While some people seem to have a real knack for grilling—always grilling the perfect meal—for the rest of us, it's something we have to learn, not something that comes naturally. Believe it or not, there is a technique involved. It's not just about following your cooking instincts.
One of the main secrets to accurately preparing beautiful and tasty food is knowing how and when to use high heat or very hot coals.
While you may have heard the term "juice seal" when grilling, you may have tried some techniques here and there, but if you don't do it right, you won't do it right. For best results, many barbecue chefs cook vegetables and medium-rare steaks by first using high heat to sear the outside of the food and seal in the juices and flavors inside.
Although this technique is good for foods you don't want to cook thoroughly, you shouldn't overuse it. If you are cooking meat, such as hamburgers or pork ribs, it must be cooked all the way through to prevent bacterial contamination. Therefore, roasting them to seal in the juices does nothing but give you dry or burnt food.
This can be explained by understanding the way meat is grilled. When heated, the cells and fibers of the meat contract and squeeze out much of the juice. So if you're only partially roasting the meat, browning it will help seal in the juices by quickly cooking the outer layers of the food. However, if you were to leave the food on this high heat, the inner layers would cook too quickly and evaporate all your precious and delicious juices. Try the technique a few times until you get the hang of it. Pay attention to what you're doing so that once you've done the right technique, you'll know how to repeat it.
If you use high heat, the rule of thumb is to cook for a maximum of five minutes on each side (ten minutes total). After ten minutes, whatever you're cooking should be moved to the side over medium heat to finish cooking at that lower temperature.
There are many ways to tell how hot your fire really is to make sure it's always perfect for whatever type of food you're grilling. One of the most common tests is to simply hold your hand a few inches from the grill. If you can only hold it there for a second or so, your grill is on high heat (i. over 600
There are many ways to tell how hot your fire really is to make sure it's always perfect for whatever type of food you're grilling. One of the most common tests is to simply hold your hand a few inches from the grill. If you can only hold it there for a second or so, your grill is on high heat (i. over 600
There are many ways to tell how hot your fire really is to make sure it's always perfect for whatever type of food you're grilling. One of the most common tests is to simply hold your hand a few inches from the grill. If you can only hold it there for a second or so, your grill is on high heat (i. over 600
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