How to Become the Ultimate Grill Master In 2021

Intro to Grilling

Grilling is an art form where you are required as the griller to know when to turn the piece of meat, which part of the grill to put it on and how exactly to make it cook evenly without the telltale spots of ruined steak.

Here, we will throw at you everything we have on the subject in a clear and easily understandable manner without the hassle of terminologies beyond your field. It is not as hard as people make it out to be. If you know how to follow instructions, you will become the master in a few tries.

Making your skills a surefire is better done with practice but most importantly with the correct instructions. Look at it from the point of view of a sailor without radar or maps.

What You Will Need

Part of being the master griller involves knowing what you need. I will graciously let you pick my brain right here. From the tips below you will understand everything you need to know.

 1. Get the Proper Charcoal (lump or briquettes)

There is usually a debate on what type of charcoal would be best for you to use when grilling. We have lump and briquettes. According to experts’ opinion, it is evident that lump charcoal burns with more heat than briquettes.

It also runs out faster than briquettes but you should get what you are comfortable with. On the other hand, lump takes time to light and that’s why you should use briquettes if you’re in a hurry to get the party started.

2. Choosing a Good Grill

When choosing grill from different types of grill, it is recommended that you get one with metal that doesn’t rust easily. There is a test that I would like to christen ‘magnet grill test’. What it does is tell you what kind of grate you would want on your grill.

If the magnet sticks easily or harder, you may want to pass that up because it is probably cheap metal. Cheap metal rust faster and causes problems with the flavor of whatever it is you want to cook.

3. Proper Utensils

When grilling, you will need to have all the right tools. You may choose to have the multi-use utensils for the separate function kit. It all depends on what you like. The thing about multi-use utensils is that flipping the piece of meat wouldn’t require you to put down the spatula and pick the tongs.

You can have it all in one tool. With the proper utensils, you will be at ease when cooking over the grill. No hassle with trying to find what does what.

4. Cleaning the Grill

I should probably have begun with cleaning the grill but here we go. Before you turn on the grill and start to cook, remember that a dirty grill is the recipe for disastrous food and disappointment. Cleaning the grill is a simple process that will save you from trouble in the future. You only need a bucket of soapy water and our manual on cleaning grills.

Don’t forget that clean food is one thing you need to be garnering for. You wouldn’t want your food covered in last month’s carbon residue or old charred meat flakes.

Ensure that you clean the flakes properly because they have a tendency of sticking to the meat once it is placed upon the grill. You would not want to eat meat that tastes like iron or charcoal.

5. The Grill Zone 

When grilling, remember that NOT EVERYTHING goes over the fire directly. Different types of foods that are cooked over a grill require different amounts of heat. If you give them the wrong kind of heat, you may end up sucking the flavor out and being left with a piece of meat that tastes like sponge.

Know what part of the grill which piece of meat goes to. In this way you are able to maximize on flavor.  After all, grills are supposed to make food taste better and if you mess that up, you would be defeating the purpose of the time honored tradition of grilling.

6. Sauces and Its Applications 

This may be a traditional talking but nothing beats homemade sauce. Canned, bottled or packaged sauce from a factory is made basing on general specifications of sauce. You may want your sauce a little stringer than what the factory sauce is willing to give.

That’s why I say, make your own sauce. Remember that you should NOT apply the sauce until the last few minutes of cooking. Putting the sauce earlier than you are required makes it run off the sides. This will cause the meat to smell like burnt sauce.

Believe me; you don’t want your meat with that taste and smell.

7. Salt and Freeze 

Or as I like to call it the ‘Salt n’ Freeze technique’. Before you start grilling your chicken or piece of meat, salt it properly to ensure that the meat is broken into. Salt is known for breaking and softening the protein strands in the flesh.

This will ensure that your chicken or steak has that properly cooked look that is not deceiving. When you sink in your teeth, the meat should come right off with minimal effort.

Freezing gets the meat all crusty if you are a fan of roasted crusty meat. The extra crustiness and softness of the meat gives your palate an exquisite experience of fine food.

Bottom Line

To make sure that you avoid producing poor quality meat when grilling, you must be ready for all the procedures. So, get the best grill, the best tools, clean the grill and make sure you know what to do with the sauces and what time to flip that steak.

Grilling requires all the little nuances of proper cooking and we have given you everything you need to make it to the Ultimate Grill Master Hall of Fame. By following all the tips outlined above, you will surely become a grill master.