Grilling 101 – Is The Best Way To Cook Meat… On A Stick? (2024)

FAQs

Grilling 101 – Is The Best Way To Cook Meat… On A Stick? ›

Final Thoughts: Grilling 101

A large variety of dishes cooked on skewers are kebabs (meat dishes prevalent in Middle Eastern cuisine and the Muslim world), or derived from them. Examples include Turkish shish kebab, Iranian jujeh kabab, Chinese chuan, and Southeast Asian satay.

Cook Low and Slow:

One of the secrets to perfectly grilled meat is cooking it low and slow over indirect heat. This method allows the flavors to develop slowly while keeping the meat tender and juicy throughout the cooking process.

Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F).

Get the temperature right.

Give food enough time out of the fridge so it loses its chill and starts to approach room temperature. If ingredients are cold, the outside may burn before the inside is cooked. A good rule of thumb is to remove raw food from the fridge when you light the barbecue.

Grills should not be used on a balcony or under an overhang. Avoid placing grills too close to combustible deck rails. Grill outside only. Never use a grill in a garage, vehicle, tent or other enclosed space, even if ventilated, due to risk of harmful carbon monoxide buildup.

Grill in Zones

"On a gas grill, turn one or two burners on and leave the others off," Lilly says. "For charcoal, light your coals, then push them all to one side of the grill." Use the hot side of the grill for searing and the cooler side for cooking meats (and other foods) all the way through without burning.

Bamboo skewers, like the ones you can buy in bulk at the grocery store, are inherently flammable — they are wood, after all! The dry and brittle wood easily burns on a hot grill, unless you take preventative action. The best way to keep wooden skewers from burning is to soak them in water before firing up the grill.

What is the rule of 3 for grilling steaks? ›

Remember that! I brought the steaks out and laid them on the grill over high heat. When cooking steaks on the grill I follow the Rule of 3's: 3 minutes each side over high heat then 3 minutes each side over indirect heat. For a 1" steak this results in a perfectly medium rare temperature.

While you don't want to have oil dripping into the flames, a light brushing will do wonders in keeping your foods from sticking. One great grilling trick is to mist your meats with an extra virgin olive oil spray several times as they are grilling. This creates a glaze on your meat and adds yet another layer of flavor.

Virtually all cooking on gas and/or charcoal grills can be divided into three cooking methods: direct, indirect or combo. As the names imply, the difference between the methods is determined by where the food is placed in relation to the fire. The DIRECT method cooks foods with the direct heat of the flame.