"You don't need to spend a lot to be a good grill master."
This is what Chef Warren Caterson said to begin his hour-long presentation that launched the free cooking series at the Flagler County Public Library. On Friday, July 19, Caterson explained step-by-step his tips and tricks to ensure that anything you grill, you grill well.
About 30 people sat in the library's meeting room to hear the first presentation of the series: "The Thrill of the Grill." Ranging from children to elderly, the audience showed that cooking can interest all ages.
Here are some pieces of advice that Caterson shared in regards to grilling:
- Gear: indoor grill pan or outdoor grill (gas or electric), wide spatula, wire basket, spray bottle to clean the grill, meat thermometer brush for spreading marinades and sauces.
- Meat memo: Marinades will not make a cheap, tough piece of meat flavorful and tender.
- Marinade timing: For shrimp, no more than 15 minutes; For chicken, about 4-6 hours; For recipes that call for marinading overnight, don't like the meat sit in the marinade for more than 8-10 hours
- For grilling chicken, use a teaspoon to rub the herbs and sauces under the skin to seal in the flavor. This way, people who prefer to remove the skin when eating the chicken will still have a flavorful piece.
- When grilling chicken, have one side of the grill hot and one cooler. Cook on hot side first to brown the chicken, then move it to the cooler side in a foil roasting pan to cook for the remaining time, to prevent drying.
- For grilling burgers, Caterson likes to get chuck meat, which is 80/20 lean/fat. After forming the patties, make a thumb indentation in the middle so that when the burgers rise in the middle when cooking, they become flat patties instead of domed.
- For grilling steak, he recommends ribeye, New York strip, T-bone, porterhouse and filet mignon. Salt the steak 40 minutes before you cook it on the grill. He explained that in the first three to five minutes of the salt being on the steak, it will draw out the moisture; so if you salt it immediately before grilling, it won't be as moist. After the first three to five minutes post-salting, reverse osmosis occurs during the next 35 minutes, and the moisture is added back in. Flip the steak every 45 seconds to one minute for juicy results on a high temperature grill. Let sit five to seven minutes before desired temperature is reached, as it will continue cooking for a few minutes when off the grill.
- Clean the grill following every use to keep it fresh for the next round.
Get cooking next with the second class of the free cooking series: "Instant Pot: Kitchen wonder or temporary fad?" at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at the Flagler County Public Library.
