Hi there Friends,
We know how much you love our grilled steaks here at American Steakhouse. But sometimes you’re just in the mood for a fun meal at home with the family and maybe some friends. We’d love to help you with that, too.
So, here’s some helpful grilling hints!
GAS OR CHARCOAL
We seem to be more concerned with being “green” and healthy these days. Gas or charcoal briquettes each have their environmental benefits and drawbacks. For briquettes use only pure wood, additive-free lump charcoal. Any other kind may contain sodium nitrate, borax and additives like paraffin or lighter fluid – none of which you want on your food and in your body. By the way, wire brush your rack when your grill reaches the temperature you want. This removes old charred debris, which can be a health hazard if eaten.
HOW MANY BRIQUETTES
If you are using briquettes, how many should you use? A good rule-of-thumb is 30 briquettes for each pound of meat. If it’s a cool day you may want to add a few more briquettes because of the greater loss of heat.
STARTING YOUR CHARCOAL
Ever use a chimney starter for your charcoal grill? You want to avoid kindling or starter fluid. Just crumple paper in the bottom of the chimney, then fill with charcoal. Light the paper and in about 20 minutes the coals will be ready to spread evenly in the bottom of the grill.
FLARE-UPS
As fat drips from the meat sometimes flare-ups will happen. So, leave one or two small empty spots to allow you to move the coals around. A squirt bottle filled with water can be handy, too. But be careful since the water may splatter off the hot grill surface and rack.
PREPARING TO GRILL
Allow your meat to adjust to room temperature for least 20 minutes before putting meat on the grill. Taking meat right from refrigerator to the grill causes the meat to shock, get tough and curl. The hotter the GRILL the better). Have 2 hot spots for initial meat grilling then some medium and low temperature spots on the grill to finish off the grilling process.
HOT TECHNIQUES
Grill the meat at least 4 minutes on each side starting all meats at a high temperature then flip and grill the other side at same high temperature. Do not flip meat until the blood of the meat is completely settled on the top. After both sides of meat is “seared”- (Searing helps retain juices) Move the meats to lower temperature and finish grilling.The goal is to flip a piece of meat 2 times on each side then bring to lower temperatures.
THOSE ANNOYING COOL SPOTS
We like lava rocks. We use them because they spread out the heat, eliminating those annoying cool spots. Check periodically for fat build-up on the rocks. You don’t want a fat flare-up. Be sure to check with your grill’s manufacturer whether they recommend lava rocks for your model.
ROASTING
You can roast on a grill, too. Just place the meat over a flame-free area. Be sure to turn the meat once or twice to give both sides equal exposure to the heat source.
LIFTING THE HOOD
With an unfamiliar grill we tend to lift the hood often to check the meat. Besides, it’s fun to look at that steak in mouth-watering anticipation. But, each time you lift the hood that lowers the temperature and it can take as long as ten minutes to come back up. So, peek as little as possible to keep everyone from waiting too long for your grilled masterpiece.
CHUBBY BURGERS
Prefer burgers? They always puff up in the middle, don’t they? Flat burgers that fit easily on a bun need just one small trick. Before putting the patties on the grill, push your thumb into the center of each patty. Now when the burgers swell all they’ll do is fill in the thumb depression. No more puffy patties.
PRESERVING TEXTURE
Here’s an off-the-grill grilling tip. Be gentle when rubbing in seasonings. Rubbing too hard will damage the meat fibers and change the texture of the food. KEEPING MEAT JUICY- after grilling Not many people know this: to get juices evenly distributed within your finished meats, place them on a clean platter and tent them very loosely with foil for about ten minutes
GRILLING CORN
Don’t forget everyone’s favorite: grilled corn. It’s easy to grill: just pull the outer husks all the way down but leave them attached, strip away the silk, then fold the husks back up. Place the corn in a large bowl of water, add a tablespoon of salt, then leave it alone for 10 minutes. Remove the corn, shake of excess water, then grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning each ear every 5 minutes. To see if they are done insert the tip of a paring knife into a kernel to see how tender it is.
We hope you enjoy these grilling tips!
Sincerely,
American Steakhouse