BBQs and grills are one of the most popular ways to cook outdoors. There’s nothing like coming home from a long day at work and getting that first whiff of grilled meat as you open the door. But before you fire up your grill or light up that smoker, there’s some prep work that needs to be done. I’m not talking about making sure there’s enough propane in your tank or having all the right ingredients for a killer bbq sauce—I’m talking about knowing how to safely use those tools of cooking so you can have an enjoyable dinner without risking injury! So let me teach you these nine tips for beginners:
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1. Start with a clean grill
When you’re using your grill, it’s important to keep it clean in order to avoid food sticking to the grate or getting charred on the bottom of your smoker. To do this, use a grill brush to scrub down any excess grease from cooking surfaces and remove any food particles that have fallen out of the meat during cooking (which can be gross). If there are still some stubborn spots where grime has built up over time, use an old toothbrush or other tool with soft bristles that won’t scratch off paint but will easily get rid of those tough stains. You can also take advantage of baked-on foods by using hot water and soap; just soak them for 20 minutes before rinsing thoroughly under running faucet water until all traces are gone!
2. Add flavor
You can add flavor to your meat by seasoning it before grilling. This will make sure that the meat tastes good, and also keep it from getting dry during cooking.
You can use salt and pepper, dry rubs (like cayenne pepper), or a marinade in order to add more flavor to your grilled meats. If you want something with more of an Asian flair, try using soy sauce mixed with vinegar instead of regular white vinegar!
3. Keep your meat moist and tender
You can use a variety of spices, herbs and liquids to keep your meat moist and tender. Here are some of the most popular methods:
- Marinade: This is one of the oldest BBQ tips out there and it works really well with both pork and beef. Marinades contain acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar, which help break down proteins in the meat while also adding flavor. Some people like to add Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce to their marinades as they tend to be less salty than other kinds of sauces. If you want something more intense (but still delicious), try adding some honey or brown sugar too!
- Rubs: Rubs are nothing more than a mixture of spices that’s rubbed onto meat before grilling or smoking it so that it absorbs their flavors better than just sprinkling them on top would do alone.”
4. Know your temperature zones
Before you begin grilling, it’s important to know what temperature zone you’re in. There are three basic zones: high heat, medium heat and low heat. You can tell which one you are in by looking at the color of your grill. If the surface of your grill is orange or red, this means that it’s hot enough for cooking meat but not quite ready for vegetables yet (i.e., no more than 5 minutes).
If there is no color change on your grill and instead there is just a slight browning of some parts over others (especially around areas where food will be placed), then this means that whatever food item has been placed there may need additional time before being able to cook properly through its entire thickness—and thus should probably go back into its original container/container pouch/bag until ready for use again later on down the road!
5. Use a thermometer
One of the most important tools you can use to ensure your food is cooked properly is a thermometer. Check your meat’s temperature before you put it on the grill, and then again when it comes off. If you’re grilling, be sure to check the temperature of your grill as well—you want it hot enough so that food won’t stick or char, but not so hot that it burns everything before it’s cooked through. You’ll also want to watch out for beer being too cold; when poured into a glass full of ice cubes (or even just sitting there on its own), beer will freeze faster than liquid water does!
6. Rest your meat before cutting into it
- If you’re cutting into your meat, rest the cutlet for 10 minutes. This will give the meat time to finish cooking and redistribute its juices evenly throughout the steak.
- Resting also helps keep your meat tender by keeping it moist as it cooks. If you don’t allow your steak or chicken breast to rest for at least half an hour after removing from heat, excess juices can burn off quickly if left uncooked in a hot pan or grill until they evaporate completely (which means no gravy).
- Finally, resting gives you time to clean up after cooking so that all of your pots and pans are spotless when dinner is ready!
7. Don’t keep opening the lid
You should try to keep the lid closed as much as possible. Open it only when you need to check on your food, or if there’s a problem with your grill (for example, if it stops working). If you open the lid too often, you will lose heat and moisture from inside—and this can cause your meat or vegetables not to cook properly.
If necessary for any reason at all (for example: checking on something inside), make sure that only one person opens up the lid at a time so they don’t hold onto each other’s hands while lifting up that heavy steel thing! And if someone needs help getting back into their seat after opening up something like an oven door during dinner time…let them know ahead of time so they aren’t surprised later down road when everything turns out fine anyway 🙂
8. Pair with the right beverage
If you’re new to grilling, pairing your food with the right beverage can be an important part of the experience. You want to choose something that complements what you are cooking on the grill and adds flavor and texture to your meal.
The easiest way is by using wine as a base for most dishes and adding beer for those who like something a little stronger than just water or soda in their glass. We recommend trying these combinations at least once before moving onto more complex ones like cocktails or mixed drinks!
9. Have fun!
It’s time to have fun! Grilling is an activity that can be done by everyone, from the youngest child to your grandpa. And there are so many ways to make it even more fun:
- Pairing food with beverages is always a great way to enjoy yourself while eating and drinking at the same time. If you’re planning on cooking something sweet like dessert or cookies, serve them with a glass of lemonade or iced tea. This will help make sure everything goes down smoothly and quickly—and if you’ve got kids helping out around the grill too (or even if they’re not), this method can help keep things moving along smoothly as well!
- The whole family can get involved in grilling at home together; perhaps even setting up an obstacle course where everyone gets creative with their own ideas for what kind of food would taste best cooked over open flames? You never know until you try…and maybe then there’ll be enough leftovers after dinner so everybody has some extra yummy leftovers tomorrow night when everyone comes over again!
With a little practice, everyone can be a grilling master!
As a beginner, you may need to get some help from time to time. This can be as simple as watching cooking shows or reading cookbooks, but it also means practicing your grilling skills at home. It doesn’t matter how good you think you are; there will always be room for improvement!
Practice makes perfect! If there are specific things that aren’t quite right in your technique (or if something isn’t working), then try something different until the problem is solved. You’ll find that once these little issues have been identified and fixed, they won’t show up again unless they’re intentionally introduced into the recipe—which means that even though there might seem like many little steps involved in learning how to grill meat or vegetables effectively on an outdoor grill pan or rotisserie oven over an open flame (like with rotisserie chickens or other types of poultry), all those steps are necessary because without each one individually practiced before moving onto another one-and-done stage would mean missing out on valuable lessons about technique development along with opportunities for improvement overall!
Conclusion
These tips should be enough to help you cook the perfect BBQ hamburgers and kebabs.
