak. For a gas grill, turn the middle burner off, and for a charcoal grill, move the majority of the charcoal to one side and cook on the other. For both grills, cook with the lid down.

Once your filets have been grilled to your liking, remove them from the grill. If you are unsure whether your meat is cooked correctly, you may test the doneness by pushing on the steak. A rare steak will leave an indention of your finger on the surface. A medium steak will give a little, but not leave an indention. You may also use a digital or instant-read meat thermometer. For medium, cook to 145F (63C); for rare, cook to 130F (54C). When removing the filets from the grill, it is best to place them on warm plates. Always allow filet mignon to sit for five minutes before serving to ensure that the flavors have time to settle, and then you may slice the meat and serve as desired.

Grilling filet mignon obviously does not have to cause anxiety in anyone. The important things to remember are to allow your meat to reach room temperature, to never pierce a filet, and to allow the juices to recollect after cooking the steak. That way, you can savor each and every mouth-watering, melt in your mouth bite.

[Header image source.]