Grilling Tips
Grilled Chicken
Turn your grill on high and close the lid. Allow it to heat up for 20-30 minutes. While it is heating up, get your Chicken
breasts out and allow them to warm up to room temperature. The Chicken breasts will cook much more evenly if the
internal temperature of the meat is even at the starts. Chicken breasts are one of the most popular and also one of
the easiest items to grill. It’s also easy to produce chicken jerky if you don’t know what you are doing. The great thing
about boneless, skinless chicken breasts is that you can cook them over direct, high heat without much risk for flare-
ups since they are so lean. This means you can cook them really quickly and sear in all of those juices. The directions
below are for relatively thin chicken breasts, less than an inch thick. Times may vary based on the thickness of your
breasts and how hot the grill is.
1. Light the grill and leave it on medium high for direct heat grilling.
2. Rinse the chicken breasts under cold running water and then blot dry with paper towels.
3. Rub the chicken breasts with a little olive oil.
4. Season the chicken to your liking. A simple choice would be a little salt and some fresh ground black pepper.
5. Place the breast on the hottest part of the grill and don’t touch them for about 2 - 3 minutes.
Important note: If you try to flip them too quickly, they will stick to the grill. There are two common methods of
testing grilled chicken breasts for doneness. The safest and surest method is to use a digital meat thermometer. Insert
the tip into the thickest part of the breast and when the internal temperature reaches 165°F, remove it from the grill.
The other option is to cut into the breast and take a look — the meat should be white, without a rubbery texture, and
the juices should run clear. However, this method will release some of the juices.
POULTRY
BEEF
FISH
PORK
Grilled Pork Chops
Turn your grill on high and close the lid. Allow it to heat up for 15-20 minutes. Rule #1: Go thick, not thin. Don’t try to grill
thin pork chops. Bread them and fry them, and they’ll taste great. But if you put them on the grill, they’ll cook too fast
and end up tough and flavorless. Buy chops that are at least 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Prefers bone-in chops, like a gracefully-
curved rib chop, center-cut T-bone, which cook more evenly and have more flavor than boneless chops.
Rule #2: Brining pork chops, even for a short time, provides a little wiggle room on doneness. If you are forgetful and
cook the chops for a minute or two too long, the brine will help keep the meat moist. Remember to pat the chops dry
with paper towels so they sear on the grill. Rule #3: Watch the heat. Pork doesn’t like high heat. Put a chop over a hot
fire and you’ll end up with a tough piece of meat, even if you’ve brined it. Setting up your grill for indirect grilling is a
good way to go. You can put a quick sear on both sides of the chop and then move it to the indirect-heat area for slower
cooking. Your target temperature is around 145 degrees.
POULTRY
BEEF
FISH
PORK
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