Even though we just had more snow last Thursday & Friday (April 3-4), grilling season is here. In fact I grilled some burgers on Sunday. They were great. There's just something about the taste of food coming off a grill outdoors.
I've talked about grilling several times before in this blog. So I'm not going to go back over all the previous mentioned text. I do, though, want to remind of a few items as you get started this year on your grill.
Clean it up before using it after a long winter. It should have been clean from your last use. So it won't take the much time or effort. Remember to be patient when using your grill. You need to wait for the grill to get to temperature before you start your food. Rushing it will only give you a poor quality product to serve. Also remember to oil the grates before placing any food on them. This really helps keeping items from sticking to those grates. Give your food time to cook before trying to move or turn it. Your meat will release from the grill grates easier. Doing the oiling, correct heat before you start and letting items cook long enough will keep your food from sticking. It will also give you those classic grill marks your looking to achieve.
A few reminders on handling your different meats. Always be sure to pat all your meats dry before placing on the grates. This gives you that beautiful seared outside. Any marinade that you have used before putting the food on the grill has done it's job. It helps (not hurts) your finished product by patting it dry before starting the cooking process.
Ground meat burgers (beef, chicken, pork, lamb etc.) need to be handled gently. Overworking the meat makes it tough. So handle your meat as little as possible when combining ingredients and/or forming patties. Also remember to indent the center of the patty. This keeps it from expanding up to much and making it into more of a meatball instead of a patty for your bun.
Don't forget that besides steaks, chicken and burgers of all kinds, the grill is great for vegetables too. Even pizzas work well. Be creative with grill and the different types and styles of food you can serve family and friends this year.
I'm starting your grilling season out with a couple of burger recipes I have found and like. I've adapted them a little for my taste. The first is using beef and adding a little butter to help the flavor. It's called "Grilled Butter Burger" and shouldn't be confused with Culver's (a great fast-food chain out of Wisconsin) Butter Burger. They call their's a butter burger because they butter the buns before they grill them. This recipe has the butter right in the burger. The Thursday recipe is for a "Grilled Chicken Burger & Peach BBQ Sauce." It uses grill chicken and has the sauce in it and over it.
I hope you have a tasty and memorable grilling season this year. Remember to try some new dishes as well as all your old favorites too. Until next week "Happy Cooking."
No comments:
Post a Comment