Avoiding Grilling Mistakes
It happens... we're only human, and we do make mistakes. It happens in all areas in our lives, even in grilling. Sometimes, we are not even aware of the mistakes. When we are cooking outdoors, our mistakes may mean the food doesn't turn out as well as it should. Or our mistakes may mean a visit to the emergency room, or a visit from some people in a big red truck. You should try to avoid these mistakes, whether it has to do with the quality of the meal, or your safety.
Grilling mistakes are usually made in one of three areas, food preparation and safety, cooking, and grill maintainence and safety.
Food Preparation And Safety
When you're preparing to grill, you should follow certain guidelines to make the cooking process easier, and more efficient, and to prevent foodborne illness.
Make sure your meat is properly thawed, before grilling. Move the meat from the freezer to the refrigerator at least 24 hours before cooking. If you have to, you can use your microwave to thaw meat, but be sure to use it right away.
After cutting up your meat, wash your hands thouroughly, and use a different cutting board and knife for vegetables. If you don't take precautions, you could end up spreading foodborne illness. So don't use the same cutting board for raw meat and vegetables.
If you marinate your meat, do not use the marinade for basting during cooking. If you want to use some of the marinade as a baste, then set a portion of it aside, and use the rest for marinating. You can also pour the marinade into a saucepan, and bring it to a boil for several minutes, to kill off any harmful bacteria.
After cooking the meat, use a fresh plate to serve it. Never put the cooked meat on the plate that you used to carry the raw meat with.
Cooking
Make sure you have everything you need ready to go. The cooking will go a lot smoother if you have all of the ingredients and utensils ready to go. If you have to take time to find something you need in the middle of cooking, you could end up with overcooked food.
If you're using a recipe, read through the recipe completely, and make sure you understand all of the instructions. You don't want to start cooking for tonights dinner, and find out that the meat should be marinated overnight.
When turning the meat on the grill, use tongs, do not pierce the meat. Poking holes in the meat will allow the juices to drain out, causing the food to come out dry. The juices will also drip into the bottom of the grill, making cleanup harder, and causing a possible fire hazard.
Cook the meat at the proper temperature. Some meats should be cooked quickly over high heat. Others will become dry or burn if the temperature is too high.
Safety
Never leave the grill unattended when it is being used. Fires can occur on the grill, and they can spread quickly. Keeping an eye on your grill, you can take care of small fires quickly. If you aren't paying attention, the fire could spread, requiring a visit from the fire department.
Do not grill too close to a wall or wooden fence. The grill is hot enough to cause a fire. Move your grill away from the wall before you light it. If you store the grill next to a wall, be sure it is completely cool before moving it back to the wall. Don't put your grill cover on, either, until the grill has completely cooled.
Your grill should be cleaned after every use. Run a grill brush over the grate while it is still hot, to loosen any food that may have stuck. Let the grill cool down completely before spraying any cleaning solution or oil, otherwise it could cause a fire.
These are all simple precautions, but they could mean the difference between a great barbecue, and a trip to the hospital.