6 Grilling Tips

Get the most out of your grilled foods by following these basic, easy tips that will ensure the best results. Happy grilling!

1. Always preheat the grill – A properly heated grill (at least 10 minutes) will sear the food on contact and make it less likely to stick.
2. Clean the grill while it’s hot – It’s easier to scrape off a heated grill with a wire brush; the baked on stuff will come right off.
3. Oil the food, not the grill – A standard piece of advice is to pour oil on a paper towel and then grease the grill with the oiled towel using tongs. This does work but it’s unwieldy and unnecessarily uses paper towel. And spraying the grill with cooking spray can cause flare-ups. Instead, spray the food with cooking spray, marinate it in oil, or brush oil directly onto the food before grilling, to keep the food from sticking.
4. Let it rest – If you’re cooking meat, let it rest for a few minutes before cutting into it. (You can cover it with foil to keep it warm.) Just like you let a turkey or chicken rest before carving it, letting meat rest allows the juices to redistribute throughout, and you’ll have a more tender meal.
5. Put a dent in it – If you’re making meat burgers, when you shape the patties, put an indentation in the middle of the burger. This will help the burger remain flat when it cooks, rather than puffed up and rounded, which will make it easier to put toppings on the burger.
6. Sauce it later – If you’re using barbecue sauce or any sauce with a sweetener in it, wait until the food is almost done cooking before liberally slathering it with sauce. This will keep the sauce from charring prematurely while your food is undercooked.