It’s the 4th of July Weekend and many people will be grilling for family and friends. Are you really a grill master if you make these barbecue mistakes?

Here are some tips from professionals the maintain your status as a grilling great.

• Be sure to clean your grill. To clean it, use a wire brush and an oiled paper towel. Keep the grill on for 30-60 minutes after removing food, then brush off the residue. Clean your grill with an onion to season it.
• Be sure to preheat your grill. This prevents your food from sticking and uneven cooking.
• Defrost your meat, and don’t put frozen meat on the grill. Grilling frozen meat will likely not allow it to cook evenly through to the middle. It also allows the juices to be lost, losing some of the flavor.
• Don’t over season your meat. Sometimes simply salt and pepper is enough, and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice for seafood.
• Brine your lean meat. Lean meat has less fat. That can make it healthier. However, it also makes it less flavorful. To make a brine, combine a quarter cup of kosher salt and a quarter cup of sugar with two cups of boiling water until the granules are fully dissolved. Then, stir in two cups of ice water.
• Keep your grill lid closed so that the grill doesn’t cool off. Constantly opening the lid loses heat and can cause the meat to take longer to cook. This can cause the meat to cook unevenly and possibly toughen because it cooks for too long.

What are some of your grilling tips?

(Photo credit: YouTube)

By: Buck Stevens