FROM THE SCRAMBLE LIBRARY
IS IT TIME TO GIVE YOUR GRILL A SPRING CLEANING?
I’m wiping the dust off my porch furniture and grill this week, and I feel like I’m buffing away a thick layer of winter. I am ready to fire up the barbecue now that the sun is pulling me outside like a powerful magnet. If you are also in the mood for outdoor cooking, you can prepare this week’s burgers and chicken on the grill. In upcoming warmer weeks, I’ll run more recipes for the grill in the newsletter, with options for cooking them inside, too. Meanwhile, here are my favorite tips for safe and easy grilling:- Before turning it on, clean the grill with a scraper, and coat the grates with nonstick cooking spray or some cooking oil on a paper towel, so food doesn’t stick to the grates.
- Preheat gas grills for about 10 minutes on high with the cover closed, and preheat charcoal grills for 30 minutes. The grill should be very hot before you start to cook.
- Both gas and charcoal grills cook more efficiently with the cover closed.
- Many vegetables, fish fillets, and even tofu and sliced bread can be grilled if the pieces are big enough or you use foil or a grilling tray to keep food from falling through the grates.
- To keep meat juicy, don’t pierce it or press down on the meat with a spatula while it’s cooking. Also, rotate food around the grill after you flip it to cook it evenly.
- Don’t put cooked meat back on the dish with its raw juices and potentially harmful bacteria.
- Scrape and turn off the grill as soon as you’re done cooking—it’s easy to forget to do it later.
- Finally, my husband Andrew and I find it more relaxing to grill in advance for company, and serve the food cold or reheat it when guests are ready to eat. That way we can actually enjoy the company, rather than sweat over the grill.