I think that my interest in outdoor cooking began as a young boy when my father encouraged me to join the Boy Scouts. It was in the scouts that we were taught to survive in the wilderness, also known as the local forest preserve. They didn't actually teach us survival skills, instead to be resourceful. I actually enjoyed gathering my food from coolers and making my own meals. At the time, little did I know that learning to cook outdoors was actually preparing me for my adult obsession with barbecue.
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| It's really not that hard to do. Trust me. |
Getting those fancy, great looking grill marks on steak, pork, fish, or poultry will amaze your friends and family. To get the grill marks is not as difficult as it may seem. To put those marks on the protein you're cooking requires a clean, hot, well oiled grill and an attention to detail.
After about 15 minutes your grill should be hot enough (550°F) to start the process of making steakhouse grill marks in your very own backyard. Oil the grill grates using a set of tongs and an oil dipped paper towel. I have superimposed a clock on the grill hood to make the concept easier to understand. Lay your protein on the grill in the 10:00 o'clock position and close the hood for about 4 minutes.
To be quite honest, I almost never put any emphasis on grill marks. First, they don't have much effect on taste, and second, the supplied steel grate that comes with most charcoal kettles just doesn't get the job done very well. If you have a gas grill or ceramic cooker, you're probably good to go, but for us kettle owners, it's nice to have the replacement heavy duty cast iron grates or the aluminum raised rail grill grates. Both will get hotter than the regular grate and retain heat longer, which is helpful in getting that deep sear. Always buy a steak that is 1 inch thick when going for grill marks.
With a gas grill, the extreme heat of a grill grate will certainly leave a mark on the protein that you are grilling. I usually use the two zone cooking method. Initially I will turn both burners on to high and close the hood, allowing the grill to get roaring hot. After about 15 minutes, turn one burner off (indirect) and leave one burner on (direct). You are now ready to place your meat, chicken, or fish on the direct side (hot) of the grill. Using a paper towel soaked in canola oil generously oil the grill grate. Brush oil on the first side of the protein. When placing the oiled side of your steak, chicken or fish on the hot side of the grill (direct), it should be in the 10:00 o'clock position and sizzle immediately as the meat comes in contact with the hot grill.
When 4 minutes have passed, using your tongs, gently lift one side of the steak from the grill. It should release from the grill easily. If not, wait until it does. Now turn the steak to the 2:00 o'clock position and allow the steak to cook another 4 minutes. Turn the steak over to cook side two.
If you did it right, when you flip the steaks to side two, you will see it. Those fancy, schmancy grill marks. See, that wasn't that hard. Cook side two for another for another 3-4 minutes until it is medium rare 135°F), or medium (140°F). If you like it medium well, or well done you should be ashamed. When your steaks are done, remove them to a warm platter, cover with foil and let rest for five minutes. During this time the steaks will continue to cook about 5 degrees and the juices will redistribute in the steak, or other protein.
Let's chew the fat! In my family the fat on a steak was called "grizzle". We didn't eat the grizzle because it looked bad and it was grizzle. Always trim your steaks, leaving a small amount of fat on them. Once you cook side one of a steak, using metal tongs, hold the steak up on the side and cook the fat on the edges. When the fat is cooked all around the steak, cook side two of the steak. The crispy thin layer of fat becomes like crispy bacon. Yummy.
Plump, juicy chicken! When cooking chicken or pork chops, you can use a brine to make them juicy and tender. While there are many brine recipes out there, a good all-purpose recipe is to use 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of Kosher salt, and a half cup of sugar. I like to use brown sugar over granulated sugar. You could also replace the water with buttermilk if you like. Refrigerate the brining chicken or pork for at least 1-2 hours before using. Pour out the brining liquid.
You can mark your protein the day before you need them. You just need to change your cooking times, so that the protein is not completely cooked on day one. Cook them until partially cooked, remove from the grill and let rest. When using this method it is very important to properly cool the meat in a timely manner so that it is safe. It has to be chilled to 41 degrees or below. When it is time to cook the meat again you must make sure the temperature gets up to at least 165 degrees.
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| Chicken resting |
Grilling fish is only slightly more difficult. The grill must be hot and well oiled and the fish must be dry and then well oiled to keep it from sticking to the grill. Place the fish on the grill until it releases from the grill on it's own. Its not always perfect with fish so don't be discouraged. If it looks like it is sticking, just give it a few more minutes. It is also important not to over oil the fish. If you add too much oil the heat from the grill will cause black smoke which will make the fish look black, not burnt just black. This happens with any protein. Just remember, a little oil can go a long way!
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| Fish resting |
When it comes to marking your meat, hamburgers are the easiest to do. You must have a hot grill, well oiled hamburger, a good hamburger seasoning, and don't walk away from the grill. Timing is very important.
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| Where did I put that cheese? |
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| Oh! There it is. |
Even something as simple as a "wrap" looks better when you add those simple grill marks to it. What else looks good with grill marks on it?
Please send me pictures if you tried to make anything that was grilled or marked on the 4th. Why not sign up to follow the blog on the upper right corner, or leave a comment below. Is anybody out there?
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| Pork Chops |
© TMelle 2015
After about 15 minutes your grill should be hot enough (550°F) to start the process of making steakhouse grill marks in your very own backyard. Oil the grill grates using a set of tongs and an oil dipped paper towel. I have superimposed a clock on the grill hood to make the concept easier to understand. Lay your protein on the grill in the 10:00 o'clock position and close the hood for about 4 minutes.
To be quite honest, I almost never put any emphasis on grill marks. First, they don't have much effect on taste, and second, the supplied steel grate that comes with most charcoal kettles just doesn't get the job done very well. If you have a gas grill or ceramic cooker, you're probably good to go, but for us kettle owners, it's nice to have the replacement heavy duty cast iron grates or the aluminum raised rail grill grates. Both will get hotter than the regular grate and retain heat longer, which is helpful in getting that deep sear. Always buy a steak that is 1 inch thick when going for grill marks.
Let's chew the fat! In my family the fat on a steak was called "grizzle". We didn't eat the grizzle because it looked bad and it was grizzle. Always trim your steaks, leaving a small amount of fat on them. Once you cook side one of a steak, using metal tongs, hold the steak up on the side and cook the fat on the edges. When the fat is cooked all around the steak, cook side two of the steak. The crispy thin layer of fat becomes like crispy bacon. Yummy.
Please send me pictures if you tried to make anything that was grilled or marked on the 4th. Why not sign up to follow the blog on the upper right corner, or leave a comment below. Is anybody out there?
