Perfectly cooked steak in no time. Photo by Stephanie Pellicano.Mmmm. That smell. You know the one. It’s the smell that hits you as it slowly wafts through the air on a warm afternoon; someone is grilling and you are instantly jealous.
That very smell is what made me decide to learn how to grill. The primal need to play with fire and the desire to be outside are good fun and I was tired of sitting back and observing.
This September, my roommate and I decided to become active participants and figure out how to cook over an open flame.
My main concern was to not burn myself or anything I planned on eating, but I soon learned there was more to it. Here are some of the very basic “Grilling 101” tips I have for any tentative chefs who want to expand their culinary skills.
Safety
If you are playing with fire, you just might get burnt. True fact. Leave your fringed western jackets, sweaters and wizard sleeves at home. Not only do you look ridiculous in the Arizona heat but you are begging to get hurt.Keep someone around who knows what they are doing. Having a supervisor with a bottle of water or a bucket full of sand sure beats having to call 911.
Starting it Up
Be sure to assemble your supplies before starting. Photo by Peter Lazaravich.I learned how to use a charcoal grill, but electric and gas grills seem much easier to work with (and Hank Hill would suggest using propane). A charcoal grill can be lit several ways; it depends on what you are comfortable with. A simple way is to lay down some newspaper, cover it in charcoal briquettes, douse the briquettes in lighter fluid and ignite the newspaper. There are also different ways to arrange the briquettes. A pyramid shape works well, but you can have them stacked high on one side to create varying degrees of heat to work with.
Once lit, fan the flames until your arm hurts and the flames die down. The coals should turn gray and ashy — this means they are good to go. Avoid adding more lighter fluid at this point unless you enjoy your food tasting like fuel.
Supplies
What you need depends on what you are making. If you want to grill fish, there are nifty grill baskets. If you want to steam salmon or any other protein, wrap it in aluminum foil. Skewers for veggies and meats come in metal and wood, but the wooden variety have to be soaked in water before they are placed on the grill.Get Cooking
Once you know what you want to make, look up some recipes. I personally watched countless hours of the Food Network and read through Cooking with Paula Deen to get my taste buds interested.The nice thing about grilling is that you can be as creative as you want. Marinades, rubs and spices are all really up to you.
The best part, of course, is eating with your hands and knowing that your hard work paid off. I was in heaven munching on colorful bell pepper kabobs, red potatoes and corn on the cob. My roommate made lemon pepper chicken marinated in Italian salad dressing, and our grilling chaperone had dogs and burgers ready to go. Mix in some ice-cold beverages and homemade guacamole and you've got yourself a beautiful afternoon.
In the end, grilling seemed pretty foolproof. I would suggest keeping an eye on what you are doing and to be prepared to stink a little and sweat a lot, but you should be fine.
I regret not getting in on this earlier. SPM readers, how do you grill?
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