Be a King, Not a Jester in your BBQ Kingdom!
Los Roy's Butcher Shop sells: CertifiedAngusBeef.com
Choose your grill. Gas or charcoal are both excellent heat sources. It is a very personal choice. Some prefer the extra flavor of charcoal; some prefer the clean, consistent touch of gas. Your choice.
Keep it clean! Clean the grates with soap and water or the cleaner recommended by the manufacturer preferably after each use. If you forget and are in a terrible hurry, get that grill hot and use your grill brush on the grates. To prevent sticking use cooking oil to wipe down your cooled grates. I use olive oil.
Wet or dry? It’s all a matter of choice. The grill can be very forgiving: everything from elaborate marinades to just sprinkling an excellent quality T-Bone with salt, pepper and garlic works great. I do like to buy my steaks and either get them in a marinade right away in the refrigerator or spice them up several hours prior to cooking. Salt will not make your meat dry out unless you salt up the beef and leave it that way for many days. Also, a marinade can be tasty after just a few hours.
Carcinogens? If you are very worried about the increased carcinogens from grilling, make sure you trim visible fat from your meat, use a marinade with lemon or vinegar, and avoid cooking directly on the flame to avoid that charring effect. For those who want a tastier piece of meat and aren’t worried about possible increased carcinogens, keep doing what you’re doing.
One of the most important tips I can give you on cooking your favorite meat on the barbeque is to use a meat thermometer for the internal temperature of said meat so you don’t over cook or undercook your hard earned money. Here is a general scale on doneness of your favorite meats:
Beef or Lamb:
Pork:
Rare:
Med. Rare:
Medium:
Med. Well:
Well Done:
120°-125°
130°-135°
140°-145°
150°-155°
160°-165°
Medium:
Well Done:
140°-145°
160°-above
Beef steak grilling tips: The fattier the steak, the more tender; the leaner the steak the more care you need to take. Flank steak is lean and needs a marinating process, whereas rib eyes can be just grilled with a dry rub. Or a wonderful marinate, the fattier the more versatile!
Fish on the grill: Don’t be scared, just be gentle. You can grill almost any fish, but the more fragile the fish the more care you need. Fish steaks can be cooked on a cedar plank (soak it first for about 20 minutes), especially salmon and halibut, or seasoned and put in a basket and placed on the grill. Filets can be placed in a fish basket or on aluminum foil and cooked on low heat for just a few minutes. Marinades work well with fish as well.
Cooking a Filet Mignon. The Filet Mignon is the leanest piece of meat, therefore leaving more room for error. Since there is basically no fat in a filet, I suggest that you wrap a piece of bacon around the filet to give the grilling some fat drippings and flavor infused into the steak. Have fun with your bacon choice i.e. pepper bacon, apple wood smoked bacon etc. Remember, if you like your steaks well-done, do yourself a favor and buy a less expensive steak, the filet mignon is really for people that like their steaks rare to medium.
Burgers. Buffalo, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, you name the ground meat, all work well on the grill. Never over-work the meat when you’re mixing in seasonings. Make sure you come up to the proper internal temperature, and voila, the world is your oyster!
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