The grill is one of the most democratic places in all of cooking culture. Everyone gathers around to enjoy the experience, everyone gets a little bit of what they like the best, and everyone from amateur grillers to professional chefs can take advantage of the great flavor that comes out of firing up the almighty grill.
However, just because anyone can use the grill in great ways, doesn’t mean that everyone is using it the exact same way. We’re here to share with you some of the tools and tricks top chefs use on the grill to help you take your grill game up a notch.
Meat Thermometer
It’s not a groundbreaking idea, but thermometers often go overlooked for no good reason. Sure, we’ve grilled steak and just about any other meat dozens and even hundreds of times over at this point, and we should pretty much just know what we’re doing, right?
Maybe, but as good as you might think you are at intuitively guessing the internal temperature of a cut of meat, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to get it right. As Bobby Flay says, using a thermometer isn’t cheating—it’s a good thing to do! Whether you’re risking overcooking a gorgeous and expensive cut of meat or you have to keep tabs on multiple different steaks at a time, having a meat thermometer handy is the best way to make sure your steaks will be juicy and flavorful every single time.
Double Tongs
It’s an incredibly obvious thing to point out and an incredibly easy thing to overlook: there is going to be raw and cooked food on the grill. Maybe not at the same time, but the fact that they will be touching the same surfaces might set a red flag off on in your head. Luckily, the searing heat of the grill means the actual cooking surface probably isn’t going to give you any trouble, but not everything you’re using to cook is under this intense heat. One example? Your tongs.
This is why DJ BBQ suggests using two pairs of tongs to avoid cross-contamination. Sure, if you’re just grilling straight steak that’s perfectly fresh from the butcher, you probably aren’t running a lot of risk. If you add something else like poultry or even burgers to the mix, however, having a second pair of tongs on hand is a small price to pay to avoid a trip to the hospital. Food poisoning is no fun! Use one pair for the raw food and the other pair for the cooked food.
Herbs and Oils
The grill is a fantastic source of flavor, and there’s certainly something you get from grilling out that the most well-seasoned and beautifully prepared dish isn’t going to give you from the stovetop. Unfortunately, a lot of cooks think of these two things as either/or. That is, once you switch to the grill, you don’t need to focus so much on the seasoning and prep work. Don’t fall for the trap!
Sure, maybe the grill is going to add some punch that you wouldn’t otherwise get, but why should that mean holding back from flavorful prep work? You can have both! Billy Durney of Hometown Bar-B-Que lets us know that basting with herbs kicks your grilling up to a whole new level. Byron’s Fred Smith also tells us to not overlook the oil! Not all oils are made the same, and some foods are better prepared with some oils or fats rather than others. Grapeseed oil is great for vegetables, olive oil for eggplant, and butter for mushrooms.
Grilling Planks
Need to kick the smokey flavor up a level? Grilling planks are a great solution! Grilling planks are planks of wood that you place on the grill underneath your food. Charring them a bit before you add your food will give your dish an extra smokey, charred flavor that will make every bite an experience.
Chef John Howie has developed entire cookbooks around this cooking method after experimenting with wood planks during menu development. The best part about using grilling planks is that it’s an easy and accessible method that everyone can learn and take advantage of. Beginner or professional chef, using grilling planks helps you upgrade the entire cooking and dining experience from flavor to plating.
Grilling is fun and grilling is for everyone! From family cookouts to neighborhood BBQs and everything in between, follow these tips from top chefs to make sure everyone invited is excited for seconds.
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