Grilling is one of the best ways to cook your food, it helps that it is super fun to do so as well. As soon as the hot weather arrives it seems like a race over who can hold a family gathering first.
While you can grill your food the same way every time, trying out new grilling techniques can provide different flavors and textures that you won’t usually experience.
There are so many different grilling techniques you can try and they work with all kinds of grills. From electric, charcoal, and even a yakitori grill, you can find a new way to cook your favorite foods.
Below we have outlined some different techniques you can use to make everyone impressed by your skills at the next garden party.
Direct Charcoal Grilling
Direct grilling is probably the most common method and is usually the only one more amateur grillers use.
This technique is good for smaller portions of meat like burgers and steaks. Typically these meats on the grill will take less than 20 minutes to cook which makes it great for multiple guests as you can get food on the table fast.
The method is to cook the meat directly over the briquettes and only turn the meat once. This is so you only lift the lid once as the lid needs to stay closed to retain the heat and make sure the food is evenly cooked.
This method is great for searing foods and can keep them juicy.
A similar method can be used for gas grills with the food being cooked on a turned-on burner.
Indirect Charcoal Grilling
This technique is better for foods that take longer to cook and don’t require a sear like bread or cakes.
While it takes more prep than direct grilling, it is still easy. You heat the briquette like you typically would and then make a hole in the middle of them for a drip tray. Add a little bit of water to your drip tray and cook your food directly over it.
You are also able to do this method with a gas grill. Simply pre-heat all the burners, turn off the middle one and cook all your food above the turned-off middle burner.
50/50 Charcoal Grilling
As the name suggests, this technique involves half direct and half indirect grilling. This technique is ideal for sausages and chicken.
To achieve this, you put the drip pan on one side of your grill rather than the middle like indirect grilling. You start on the direct heat and get a nice sear on your food, and then move it over to the indirect heat to finish cooking.
As usual, you can use a gas grill to achieve the same results. Similar to indirect gas grilling, pre-heat all your burners but instead of just turning off the middle burner, turn off one of the side burners as well. Cook your food directly over the one turned-on burner before finishing it over the turned-off burners.
Smoking
Smoking is a time-consuming technique but you get a delicious smoky flavor to your meat and it is definitely worth it.
The flavor of the smoke depends on the kind of wood chips you use. You can buy a large smoker, or simply use a smoker box while grilling to get a subtle smoky taste.
Spit Roasting
Spit roasting is great for larger events as you can cook a big piece of meat or even a whole animal.
It stays very juicy because it self-bastes as it turns. The slow cooking process leaves the meat very tender.
You can do it over wood, charcoal, and even a gas grill. Just make sure you put a drip pan directly underneath the meat.
Plank Grilling
This unique grilling technique involves cooking your food directly on a small plank of wood. As it cooks the wood begins to smoke which infuses flavor into the food.
Just make sure you get planks specifically for cooking food. You will need to soak your plank beforehand so it doesn’t catch on fire and turn to ash.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are so many different techniques you can try and they aren’t that difficult to do either.
Experimenting with different grilling techniques can help you expand your skills and get more confident with using different equipment. Soon you will be grilling all sorts of meats, vegetables, and even baked goods.
So grab your tongs and apron and get grilling!