Summer is the perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy outdoor cooking.
Here are some tips, tricks and recipes for cooking your favorite foods to
perfection. Depending on local climate, you may decide to enjoy grilling
year-round.
Preparation
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Chicken…beef…pork…seafood,
even veggies and fruit. Your grill
can bring out unique flavors in
many different foods.
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To get started, make sure your grill is clean and well maintained.
- 1. Start the grill and set to high heat.
- 2. Close the lid.
- 3. Wait a few minutes for the residue to burn off the grates.
- 4. Then clean them with a grill brush.
- 5. Follow up by lightly rubbing the grates with a clean rag soaked in cooking oil to prevent sticking. Use tongs to hold the rag.
- 6. For additional tips, refer to the video and printable instructions on How to
Clean a Grill and Grill Maintenance Tips online at Lowes.com/Videos.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture recommends the following minimum internal temperatures for cooked meats:
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Beef, veal, lamb—steaks and roasts
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145° F* |
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Fish
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145° F |
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Pork
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160° F |
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Beef, veal, lamb ground
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160° F |
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Egg Dishes
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160° F |
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Turkey, chicken, duck—whole, pieces or ground
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165° F |
* Note: Rare beef typically is 130° F, medium is 140-150° F, and well-done is 165° F.
- If you’re cooking with charcoal, you can adjust the heat by banking the coals to one side. Also, opening the vents all the way will give you more heat.
- The following tips are just suggestions. Everybody has their favorite ways to grill, so do it your way. If you want some additional recipes, visit MyRecipes.com.
Grilled Chicken
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When cooking chicken, consider brining whole chickens overnight or marinating
chicken parts for about 4 hours. A marinade combines herbs and spices with oil
and an acid, like lemon juice, vinegar or yogurt. The acid tenderizes the meat.
01 To make a simple lemon garlic marinade, combine the
following ingredients:
- ¼ cup Olive Oil or Canola Oil
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Herbs
- 2 tsp Minced Garlic
- Ground Black Pepper
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Place the marinade and the chicken in a plastic bag together in a refrigerator for
about 4 hours.
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03 Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade.
- The marinade should be discarded since it has been in contact with raw chicken—
consuming raw or undercooked poultry can cause illness.
04 Allow the chicken to reach room temperature before cooking to assure that it cooks more evenly. This should only
take about 20 minutes. Letting the meat reach room temperature works best for any type of meat.
- TIP: If there isn’t sufficient time to marinade 4 hours, make a marinade (above recipe or melted butter and your favorite
spices) and use a meat/poultry injector to inject generous amounts of marinade into thicker portions of the meat.
05 Start the grill and establish a medium (300-350° F) heat.
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06 Cooking time depends on the meat’s weight and whether it is boneless. Chicken
breasts for example, are typically cooked on the first side for about 10 minutes, then
on the second side for about 5 minutes. For best cooking and safety, insert a meat
thermometer in the thickest section, away from any bones, and cook until the chicken
reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
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07 If you like the taste of barbeque sauce, apply it with a basting brush in the last few minutes of cooking. Otherwise sugars in the sauce can burn on the grill and on the meat.
08 Once done, remove the chicken from the grill and loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Allow the chicken to rest for about 5 minutes in the foil. This will help finish the cooking and give you juicier meat.
Bonus Recipe
Grilled Balsamic Chicken
Prep: 10 minutes
Marinate: 4 to 6 hours
Cook: 12 minutes
Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2/3 cup chopped scallions
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1. Rinse the chicken, and pat dry. Place in a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag. Combine chicken broth and next 8 ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Reserve 1/2 cup marinade; pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Seal bag, and refrigerate up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Grill chicken, uncovered, at medium-high for 5-10 minutes on each side or until cooked through,
basting with the reserved 1/2 cup marinade every few minutes.
Grilling Pork
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Grilling pork, such as chops and tenderloins, is similar to grilling chicken, so
you can refer to those instructions. However, if you are cooking pork ribs,
you can first sear the meat to lock in juices:
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01 Rub the meat with a small amount of salt.
02 Place the meat on the grill at a medium-high (350-400° F) temperature.
03 Cook the meat for a few minutes per side to sear it.
04 Reduce heat to a low setting (250-300° F) to cook the meat thoroughly. Cooking the ribs
slowly at a low temperature will help them fall off the bone when they’re ready.
- TIP: Ribs have the best flavor when they are cooked slowly at lower temperatures.
If possible, cook them on a high or top rack.
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05 Remove the ribs from the grill when they are done, with an internal temperature
of at least 160° F.
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Bonus Recipe
Ribs
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 3 hours
Grill: 20 minutes
Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 1/2 pounds (about 2 slabs) baby back ribs
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 cups of your favorite bottled BBQ sauce (We prefer a vinegar-based sauce with a little heat)
- 1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
- 2. Spread onion slices evenly on a rimmed baking sheet, and place ribs, bone side down, on top.
- 3. Pour beer over the ribs, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and cover tightly with foil. Bake 3 hours or until tender.
- 4. Brush both sides of the ribs with BBQ sauce. Grill over medium heat, meat side down, 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly charred and crispy, basting several times with sauce. Flip the ribs over, and baste cooked side liberally. Close the grill lid,
and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, basting often.
- 5. Remove from heat; let rest 10 minutes. Cut individual ribs apart, and serve warm.
You can bake the ribs (Step 1) up to a day ahead, but you'll need to leave them on the grill a
few minutes longer to make sure they're heated through.
Grilling Beef
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Use 4 to 8 oz. of meat when forming hamburgers. Shape them into ½" thick patties using gentle
pressure. Do not over-pack.
01 Use 4 to 8 oz. of meat when forming
hamburgers. Shape them into ½" thick patties using gentle
pressure. Do not over-pack.
02 Grill the patties over medium heat
(300-350° F) for about 3 to 4 minutes
per side or until the meat is no longer
pink inside, which will depend on size.
Internal temperature should be at
least 160° F.
03 About halfway through cooking, open up the buns and place them on the warming rack until they’re golden brown.
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Cooking Steaks
01 Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room
temperature. If desired, rub the meat with salt, pepper and olive or vegetable
oil. You may even consider rubbing them with sliced garlic.
02 Place the meat on the grill at a medium-high (350-400° F) temperature.
03 Grill steaks on the first side for about 3 to 4 minutes per inch of thickness.
04 Turn the steak over and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes.
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TIP: Do not use a fork to turn a steak as the tine holes allow juices to escape.
Use tongs or a spatula to flip the meat.
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05 Once the internal temperature reaches at least 145° F (depending on your preference),
remove the steak from the grill and loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Allow the
steaks to rest in the foil for 5 minutes, which will finish the cooking and make the
meat juicier.
Grilling Seafood
01 Prepare the grill for cooking seafood by applying vegetable oil to the
grates with a grill brush.
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TIP: A great way to cook delicate fish is in a grilling basket.
Alternatively, wrap and cook delicate fish in aluminum foil until done.
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02 Brush a small amount of olive or vegetable oil on the outside of the seafood.
03 Adjust the grill for a medium (300-350° F) heat.
04 Place the seafood on the grill and cook. Cook seafood for 10 minutes per inch of thickness:
5 to 7 minutes on the first side, 3 to 5 minutes on the other side. least 160° F.
- Delicate fish such as snapper, salmon and sea bass should be turned carefully so
they don’t stick and fall apart. If cooking directly on the grids, use two metal spatulas,
top and bottom, when flipping the fish.
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05 Seafood is done when internal temperature is at least 145° F and it flakes with a fork.
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- Another great option for cooking seafood, as well as other food, is using a grilling plank.
The wood plank adds a unique flavor to your food.
- You can find grilling planks in a variety of woods, such as cedar, maple, hickory and
oak, each offering a different flavor.
CAUTION: DO NOT use treated lumber as a grilling plank.
- 1. Soak the plank for at least one hour in water to keep it from burning and to keep food moist. You can also soak the plank
in fruit juice for a different flavor. Use a bowl to keep the plank submerged.
- 2. Set the grill to a medium heat. If you’re using charcoal, wait until the briquettes turn gray.
- 3. Place the plank cooking-side down on the grate.
- 4. Close the lid, but stand nearby to make sure the plank doesn’t catch fire.
- TIP: Keep a small spray bottle of water handy to extinguish any flare-ups.
- 5. After 5 minutes, flip the plank over with an tongs.
- 6. Lightly brush it with oil, then place your fish on the plank.
- TIP: Add some fruit and vegetables to the plank to give the fish even more flavor.
- 7. Cook your fish with the grill lid closed to help lock in the smoky flavor. The fish is done when internal temperature
is at least 145° F and it flakes with a fork.
- 8. You can wash the plank and use several times before discarding.
Grilling Vegetables
Here’s how to grill vegetables to give them a light smoky flavor.
- Just make sure to keep smaller vegetables, like mushrooms, whole and slice larger ones, like zucchini and onions, into wedges.
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You can cook vegetables directly on the grill, on skewers, in a veggie basket or perforated metal sheet to keep them from falling between the grates. When using wood skewers, soak them in water before cooking to keep them from burning.
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01 For extra flavor, dip vegetables into olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt or your favorite seasoning. Also consider brushing them with a
vinegar-based salad dressing.
02 Heat the grill to medium-high (350-400° F) temperature.
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03 Place vegetables on the hot grill to sear the skins and seal in the flavor. Turn the veggies in 1 to 2 minutes.
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04 Move the vegetables to a low heat (250-300° F) until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
Grilling Fruit
Grilling fruit caramelizes its natural sugars, enhancing the food’s flavor—and making it a great dessert. Apples, peaches, pineapples, bananas and pears are all good grilling choices.
01 Slice the fruit into larger pieces.
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02 Brush the fruit with a small amount of light cooking oil.
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03 Heat the grill to a low (250-300° F) temperature.
04 Place the fruit on the grill and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- TIP: Watch fruit closely since its high sugar content can cause it to burn quickly.
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05 Add grilled fruit to a meat or vegetable meal, eat it plain or top with a bit of ice cream.
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Remember, for more recipes and grilling tips visit MyRecipes.com. For more information on cleaning, maintaining and safely using a grill, visit Lowes.com/Videos.