Fortunately i’m better at washing than at grilling… My wife says it’s good because she loves me, and my son says it’s good because he’s 5 years old. But two questions, maybe for @Ikii :
how do you keep the grilled meat from getting dry?
i usually overcook, this time i waited for the charcoal to cool down a little, then the grill was too cold by the end and it took really long. How do you estimate how much charcoal to use? My steaks are ok, but my burgers are like cardboard. I have not dared try chicken yet, though pictures on this thread look delicious.
I’m pretty sure @Ikii traded his grill for a sackful of gas station sandwiches a while back but he was a propane guy so it’s okay. All charcoal is not created equally. I either cook on lump charcoal, the pellet grill for smoking, or I call the pizza guy. What are you trying to cook? It’s worth mentioning, the crock pot has never let me down.
Lol! I love the being outside, the fire, the smell of the food cooking. But i’m really not a multitasker, more than one or two different components cooking, forget it. I would like it as simple as possible, with acceptable results, not feeling bad for my family that they have to eat it. I Gotta find simple techniques to keep the meats juicy.
Haha, understood. Now I see now you are grilling steaks. I’ve found that if the steaks are big enough, you don’t need any side items. I’d rather grill 2 20 ouncers & invite my ole man over so I don’t have to worry about baked potatoes. Marinating steaks has been a game changer for me but even if I don’t have the time to put into it, the grilling process is the same with a little salt & pepper. You need a smokin hot grill. Fire up some real lump charcoal into a pyramid on any old grill & let it burn for at least 45 minutes. When it’s all smoldering real well, spread it out & add 10 to 15 percent new coals for flavor. 5 minutes later, throw them steaks on & let them cook fast & hot with the lid off. When you have a nice ‘bark’ on the underside, flip them over with some tongs. Flames are a good thing if you should get so lucky! Mine comes off first. It’s pretty much burnt on the outside & pretty much rare in the middle. Never disappoints. My dad likes his well done, so when I take mine off I throw the lid on for a few minutes to trap in the heat so he doesn’t get any pink in the middle. It’s going to vary every time but that is the beauty of it.
My marinade, 4 hours at room temperature…
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
a few spoonfuls of Balsamic vinegar
several spoonfuls of Sauers steak seasoning
a slice of lemon optional
Put in a zipper bag & flip it around every time you walk by.
Ridiculous flavor awaits!!!
If you’re marinating your steaks you’re doing it wrong.
Take the steaks out of the package and put them on a plate a day before you intend to cook them and put that plate in the fridge. Let them sit for a full 24 hours or longer if you want.
Pull them out about an hour before you’re going to cook them. Blot them dry with a paper towel. Salt the steaks on all sides.
With a hot cook surface, throw the steaks on. You’ll know when they’re ready to flip by checking to see if they can be slid around on the surface. If the steak is sticking to the surface it’s not ready to flip. Cook each side to a nice golden brown crust and do the same for the edges/sides.
Just before you pull the steaks off, throw a dash of pepper on them. If you pepper them before cooking the pepper will just burn off/burn into the crust.
Voila. You now have a perfect medium rare steak.
Burgers are the easiest thing in the world to grill. If you want a juicy burger patty that sticks together when cooked there’s a simple trick to doing it right. Take two pounds of ground beef, half of a sleeve of saltine crackers and two large eggs and mix that all up and form your patties. Throw em on the grill. The saltines help bind the patties so they don’t fall apart as you flip them and the eggs make the patties so ridiculously juicy and moist that you’ll never make burgers without them again.
Congratulations. You can now be known as the grill master of the neighborhood.
I love my Blackstone grill. Can cook literally anything on it. Still, nothing beats a charcoaled hamburger. If cooking with charcoal, offset your coals to one side of the grill that way you can have a hot side and a cool side. Cook on the hot and when the meat is very close to being done move it to the cool side to let it rest and let those juices reassimilate into the meat.
The thought of a juicy hamburger enough to make me throw up in my mouth a little. I have to pull a meat loaf or if the oven three or four times while it is cooking to drain of the juices
Salt is your best friend. Pre season meats at least a day ahead of time. Grill to liking. Over turning is a problem. Then dont forget to rest after cooking. Very important. If adding eggs and binder for burgers then also add onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, celery and garlic and use the oven because youre now making meatloaf.
not true my friend, although i don’t add anything to my burgers in regards to binders and veggies, meatloaf is a different animal that requires mashed potatoes and many combos of veggies.
I used to think the same thing back when grilling a steak was a special occasion but I cook for one, often & I love to experiment. Replace one of your weekly fast food meals with a marinated steak & your life will change for the better. I still love a salt & pepper steak but if you ain’t cooking on charcoal, you might as well take them dollars over to Waffle House.
I’ve tried a ton of marinades over the years. Wet, dry, all that. Nothing even comes close to the flavor of a steak with salt and pepper. I’ve just about perfected filets in the cast iron skillet and butter basting them. They’re very good that way but I still only use salt and pepper with a bit of garlic roasting on the side before the butter goes in.
