It’s grilling season everyone! The weather is heating up, pools are opening, and grilling is in full effect. Here are a few tips on becoming a grill master this season and impressing your friends and family at your next cookout:

Heat It Up

Don’t make the silly mistake of not preheating the grill. The air above the grill might feel hot to your hand, but that doesn’t mean the grill’s grates are hot enough. In order to get those signature grill marks on your burgers and dogs the grates have to be hot so they don’t stick to the meat. It only takes about 5-10 minutes with the grill covered and then you can start cooking.

Wood Chips

Looking for that classic smokey taste and smell? Well then wood chips are the way to go. After you heat up the charcoal for your grill, just throw some wood chips or chunks on them. You know the grill is ready once the flames from the wood stop and the smoke starts. It’s an easy process that makes a big difference in taste, but remember different wood comes through your meat in different ways.

Thaw The Meat

In order to get a consistent color and temperature in your meat it needs time to thaw. After taking your meat out of the fridge, give it about 20 minutes to warm up. After your meat is done, you’ll be able to tell the difference when you cut into it.

Don’t Press Your Meat

I know how tempting it can be to press your spatula into the meat and hear that nice sizzling and juices flowing out of the patty. Don’t do it! A staple of a really good burger is when it’s really juicy and tender. So firstly, don’t use lean meat and secondly, keep the burger moist. Nobody wants a dry and crumbly burger on a hot summer day.

Under-Over

It’s pretty difficult to gauge whether or not the meat is cooked thoroughly when your grilling. A good rule-of-thumb is to lean towards under-cooking. I’m not talking about serving raw meat but if you think the food is done, or about to be, just take it off the heat for a moment. Try cutting into it and if it needs more time to cook, just throw it back on for another minute or two. Remember, you can’t save an overcooked piece of meat.

Stay Safe

As an insurance agency it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t talk to you about safety for a moment. Here’s a couple quick tips that should help you stay safe this grilling season:

– You should only grill outside (that should go without explanation)

– Make sure your grill is on a flat, level surface. It’s easier than you think for a grill to tip over and start a fire.

– Never leave your grill unattended when in use. High heat and open flames left unattended immediately becomes a safety and fire hazard.

– Have a fire extinguisher nearby. You should always prepare for the worst and fire extinguishers are such an easy way to ensure the safety of your friends and family.

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