Grilling Tips For Summer Eats

Chicken Skewers

Summer and grilling share a symbiotic relationship, and neither is truly complete without the other. So, whether you’re grilling outside (where grilling is meant to go down), in your kitchen, or just ordering a grilled meat at a restaurant, remember these helpful tips to get your meat just the way you like it.

Chicken

Approximately two-thirds of chicken in America carries salmonella, so you need to be extra cautious when cooking chicken. Although it may be one of the most potentially dangerous meats, it is absolutely delicious and is perfectly suited for grilling. When grilling chicken, make sure the heat isn’t too high, or you risk burning the outside, while leaving the inside raw.  Cook chicken on a lower heat and try to keep it away from direct heat until the center has been cooked through.

One way to bolster any grilled chicken is by stuffing it. Cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, peppers, meats, and rice are all tasty options to stuff in chicken breast. Stuffing is pretty darn simple too. Just slice the breast down the middle, cram in your choice of extras, tie it up with baking string, and toss it on the grill. Get creative, and do something different every time by experimenting with different foods, flavors, and spices.

Steak

The perfect medium rare steak requires a close eye and careful attention. If it’s left on the grill for just a minute or two too long, you could be chewing on an overdone hunk of meat. Some people prefer to use a meat thermometer so they know when it’s done just right, but if you don’t have one follow this tip.

You’re going to want to mostly cook the steak on one side, and when you prod it and notice it’s getting more firm, flip it over… but not for too long. Once you flip the steak, you probably only want to leave it on for another minute or two, eying it often to make sure it doesn’t get overdone. Don’t forget that meat continues to cook after it’s off the grill, so take it off before you think it’s the right temperature for you – in a matter of minutes it’ll be exactly what you‘re looking for.

Fish

Nothing is better than fresh fish on a hot summer day: it’s refreshing, healthy, and full of flavor. The most effective way to make fish taste amazing is grilling on a plank. Soak the plank in water for a couple hours, and then set it on the grill with the fish of choice on top of the plank. This indirectly cooks the fish, making it smoky, firm, and juicy. Try cooking salmon on a plank with a little salt, pepper, olive oil, and brown sugar.

Another way to make your fish delicious is by giving it a quick sear. This is especially good for really meaty fishes, like tuna. Get the grill plate really hot and cook the fish for only a few minutes on each side. The edges will be crispy and the inside will be naturally textured, juicy, and a deep rare. If you have any concerns about the quality of the fish, it is not recommended to consume it rare, but if you get high quality, fresh fish, there is nothing better than a quick sear and a rare interior.

Cooking Temperatures

To know for sure if food is cooked thoroughly, we’d advise following Foodsafety.gov’s recommendations in the following chart:

Cooking Temperatures

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One comment

  1. Those shish kabobs look absolutely delicious! I think it’s getting close to lunchtime for me!

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