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My Grilling Checklist

Based on my years of grilling success (and failure) with my dad and as an adult, I have compiled a checklist that guarantees successful grilling:

• Preheat gas grills 15-20 minutes or charcoal until a thin layer of gray ash coats surface
• Clean grill twice – once after preheat and once after cooking while the grill is hot
• Use meal brush or crumpled aluminum foil
• Oil grill grate, when hot, just before you use it by dipping a wad of paper towel in oil and wiping grill rack (use tongs to hold wad of paper towel so you won’t get burned)
• Pat food dry before grilling
• Marinate food in the refrigerator for safety
• Season foods before grilling to help form a savory crust
• Oil from marinades and fat on meat may flare while grilling, so keep a spray mister filled with water nearby to put out flames and a damp towel to wipe up spills
• Sweet sauces should be brushed on only during the last 5 minutes of cooking
• Turn food over only once unless recipe specifically states you should do it more often (that way you get nice grill marks)
• Use tongs or spatula, not fork to flip items on grill (forks pierce food and release moisture and juices
• Let food rest after cooking for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute properly
• In general, when grilling fish, thin fillets usually take 4 minutes per side; thick fillets take 6-8 minutes per side and whole fish cooks in 7 minutes per side.
• I don’t use a meat thermometer, so when I grill chicken, steak, pork, lamb or veal I generally plan on 2-3 minutes per side for thin cuts (high direct heat) under 1 inch; 5-6 minutes per side (Medium high direct heat) for 1”-1 ½ “ and 15-20 minutes per pound for roasts (Medium high direct heat)
• Alternatively, you can use the touch method based on my own experience – press finger on meat/chicken for a moment, if your fingertip leaves an indentation that disappears slowly, it is cooked rare; if it is soft to the touch but no indentation, that’s medium rare; if it is slightly firm to the touch, that’s medium; if it is firm, that’s well done!