by Chef Glenn Humphry of the Arizona Culinary Institute

Cooking over an open flame is a rite of summer. Gatherings of friends and family centered on a backyard patio and a fired up grill increase 10 fold in summertime; but, here in Arizona we crank up that BBQ all year long!

It’s a family thing, a friend thing, nearly an everything. Want to have the kids Little League teams over? Fire up the grill. Same goes if you are looking to impress a client, a new love or the in-laws. Seriously, how can you fail with a perfectly prepared piece of meat?

The first step to any good backyard party is learning the best way to cook whatever it is you are cooking. This is something I have a little knowledge about. It just takes a little preparation, a few simple steps to get you on the road to preparing a great meal whether its burgers or filet.

Make sure your grill is clean. This may sound like a no-brainer but it is very important.

If you are using charcoal get rid of the old ashes. Make sure the grilling grate is clean by either burning or brushing it off. 

When using a gas grill, be sure to rearrange the lava rocks under the grates once in awhile to make sure they heat evenly and are not coated with carbon or grease. Replace the rocks when they do not look clean or start to break apart. As with charcoal, place them in a single layer over the gas burners.

The general rule of thumb when using charcoal is to use about 30 briquettes to cook one pound of meat. You need to have enough to extend about 2” beyond the food area on the grill. Keep in mind that on windy days they will burn faster and on humid days they burn a bit slower. Adding wood chips that have been soaked in water for an hour is a great way to add flavor to the food you grill. Mesquite, hickory and pecan are classics, but you can try pistachio, apple or citrus woods as well

It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to properly heat coals for cooking. Two methods of checking the coals to see if they are ready are by sight or touch. Thick ash with less red glow is low heat; light grey ash coating the coal is medium heat; and a red glow visible through the ash is high heat. By touch use the following guideline. Hold your hand at cooking height over the coals and count the number of seconds before you have to pull your hand away. 5 seconds equals low heat; 4 seconds equals medium heat; 3 seconds is medium high and 2 seconds is high heat. For gas grills pay attention to the settings and get to know your grill. Do not leave the grill alone when you are cooking. Grease can flare up and burn food quickly.

The temperature of the food is a key factor in grilling. Pulling it directly out of the fridge and throwing it on the grill will take longer than allowing it to warm up slightly. How thick the food you are cooking, the degree of doneness and distance from the coals all play into cooking times.

There is an important difference between grilling poultry, fish or beef. Keep in mind that when we grill beef the objective is to get it nicely browned without over cooking it; whereas with chicken and fish, we are trying to get it cooked thoroughly without over browning it.  I’m sure that all of us have had the experience of the burnt medium rare chicken – ugh! Chicken should be cooked longer and over low heat; beef should be cooked on a hot grill and seafood is best done at a medium temperature.

The most reliable way to test the doneness is to use a thermometer. I recommend a single stemmed instant read thermometer and not a temperature gauge in a fork type gadget. As a chef I use a sense of touch based on experience by determining the resistance of the food when it is pressed upon.  It just takes practice – like everything else.

Do not stab or pierce the foods you are cooking, unless of course you’re looking to present dry flavorless food to your guests. Use tongs or a spatula to turn the food and only turn it over once. Be sure to use different tongs for the raw product and the cooked products.

For nice grill marks place the meat on the grill so one end is pointing at the 11:00 position. After a couple of minutes or so move it to the 1:00 position. Cook another couple of minutes and turn over to begin the marking process on the other side. Then you will cook it to the desired degree of doneness.

Be sure to let all steaks and meats rest for 8-10 minutes before cutting into them. This will help to keep moisture, flavor and tenderness in the meat and not on the plate. Of course, the most important part of summertime grilling is having fun with your friends and family and enjoying a well prepared meal on the patio, porch or poolside. 

Happy Grilling and enjoy!

About Chef Glenn Humphrey

Glenn Humphrey  CEC, CCE  is Placement Director and Instructor at the Arizona Culinary Insitute; Former Instructor, Scottsdale Culinary Institute; The Culinary Institute of America; Marie Callendar’s, Orange Co.; Restaurant Enterprises, Irvine; Hungry Tiger, Inc.; Friendly Hill Country Club, Whittier; Holland America Cruises, Seattle; The Burlington Inn, Burlington; Norwegian American Cruises, Oslo. Glenn is also a co-host on Into the Soup on the Radio and intotheSoup.com’s Basic Cooking Techniques.