10 TIPS FOR GRILLING PERFECT MEAT + TEMPERATURE GUIDE

One of the many things I love about summer is cooking almost all of our meals outside on the grill. The taste is better (in my opinion), and their isn’t a kitchen mess to clean up afterwards!! Below are a few tips to make grilling season go smooth.

Prepare Your Grill

• Preheat your grill with the lid closed. This loosens up any leftover bits from the grate making it easier to clean and helps get a nice sear.

• Keeping your grill grates clean will prevent the meat from sticking. Stay away from the bristle style grill grate cleaners. Pieces of the bristle can break off and get caught up in your food. This can cause serious damage if swallowed.

• Keep a spray bottle of water near to help tame any flare ups.

Prepare Your Meat

• Bring your meat to room temperature before grilling. This helps it cook more evenly.

• Keep the lid on. This speeds up cooking, prevents meat from drying out, and traps in the smoke which adds more flavor.

• Brining lean meat will help it not dry out while grilling.

• Flattening your burger patties with a spatula on the grill releases the juices out of the meat. Instead, press the center of your raw patty in with your thumb or a spoon so that the edge of the patty is thicker than the center. This will help prevent the patty from puffing up while cooking. Or, purchase pre-made patties here. They do not puff up when cooking!

• Do not sauce your meat too early. The sugars in the sauce will burn if you do.

• Avoid moving your food around too much. Let it sit and cook on the grill as long as possible in order for it to cook through.

Prepare Your Meal

• After removing meat from the grill, let it rest before cutting and serving.

Meat Temperatures

Insert a meat thermometer probe into the thickest part of the meat to take the temperature.

Poultry

• Dark meat (thigh, leg): 170º to 175º

• White meat (breast, wing): 160º to 165ºF

Fish

• Medium-rare: 120º

• Medium: 135º

Beef & Lamb

• Rare: 125°

• Medium rare: 130° to 135°

• Medium: 135° to 140°

• Medium well: 140° to 150°

• Well done: 155+°

• Ground: 160°

Pork

• Medium rare: 145°

• Medium: 150°

• Well done: 160°

• Ground: 160°