Grilling 101

Fire It Up

No matter what size your grill is, the method of cooking you use is what really matters.

As the names imply, where the food is placed in relation to the fire indicates the cooking method. The DIRECT method refers to food placed directly above the heat on the cooking grate. INDIRECT cooking uses reflected heat to cook; foods are placed away from the heat source. A combination of both is used for foods that need searing above direct heat, then longer, slower cooking over indirect heat. Important tip: No matter what method you use, always grill with the lid on, whether using charcoal or a gas grill. Keeping the lid on promotes even cooking without flare-ups. Lift it only to turn food or test for doneness. Lifting the lid allows heat to escape and will add minutes to the cooking time, ultimately drying out the food.

DIRECT grilling is used for cooking foods that take less than 25 minutes, such as hamburgers, steaks, thin chops, kabobs, sausages, and most vegetables. Direct grilling is also necessary to sear foods, creating grill marks -- that crisp, caramelized texture where the food hits the cooking grate. To grill by DIRECT method on a charcoal grill, place the food on the cooking grate set over an even, single layer of prepared coals. For a gas grill, preheat the grill with burners turned to High. Place the food on the cooking grate, then adjust burners to the temperature noted in the recipe.

INDIRECT grilling is used for larger cuts of food that require 25 minutes or more of grilling time and for foods that would dry out or scorch if exposed directly to the heat source. Indirect grilling is similar to the way you might roast pork tenderloin, ribs, whole turkeys or chickens. Delicate fish fillets cook gently over indirect heat. To grill by INDIRECT method on a charcoal grill, place a drip pan in center of the charcoal grate to collect drippings to use in sauces and arrange hot coals evenly on either side. (A rule of thumb is to have about 30 grey-ash covered coals on each side, adding 8 to 10 additional briquettes every hour to maintain the cooking temperature.) When cooking larger cuts of meat, add water to the drip pan to keep drippings from scorching. Place the cooking grate over the coals and center the food over the drip pan or empty space.

For a gas grill, preheat the grill with burners turned to High. Adjust the burners on each side of the food to the temperature noted in the recipe, then turn off the burner directly underneath the food. When cooking larger cuts of meat, place the meat on a roasting rack set inside a disposable heavy-gauge foil pan. You may need to add water to the pan, if necessary, to keep drippings from scorching.