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Grilling is always a popular pastime for food lovers, especially during the warmer months. But not everyone has excellent grilling skills, and you can get it badly wrong if you don’t take some time to learn what you should be doing. Badly grilled meat (and other food) can turn out to be a disaster. It might be completely overdone or even, dangerously, undercooked on the inside and burnt on the outside. Getting it right can be a little tricky if you’re not completely familiar with the techniques you should be using, but it doesn’t take much to start improving your skills and getting it right.
Get to Know Your Grill
If you want to be a skilled griller, the first thing you need to do is understand your grill. You might have bought something affordable and basic just to get started or maybe you were drawn to something fancy with all the bells and whistles. Either way, you need to know how to use it, no matter what type of grill it is and how it operates. You can start by getting familiar with the user manual. Or if you want to skip that, you can find plenty of great tips online on how to light and manage your grill properly. If you prefer a visual demonstration, you can easily find a video to watch.
Understand Different Cuts of Meat
As well as understanding your grill, you also need to understand what you put on it. Each type of meat and cut of meat needs to be treated differently, and that’s before you start thinking about any non-meat products you might want to cook. You need to know the difference between how to grill short ribs and how to make the most out of some chicken thighs. Some meats need more or less cooking time, some need to be cooked all the way through while others can be pink inside, and some might turn out better at higher or lower temperatures. Check out Carnivore Snax to read about what is regenerative meat?
Clean Your Grill
Taking good care of your grill can be just as important as knowing how to use it. When you look after your grill, it helps to keep it efficient and hygienic. You can clean your grill after you use it, but it’s often a good idea to clean it before using it too. Once it’s done heating up, you can use a stiff brush to get any residue off the grates. Giving your grill a thorough clean now and then will help to keep it in good condition.
Learn How to Measure Doneness
It’s not always easy to tell whether your meat is done or not without cutting it open, and that can get dangerous. You don’t want to bite into undercooked meat, especially with meats like chicken and pork. One of the best tools you can have is a meat thermometer, which you can use to check the internal temperature of your meat and ensure it meets the minimum for that type of meat.
Make It Fun
One of the best ways to improve your grilling skills is to make it fun! Throw a barbecue party and invite your friends over. You could serve a margarita in a can or have some beer on hand and crank up the tunes. Once you’re relaxed and having a good time, you’ll be able to focus better on your grilling.
It doesn’t take long to improve your grilling skills. A few quick tips and some time spent with your grill can help you a lot.