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Grilling basics for a newbie

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Canesisters

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Ok, I hate to admit it - but I've got a grill that I've never used..... When my sister and brotherinlaw moved into an appartment, they left all their yard gear with me. The grill was his baby and I was actually sort of afraid to use it for the first whole summer. I kept thinking that they'd find another house and want it all back - and if there was ANYTHING wrong with it, I'd never hear the end of it.
Well, this is the 3rd summer. It's been used for a few cookouts (B.i.l. doing the cooking) but otherwise it's just sitting there.
I'm sure I can handle tossing a few frozen hamburger patties on it and not making a total mess of dinner. But what is your best advice for a grilling newbie?
 

w_r_ranch

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What kind of grill is it (charcoal or propane)??? Also, where are you located???

Regardless, you will love it once you start using it for a number of reasons... the least of which is that EVERYTHING tastes better with grill marks on it!!! Steaks, chicken, pork can be seasoned or marinated in just about infinite ways. Veggies are also great grilled!!! Plus cleanups are a snap.

We rarely cook inside here, the weather has to be REALLY bad for that to happen...
 
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Canesisters

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It's propane and I'm in Virginia. For Father's day I got some little (cheap) steaks and wraped the edge in bacon. Wow that was good! For the burger crowd I picked up some 'braut-burgers' and b.i.l. - who was doing the grilling - had a fit because I didn't tell him they weren't 'regular' burgers. Apparently they are cooked vastly different??? Or maybe he's just been bluffing me to make the grilling part of cookouts seem as labor intensive as all the OTHER stuff. lol
 

w_r_ranch

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To me, ground meat is ground meat. It makes absolutely no difference whether is beef, pork, chicken or turkey... nor does it matter how it is seasoned... the fire its cook over doesn't care either...
 

Lost in mn

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To me, ground meat is ground meat. It makes absolutely no difference whether is beef, pork, chicken or turkey... nor does it matter how it is seasoned... the fire its cook over doesn't care either...
I agree with 1 exception. Ground sirloin aka (steak burger) is awesome if you can find it. This type of ground will make your hamburger taste more like a steak unlike regular hamburger. It's also much leaner and more expensive. But if you want to amaze a crowd sometime give it a try. Do not over season this type of burger as it will take away the natural flavor.

Grilling basics.

Have fun and experiment, Remember sweet sauces and marinades will burn if cooked over direct heat. Use indirect heat (fire on one side food on the other) or cook your meat first without the sauce then add it the last few minutes of cook time to get a bit of char.

There is nothing you can not cook on a grill if you think out the process. I have done cakes, lasagna, pizza, bread, pies, seafood, lobsters, fish you name it on a grill. My favorite grilled food is a whole turkey.

Frozen foods: it is as a rule of thumb, always better to bring the meat to room temp or higher before grilling or bbq'ing. This does a few things, it cooks more evenly and the meat won't constrict quickly causing toughness and loss of fluids. This is especially true if cooking a thick or expensive cut of meat.
 

w_r_ranch

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I agree with 1 exception. Ground sirloin aka (steak burger) is awesome if you can find it.

Don't know about the others, but I can always find a sirloin... although I am not going to grind it up & waste a perfectly good steak, LOL!!! And yes, you are right... they are very good... from one carnivore to another...
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Regardless of the cut/mix ('regular hamburger' vs 'braut-burgers'), the secret to good flavor is to not over cook it, which is probably what the Canesister's B.I.L. did... The results have nothing to do with the grill itself, it was just where he placed the blame.
 
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