Preparing your Meats for Grilling

Meats used for barbecuing should be at room temperature, especially thick steaks and roasts.  You should remove them from the refrigerator at least one to two hours before you start your fire.  Note:  This does not apply to ground beef.  Do not let ground beef stand in the summer heat.  You must allow extra cooking time for meats that are chilled.

Use a thermometer when roasting ham, turkey, leg of lamb or beef.  Insert the thermometer iip in the center of the meat.  Tip must not touch, bone, fat or spit.

Try using garlic, barbecue rubs, or poultry seasoning on the meat you have selected an hour or so before you begin cooking.

Rubbing fat trimmings over the grill or your broiler basket will help keep meats from sticking. 

Scoring edges of meats, like ham, steaks and chops or cooking them in a broiler basket will keep them from cupping.

Select meats that will fit well on the grill together.  Use a narrrow paintbrush to brush butter or margarine on meats or vegetables before grilling.  Use a different paintbrush for your barbecue sauce.

Trim off outer edges of fat from steaks, chops and ham slices so the drippings will not flare up a blaze.  If drippings flare up during cooking use your spray bootle filled with water to quench the flare up.

Add flavor by seasoning meats with a rub or herbs, blended spices, or seasoning salts before cooking.

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