It’s always fun to learn something new! At Woodhaven at Park Bridge Apartments in Alpharetta, Georgia, we love to provide you with fun, thought-provoking tidbits that will make you reflect on different aspects of life.
Grilling is a much-debated art form. Not only are there different types of grills – open, covered, vessel, campfire, and so forth – but, there are also different methods of grilling, whether you choose to use gas, charcoal, or wood chips, and regional styles, like Texas, Carolina, Memphis, and Kansas City. So, where does one even begin when it comes to the basic tips of grilling? Well, if you’re looking to marinate your chops, here are four very basic rules to take into consideration that have guided professional and at-home chefs around the country on their own grilling journeys.
Fear neither salt nor fat.
Several days prior to grilling any beef, salt your meat and put it on a drying rack in the fridge for at least 24-hours. This will draw the moisture out of it and create an amazing crust. Next, brush the meat with melted tallow, which is a rendered fat-like lard. It’s inexpensive and easy to find at any local butcher shop or grocer. Just use it in place of butter – and you’ll find yourself with a perfectly grilled piece of meat!
Don’t gamble with germs.
Wrap your platter with plastic wrap before taking raw meat out to the grill. After the meat is on the grill, you can remove and discard the plastic wrap from the tray. This way, you can use the same platter for serving the cooked meat without having to take the extra step to wash it. Keep in mind that you don't need to wash your tongs if they touch the raw burger, either. The heat sterilizes the tongs!
It's okay to leave your comfort zone.
Switch up the cuts of meats you would typically cook, and you'll be surprised by what you might really like! It also might benefit your schedule, especially if you don’t have time to sit around a fire cooking brisket for twelve to sixteen hours. For example, try some beef cheeks or tongue, instead. Not only are they savory cuts, but they’ll cook quickly. If you can execute them correctly, it will be the talk of the party!
Avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen.
Of all the methods of cooking, grilling is easily the one with the most back-seat drivers. Trust us – it can be hard to get in the zone when your across-the-street neighbor, Jim, is instructing you on the “proper methods” of burger flipping. Our advice is to take complete and total control. Let these secondary line cooks know that this is your territory, and if the food comes out less-than-savory, then you – and only you – will be the one to blame.