By Lana Torre
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Do you love grilled foods? Do you ponder charcoal grilling vs. gas? Both will grill your food, gas grilling will certainly offer more control, but you could argue that charcoal grilling gives a better flavor.
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If you’re charcoal grilling, use a chimney to get your coals lit. A chimney can be found at hardware or big box stores. It is basically a metal cylinder. You put the coals in the top and newspaper in the bottom compartment. Light the newspaper and wait for the coals to get hot, then pour them into your grill. Make sure that the coals are white hot before cooking. Separate some of the coals in the grill pan so that one side is very hot and the other side just warm. This will allow you to sear your food on the hot side and move the food to the cooler side to cook through. If you are using a marinade to flavor your grilled chicken, never pour in on the meat, but brush it on to avoid a flare up or a smoky mess. Always start your steaks or chicken from room temperature. Place the meat on the hottest side of the grill and allow the meat to char, if you move the meat too quickly it will stick to the grate, so be patient and wait. When the meat is ready to be moved it will release freely from the grill.
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Gas grills are a bit easier to use and very in vogue these days. Most are made of stainless steel and come with various combinations of 1, 3 or more burners. With multiple burners you can adjust the heat levels at different parts of the grill to enhance your grilling experience. You can use a sauté pan on top of your gas grill for sautéing onions for your steak or with many grills, use a side burner to heat water or cook other foods. Another useful grill accessory is a grill pan that has perforations in the bottom of the pan. You can easily grill fish and vegetables in the grill pan. Oil it first and allow it to warm up before placing on the gas grill and your food won’t stick. If you love the taste of charcoaled grilled foods but have a gas grill, you can buy hardwood chips to place in the grill to give your food a charred flavor.
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This summer, try to grill a pizza, it is so easy. Buy pizza dough from the deli counter. Flatten the dough into any shape. Place the dough on the grill and cook until char marks are present. Flip it over and add your toppings which could be the usual pepperoni and cheese, or you could try goat cheese and arugula or salami and tomatoes. The kids will have a memorable time when you get them involved in grilling.
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Other easy grilled foods are fruits, try peaches or pineapple and serve with vanilla ice cream. Fish is so good on the grill. You can place a meatier fish right on the grill, but if you have more delicate fish, wrap the fish in foil or parchment paper, drug store style, brush with olive oil, add herbs and a squeeze of lemon. My favorite is grilled vegetables. Coat them with olive oil, add a little salt and pepper and let them cook about 5-6 minutes a side.
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A recent survey noted that 65% of men in households are the primary grillers. In our family, my husband is the grill king. He seems to enjoy grilling and has a special relationship with HIS grill. I just love grilled foods, especially artichokes, and I enjoy being the sous chef , if only for a short time.