Grilling is something wonderful in the summer; the smell alone is always associated with a beautiful summer day for me. For hosts, grilling is very practical because you can prepare everything wonderfully, and when the guests arrive, everything is freshly prepared. Only the grill master usually sweats quite a bit at the grill, but is rewarded with good food! To ensure the barbecue party is a success, we have put together a few tips here:
Tips for grilling meat
Oiling the grate and skewers
It can often happen that the meat sticks to the grate. To prevent this, always oil the steaks and the grate well before grilling. It also makes the grate easier to clean. If you want to make meat skewers, you should rub them with a little cooking oil so that the meat does not stick to the skewers.
Seasoning meat correctly
Always salt steaks, chops, etc. only after grilling. Chicken, on the other hand, must be rubbed with salt and drizzled with lemon juice before grilling to keep it nice and juicy. To marinate pieces of meat, it is best to put them in flat plastic containers and cover them with the desired marinade, which can consist of herbs, oil, or a sauce. Seal the container and let it soak for a few hours, preferably even overnight.
It is best to pour buttermilk over poultry 2 hours before grilling so that it stays nice and juicy on the grill grate.
Lean meat tastes best if you wrap it in bacon slices before grilling.
Pre-cooking meat
So that chicken doesn't take forever, you should pre-cook it in a pot for about 15 minutes. Drain and then place in the grill marinade for about 30 minutes. This makes wonderfully tender grilled chicken.
Side dishes for grilling
Grilled potatoes are an excellent side dish: wrap well-cleaned, larger potatoes with their skins in aluminum foil. These are placed on the edge of the charcoal embers and take about 40 minutes to cook. I always boil the potatoes in a pot for about 15 minutes first, then they don't take quite as long.
Another delicious side dish is corn. Soak the corn in water for about 1 hour before grilling. Remove, dry well, and place on the grill for about 30 – 45 minutes. Important: turn every 10 minutes so it doesn't char.
Extra tip:To coat the corn cob with butter from top to bottom, take a large, tall glass container and fill it with hot water and a piece of butter. When the butter has melted, it floats on top of the water. Now you just need to dip the corn cob in and slowly pull it out again, and the corn is completely covered in butter.
Grilled vegetables are also a very good option for a side dish; it is best to use an aluminum tray and grill vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, onions, peppers, etc., until soft. Vegetable skewers are great!
The grill
If you like, line the grill basket with aluminum foil, because firstly, it reflects the heat very well, and secondly, the grill is much easier to clean afterward.
Extra tip:To give the grilled meat a special flavor, add a few juniper berries, bay leaves, or rosemary leaves to the grill embers.
If flames start to flare up, pull the embers apart with a poker and raise the grate immediately so nothing chars. You should always have a container of water and a large ladle next to the grill so you can extinguish the flames if necessary. If the dripping fat catches fire and the meat is in danger of burning, place a few lettuce leaves on the hot embers.
Extra tip:The rule of thumb for grilling heat is:Small pieces need high heat and short grilling time.In contrastLarge pieces prefer low heat and a longer cooking time.
Read also: Tips for the Perfect Garden Party
Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
