Expert Grilling Tips to Kickstart the Season
from Family Features- Your grill may be a little rusty from the off-season, so before you begin cooking, make sure it's in competition-level condition. Scrub the grate with a stiff wire grill brush to remove any residual food and always discard any ashes in the grill before cooking to ensure your meal absorbs the maximum amount of flavor.
- Find the perfect spot in the backyard to set up the grill. Grills should always be positioned in a flat area, such as a patio or designated lawn space and should never be used in covered areas.
- Build the right fire by using different briquet arrangements depending on what you're grilling. Thinner pieces of meat respond best to high-temperature, direct-heat grilling, so spread the coals out evenly across the grate. Thicker pieces of meat cook perfectly without burning the outside with a two-zone fire. Stack briquets to one side of the grate to create high and low temperature zones. Begin cooking directly over the coals until the outside of the meat has reached the desired doneness; then move the meat to the low temperature zone to finish cooking.
- Choosing the right charcoal is key to any cookout and can save you time and money. A bag of quality charcoal will last longer, so you can enjoy more cookouts and more great-tasting barbecue. This spring, Kingsford charcoal has improved its briquet formula to make it better than ever. America's top-selling charcoal now features deeper, wider and longer grooves, allowing it to light easier, heat faster and burn just as long as before.
