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Hands-on grilling
By JANET K. KEELER
Published May 25, 2005
If you're one of those outdoor grillers who cuts into meat to peek for rare, medium or well, stop that. You are releasing the juices that keep meat moist.
An internal meat thermometer is the most accurate judge of doneness. Use it in conjunction with this nifty, low-tech manual trick and you'll learn to grill steaks, chops and chicken like a pro. The more you grill, the more confident you will be when someone asks for a medium-rare steak or a well-done burger.
- JANET K. KEELER, Times food editor
1. If steaks, chops or burgers feel the same as your relaxed palm when firmly pressed, they are rare. (This technique does not work for large roasts such as brisket or whole chickens; a thermometer is necessary for them.)
2. As you touch the tip of your index to the thumb, the palm stiffens. If the meat feels like this, it's medium rare.
3. Middle finger touching thumb: Medium.
4. Ring finger touching thumb: Medium well.
5. Pinkie touching thumb: Well done. (In general, this is how cooked chicken will feel. It's not safe to eat undercooked poultry.)
What's the temperature?
Internal temperatures recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for food safety:
Beef, lamb, veal, steaks, chops and roasts - 145 degrees for medium rare; 160 medium.
Hamburger, meat loaf, ground pork, veal and lamb - 160 degrees.
Chicken and turkey breast - 170 degrees.
Whole chicken or turkey, legs, thighs and wings - 180 degrees.
Always use a clean thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the meat without touching bone. Remember, carry-over heat will raise the internal temperature five to 10 degrees in the 10 minutes after an item is removed from the grill.
When the grill is ready
Very hot (425 to 450 degrees): You can hold your hand at grill level only 1 to 2 seconds.
Hot (400 to 425 degrees): You can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds.
Medium-hot (375 to 400 degrees): You can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds.
Medium (350 to 375 degrees): You can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds.
Medium-low (325 to 350 degrees): You can hold your hand at grill level only 5 to 6 seconds.
Low (300 to 325 degrees): You can hold your hand at grill level only 6 to 7 seconds.
Meaty matters
The kind of heat you cook over is the most important factor in grilling, but it's by no means the only one.
Weber's Real Grilling, by Jamie Purviance in conjunction with Weber grills, makes the following points:
Oil helps keep food from sticking to the grill. Lightly brushing or spraying the meat will produce fewer flare-ups than oiling the grate.
Preheat the grate. Once it's hot, it'll be easy to brush off leftover bits from the last time you cooked, and it will be ready to sear your food.
Keep the lid closed. It speeds the cooking process, helps develop smoky flavor and prevents flare-ups fed by oxygen.
Let grilled meat rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 5 to 10 minutes after grilling (or even longer for larger cuts). Juices pulled to the surface during cooking will be redistributed, making the whole thing tastier.
When serving cuts such as skirt steaks and flank steaks that have a long grain running from end to end, slice the cooked steaks thinly against the grain.
Grilling by the numbers
54: Percent of grill owners polled in the 2004 Weber GrillWatch Survey who say they grill year-round.
39: Percent of grill owners who say they'll grill outside, even when it's below freezing.
14: Percent of grill owners who grill on Christmas.
71: Percent of grill owners who fire up their grill at least once a week during their grilling season.
$386: The average amount grill owners say they'd pay for a grill.
5 favorite foods to grill: hamburgers, steak, chicken pieces, hot dogs, brats/ribs (tie).
91: Percent of grill owners who have grilled chicken this year.
60: Percent of grill owners who have grilled seafood this year.
76: Percent of grill owners who include fruits and vegetables as part of their grilling repertoire.
5: Percent of grill owners who say they're good enough to take the gold if there were a grilling Olympics.
- Sources: John Pivar and Mark Heimann, Renaissance Vinoy Resort, Weber-Stephen Products Co., www.weber.com Fearless Guide to Grilling by Reece Williams Meredith Books, Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book.
[Last modified May 24, 2005, 15:30:33]
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