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Tag: Grilling

Fire Up the Grill!

grilling
Always use a food thermometer to check doneness of meat.
Photo: USDA

Summer is almost here, but many grills are already getting a work out! Here are some tips for successful grilling.

  • Keep meat refrigerated until ready to cook.
  • Remove visible fat from meat to reduce flare-ups and charring.
  • Marinate raw meats in the refrigerator. Discard marinade if not using for sauce.
  • Use a medium heat for even cooking and juicy meat. Charcoal should be covered in gray ash.
  • Use tongs instead of forks to keep meat juicy.
  • Check meat doneness with a thermometer, not color. This temperature chart is a handy reference.
  • Keep raw meats away from ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross contamination.

 

Fire Up the Grill for Vegetables!

A rainbow of veggies

While you have the grill hot for the main dish, throw on some vegetables to compliment the meal. Here are some tips:

  • Grill larger pieces and chop them up when ready to serve.
  • For most vegetables, toss them with a light coating of vegetable oil before grilling. An exception is husked ears of corn.
  • Use skewers to hold small vegetables like mushrooms, chunks of summer squash or peppers, and small tomatoes.
  • Place skinny, long vegetables perpendicular to the grate so they don’t fall through.
  • Use a vegetable basket to toss together a mix of vegetables and for easy transfer from grill to table.

Chop up grilled vegetables and add to pasta!

Source: Fine Cooking, June/July 2017

 

Grill with the Right Tools!

Grab the tongs, platters, spatulas, and don’t forget a food thermometer! Taking the temperature of food is the safest way to check for doneness.

The best types of thermometers for grilling are digital instant-read thermometers or the thermometer-fork combination. Both read temperature in less than 10 seconds. Insert it into the thickest part of the food, but work well for thin foods too.

Learn more at www.fightbac.org/grill-master/