Gas Grilling Tips - Make the most from Gas Barbeque Grills

Summer is here and its time to get cooking. Outdoors! The best way to do this is grilling, and grilling with a gas grill saves you all the mess and prep-time of a charcoal grill. Gas grilling is cleaner for the environment than charcoal grilling. Also, you get the full flavor of the meat without the charcoal dust. So lets get started with some handy Outdoor Grilling Tips.

There are 2 main ways to grill, direct cooking and indirect. With direct cooking you are cooking directly over the flame, so the cooking is faster. Indirect grilling is cooking on a portion of the grill that isn't lit, so its more like baking with a grill. You can cook much slower this way. Mastering both methods will make you king of the grill in no time.

Direct Cooking

Preheat the grill for at least 5 minutes. This gets everything hot and ready for cooking, and helps burn off anything left over from the last session. Lightly oil the grill before you start. When you are done cooking let the grill run a little while after you are done so every thing burns off, then scrape off any residue with a grill scraper or brush.

Indirect Cooking

If you have 3 burners leave the center burner off and let the grill warm up while the lid is closed. You can cook slowly using the area above the middle section and still use the other sides to grill more quickly. If you have different meats that take different amounts of time you can do several items at once this way. You should try to keep the lid closed as much as possible to keep the heat in.

Other Grilling Advice

Try to have enough gas to cook! Nothing is more annoying that running out of gas in the middle of grilling. Try to have at least a third of a tank when you start. Better yet, have a spare full tank.

You can use additives like wood chips or volcanic rock to distribute heat and to provide a smokier flavor.

You should get a grilling thermometer for checking food temperature. This is especially helpful for cooking steaks to different done-ness. It beats cutting into everything with a knife!

If you oil your grill while it is hot, don't use a spray. The flames will flare up and ignite the spray, possibly burning you or exploding the can. Instead us a papertowel soaked in oil and some tongs.

You should turn your food with tongs or a spatula, not a fork or knife.  Piercing the food will cause the juices to escape and dry it out.

Consider a grill basket to cook vegetables and more fragile meats, like fish.

Make sure to let your food rest after it comes off the grill.  This will help the flavors meld and the juices inside to even out.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Grilling is fun and healthy.  Be sure to follow some of these suggestions for better grilling today!