You’ve smelled it in the air on the sunny days, that rich smoky scent of meat on a grill. It’s a reminder that you’re moving too slowly. Your neighbors beat you again. You need to start grilling, soon. Summer demands it. With that in mind, we offer some tips. Follow these, and eat well from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Before, during and after
Pre-grilling: Moisten a paper towel with vegetable oil and wipe the grate before a single steak goes on.
Grilling: No thermometer on your grill? No problem. Use the three-three rule. Hold your hand three inches above the grate. If the heat stings after three seconds, it’s hot enough.
Post-grilling: Use a brass brush to scrape the grate as soon as all the food comes off. Brass is softer than steel and won’t damage your grill.
Cooking salmon
You caught it and cleaned it. Now cook it.
Place an unseasoned fillet on a hot grill, skin-side up. Let it cook for five minutes.
Flip it. Gently puncture the fillet and douse it with extra-virgin olive oil — plenty runs off, so don’t be stingy. Season the fillet with a mix of salt, pepper and Lawry’s Seasoned Salt or a comparable seasoning mix. Cook it for about 15 minutes.
Remove it from the grill by working a spatula between the fillet and the crisped skin, leaving the skin behind.
We heart hamburger
Hamburgers need to taste like more than just hamburger. Here’s a way to make that happen.
Crumble two pieces of crisp-cooked bacon over three pounds of ground beef. Add two cloves of minced garlic. Toss in two shots of cheap whiskey or heavy beer. Shake in some Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
Use your hands to gently blend it and form patties, but remember, ground beef is fatty, and fat doesn’t rinse off. Keep a paper towel handy to clean up.
Marinate, you fool
Marinades are cheap, simple and delicious. Make this one in a couple of minutes with ingredients you probably already own, and then let your chicken soak for 45 minutes.
Mix ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of orange or lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
Don’t poison yourself
Be cautious when you grill by following these food safety tips from the Food and Drug Administration.
Marinate safely: Put covered bowls in the fridge while meat soaks and never reuse a marinade.
Cook thoroughly: Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees; hamburgers, 160 degrees; and steak and fish, 145 degrees.
Keep utensils and platters clean: If you brought out raw chicken on one plate, use another for grilled breasts. Also keep your tongs and spatulas clean to avoid spreading bacteria.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
