To Grill: How you grill differs from case to case, dependent upon the type of cooker used, and the type of food cooked. Generally, a well-greased grill is pre-heated – usually to about 180° C (350° Farenheit). If you are searing food, the grill can be hotter. A rule of thumb: if you place your hand, palm downwards about 7-8 cm (3 in) from the grill and you have to move it away at once from the heat, it is too hot for anything but searing (cooked outside, raw inside). If you can hold your hand in place for 4-5 seconds, it is medium-hot, the recommended temperature for grilling. Food is placed on the grill to cook, and turned several times during cooking. If you are cooking foods which require longer cooking time you should lower the heat once the food has been turned over at least once onto each side, or move the food to a cooler part of the grill. If there is a lid on the grill, you can lower this to retain some of the heat and moisture so that the food does not dry out. If unsure about the doneness of meats when grilling, use a sharp knife to make an incision into the centre of the meat and check for blood. Remember that poultry must be cooked through – the juices should run clear – and it is always a good idea to always cook ground meats beyond medium. Some foods, such as poultry, sausages or potatoes, may be partially cooked in the microwave before transferring to the grill so that they cook in less time. After grilling, clean the grillplate with a wire brush to remove stuck on foods and debris. If you do this while the grill is still warm, it’s an easy job. Remember that a clean grill will help keep foods from sticking, and will extend the life of your outdoor barbeque or griller.

Why Grill? Grilling is a curious interplay of primitive and yet sophisticated cooking techniques. The act of grilling is really one of the simplest cooking methods and yet it imparts a rich complexity of flavour, difficult to replicate with other techniques. (Perhaps that’s why we enjoy it so much!) Also, since it is usually done outdoors, clean-up becomes fairly simple affair. Grilling adds flavour to many foods in a number of ways but primarily by adding smoke and by allowing the flavours from caramelisation to fully develop. Grilling requires that you turn foods over several times during cooking – this helps to accomplish two things – the first being even cooking on both sides, and the other helping somewhat in keeping the moisture in food (counteracting the effect of gravity).