Grill Master Secrets: Tricks for Achieving Perfectly Grilled Meats

May 28, 2024

‘Tis the season for grilling! Perfectly grilled meats, beautifully seasoned vegetables, cool drinks, and smoky flavours are the name of the game, and everyone wants to play. So, how can you take your grilling game to the next level and impress your friends and family with your grill master skills?

By following a few simple tips and tricks, you can significantly increase your ability to produce restaurant-quality dishes from your garden, mastering the art of BBQ. What are these precious tips and tricks?

Grill Master Grill Tips

Use High-Quality Grill Equipment

You will never regret investing in high-quality grilling equipment. Good equipment ensures even cooking, is easier to clean and overall, creates a better cooking experience.

Choose Your Fuel Type

Whether you choose a charcoal grill, a pellet smoker, a propane or gas grill, take time to know what flavours you want to impart and choose accordingly.

Make Sure Your Grill Is Hot

You can never have a BBQ grill that is too hot! While this statement isn’t completely true, 95% of the time, the hotter the grill, the better. Preheat your grill to get a good char on your meats and veggies, creating that distinct grill flavour.

Keep Your Grill Clean and Season It

Keeping your grill clean will keep your food from sticking, keep your flavours clear and make for better grill marks, all of which add up to ensure your food will be the best BBQ flavours your guests have tasted this year. Seasoning your grill with oil before you begin cooking will also help in this process.

Use Two Zone Cooking for Maximum Grill Efficiency

Two zone cooking gives you versatility, allowing you to use slow cooking tips and tricks on one half of your BBQ and leaving the rest of your grill for searing, giving your steaks and other protein grill marks that your guests will tell their friends about.

Grill Master Ingredient Tips

Rest Your Ingredients Rest Before Cooking

This goes for meats and vegetables. Do not cook food directly from the fridge if possible, especially meats. Letting them rest makes it possible to extract the best possible flavours and make the best of every ingredient.

Season Meats and Vegetables Well

Generously apply salt and pepper to your meats and vegetables to get the most flavour out of each bite. Often, would-be grill masters are concerned about over-seasoning, when in reality, they should be worried about serving bland dishes to their guests.

Avoid Unnecessarily Piercing Your Meats

It can be tempting to over-check the temperature of your meats to make sure that they are not overcooked. While this is well-intentioned, piercing the meat multiple times with the thermometer can lead to drier cuts of meat. When you want to know the temperature, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat to get an accurate measure of the internal temperature of the meat. With this cooking method, your meat will be cooked to perfection without losing unnecessary juices.

Give Meat Time to Rest After Cooking

Your cooking process is not complete the minute you take the meat off the grill! Let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes after cooking, giving the juice a chance to redistribute through the meat and leading to a more tasty and delicious dish.

Don’t Overhandle Your Food

It can be easy to become impatient and begin moving your food unnecessarily. Don’t do this! Have patience. By waiting, you will get better grill marks, and more accurate meat temps and it will be easier to enjoy your time at the grill. If you would like, brush your meat with some butter or a marinade, adding flavour as your grilling comes to an end.

Become a Grill Master the BBQ Season

Use these tips to level up and become the grill master for your friends and family this year. Remember to enjoy the food, the company, and the cooking process. If you do that, you are well on your way to the best summer ever!