- Until you’re familiar with your grill and techniques, stick to the recipe instructions.
- Keep your hands safe. Use long-handled metal spatulas and tongs and barbecue mitts to protect you from the heat. Forget forks, they pierce the food, letting out precious juices.
- Use different sets of utensils and platters for raw and cooked food.
- Trust your thermometer and timer to check for doneness. If you cut into the meat or chicken to check for doneness, you will lose flavorful juices.
- Don't lift the lid unless you are checking for doneness or turning the food.
- Prevent and extinguish flare-ups by putting the lid down. When you do that, the amount of oxygen which feeds the fire will be reduced.
- Trim excess fat from meats to make cleanup easier and reduce the chance of flare-ups. You'll only need to leave about ¼ inch of fat or less to flavor the meat.
- Allow more cooking time on cold or windy days, and less in extremely hot weather. Most recipes and cooking time charts have been approximated and based on spring and summer temperatures with little or no wind.
- Don't flatten burgers, steaks and chops with the spatula; it will only press out flavorful juices and cause flare-ups. Flip the food only once if possible.
- Oil is your friend. Coat the cooking grate with grilling spray before you place it over the heat. It is helpful to brush the food with olive or vegetable oil before grilling to prevent sticking.