If you are a grill enthusiast, always waiting for an opportunity to cook up delicious and soft pieces of meat and veggies, it is necessary that you know best how to use a gas grill too. So, here, let’s embark on a step-by-step journey to understand the exact ways of using a gas grill.
Before digging into how to use a gas grill, you need to get the best gas grill that is suitable for you.
1. Checking your fuel supply and grease management system
When you feel like ready to grill, always begin by verifying your fuel supply to ensure you have enough. It is also recommended in this step to take a look to some safety tips before using your gas tank.
For instance, always verify that the gas has no outside damage (bumps, cracks or holes). It is also important make sure there is no leak in the gas system: by applying a little soapy water to the hoses and joints, you can easily make sure that the gas system is completely sealed; if you don’t observe any bubble, you are ready to use your gas tank.
2. Make sure grilling items are in place
Remove any other items that you won’t be using at the moment of verification to be completely sure that everything is fine and ready to use on your grill. It is always good to have all these items in one place and make sure they are going to be ready just when you need them after the verification.
3. Preparing the food items
After the verification of your grill it will be a good time to prepare your food items (cooking utensils and the food to be prepared), it is important to have all food items fully prepared and ready to go before you begin; so you can enjoy your grilling experience.
4. Pre-heating by putting the burner on high
One main step will be to pre-heat your grill, by turning all burners on high and closing the hood for 15-20 minutes; this step is really important to maintain a stable temperature so your food can be prepared evenly and turns out to be delicious.
5. Checking the usage of oil on the cooking grids
When you make sure that the grill is enough pre-heated, you can start to lightly coat your cooking grids with oil; then close the lid. After closing the lid you need to set your control knobs to your desired cooking temperature.
6. With more than one burner
Talking about grills with more than one burner, it is highly recommended to set a hot side and a warm side.
It is highly recommended to set one side of your grill to medium hot or hot as desired; and the other side to medium low or medium; to have two different options while grilling; depending on the food you are cooking and your taste of food.
The preparation of the sides lets you sear on one side of your grill and finish cooking a well prepared dish on the other side. It also provides a safe place for you to move the food just in case the hot side starts to get too hot to handle.
7. Start with the Grilling Procedure
In order to grill as an expert, always keep consistency really simple by placing food on the grill from left to right and back to front. Before turning your first side up give one or two items a little nudge, if they don’t want to release they are probably not ready to be turned.
Let them cook for another minute or two depending on the temperature and your taste of food. When they are ready, just continue the left to right back to front order when flipping and removing the food you are cooking.
8. Keep the Hood Closed
As much as you like the sensation of heat while grilling it is way better to keep your hood closed as much as possible, your food will cook faster, more evenly, with a better flavor and is going to be safer for you.
9. Get ready a cast iron pot or skillet
It is really useful to have on hand a cast iron pot or skillet especially if you are planning on making quick sauces, boiling marinades, or warming dessert toppings. They heat evenly and their extra weight keeps them more stable on the grill.
10. Tent food with foil to rest
When your food is ready, remove it from the grill and proceed to tent with foil to rest; this step is done to preserve the food temperature so you can enjoy all the flavor of your food.
11. “Burn-off” your grill
While resting, it is really important to “burn-off” your grill; by setting all burners to high, closing the hood, and allowing your grill to burn off the excess residue.
12. Turn off the grill and lightly brush off any excess
Once the grill stops smoking, turn it off and lightly brush off any excess with a wire brush; this step is also important since you don’t want to mix food flavor in your next grilling session.
13. Final wipe with oil
Finally, give your grids another light wipe with oil and your grill will be ready the next time you want to grill.
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Tips & Tricks of Using a Gas Grill
So, now that you are aware of the steps involved in the process of cooking up some great meals, here are some more tips and tricks of using a gas grill in the most desired manner.
- Prepare your meat for grilling well beforehand through marinades and rub recipes. It will add to the flavor when grilled
- When grilling burgers and patties, avoid pressing them down for the sizzling sound or flipping them too many times. The less you touch, the more juices they will retain, promising a taste that stays with you for long
- With ribs and steak, go for slow cooking and try to keep the meat a little bit away from the direct flames
- No matter how hungry and anxious you are, wait for a good 10 minutes after the grilling is done to let the meat reabsorb the juices and get as tender and delicious as you want it to be
Last but not the least, always make sure engaging in safe grilling. So, keep a fire extinguisher at hand or around the spot to prevent rare but accidental situations from arising.
Hi, I’m Adam and I’m a HUGE fan of Food and Cooking.
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