Frequently Asked Questions » Grilling
We've compiled a list of commonly asked questions for you to peruse - if you've had a question nagging you about the following topics, we hope you'll find it here. If you've haven't found what you're looking here, you can ask on the BBQ Forums.
- Grilling FAQ's
- Smoking FAQ's
- Maintenance FAQ's
Q: My husband, though truly wonderful in every other way, is always burning the chicken. What's he doing wrong?
A: He is probably grilling directly over the fire and the fat from the skin is dripping into the fire, igniting and flaring up into the chicken. This causes the skin to burn, but leaves the inside under cooked. He should be using the indirect method, where the food is not placed directly over the fire, when cooking chicken, ribs, roasts, whole birds or any other food that can be adversely affected by flare-ups.
Q: Even though I follow the directions that came with my smoke box, I don't seem to be getting the desired effect when trying to use wood chips for flavor in my gas grill. Am I stupid, or what?
A: What. Here's the deal: it seems most smoke boxes and commercially packaged wood chips come with instructions to soak the chips in water for about 30 minutes before placing them in the smoke box. The theory behind this is the wood chips will put out more smoke and burn longer. The reality behind this is most foods are nearly finished cooking before the wet chips begin to burn, resulting in not much smoke flavor being imparted into the food. There are two approaches to take, depending on what you are grilling. One is to mix equal parts dry and wet chips together. This works best for chicken, ribs, roasts or anything that will be cooking for more than 20 minutes. The dry chips get things going right away, while the wet ones give you the legs to go the distance, adding more moisturized smoke during the longer cooking times. For grilling steaks, fish or anything that will be on the grill a relatively short amount of time, use dry chips only in the smoke box. This will maximize the smoke flavor acquired by the food during the short amount of time it is on the grill.
Q: I love grilled fish, and am also budget conscious, so I buy those big bags of frozen filets at the big club discount madhouse. They seem kind of mushy after I thaw and grill them. Am I doomed to be held hostage by the higher prices and lower convenience of fresh fish?
A: Don't worry, you can still wait in line to buy your fish at the We're-treating-you-like-cattle Club. The trick to grilling frozen fish is not to thaw it before putting it on the grill. A fresh fish fillet about 3/4 inch thick usually takes about 6 minutes a side when grilled over a medium hot fire. A frozen fillet of the same thickness should take about 12 minutes per side. Fish is done when it becomes opaque and flakes easily when poked at by a fork.
Q: I have heard that you need to season the cast iron burners and cooking grates. I am sure they are not talking about salt and pepper. How do I do this?
A: New porcelain coated cooking grates do not require seasoning. Only raw cast iron grates or ones that have lost their coating will benefit from this process. Apply a small amount of cooking oil to the cast iron and wipe off any excess. Allow them to bake in a 200-degree oven for one hour or in your BBQ on a low setting. This will seal / season them and will help to prevent rust from occurring. Be careful not to use too much oil or you can cause a grease fire in your oven or BBQ. Just use a small amount to coat and you may need to repeat the process after cooling. This should be done every 3 to 6 months depending on how damp your weather is and how often you use your grill.