Last week we talked about how to grill a perfect hamburger by focusing on technique.  This week we’ll keep focusing on grilling technique and walk step by step through making the perfect grilled steak.  You see, a lot of people really over think steaks.  I have had some really elaborately prepared beef jerky grilled by some great people with the best of intentions.  It’s often hard to sit back and watch the host destroy a perfectly good steak, but hey, it’s not my party.  I’ll do the next best thing and break down what I think are the simple steps to grilling the perfect steak.  In this case, I’m grilling sirloins (they were on sale!), but this technique is the same for all cuts of beef up to an inch thick.  Steaks over an inch thick will require a little more time to cook through, so adjust your times accordingly and remember to err on the side of rare (you can always throw it back on the grill, but you can’t reverse jerky!).  Enough intro, let’s get down to it…

Grilling the Perfect Steak, Step by Step

1. Warm that steak up!  Let’s start with one of the most important steps in grilling steaks.  We want to grill our steaks quickly and evenly, so it is very important to let the steak come to room temperature before grilling.  Remove your steaks from the refrigerator and set them on the kitchen counter for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling.  Don’t leave it there too long though, that’s just gross, just get it to room temperature.
2. Seasoning. Just like we talked about when grilling hamburgers, there is no need to over-think seasoning.  Let that steak’s natural taste prevail!  I like to keep it simple and use a little Kosher salt, FRESH ground black pepper and a little garlic powder.  Combine the seasoning and rub it all over both sides of the steak.
3. High heat. Now that the steak has warmed a bit and has been coated in a simple layer of seasoning, go ahead and light the grill on high.  Another important technigue in grilling steaks is to use high, direct heat and grill them quick!
4. Lube up that grill! We don’t want our poor steaks to stick to that grill, right?  Using tongs, dip a folded up paper towel in some cooking oil and rub the grill grates to coat with the oil.
5. Grill those steaks! We are now ready to grill the steaks.  Using tongs, place the steaks on the hottest part of the grill and don’t touch them for about 2 minutes.
6. Grill marks are important. Why?  Because you want those steaks to look good right?  Pick your steaks up with the tongs and turn them 45 degrees and put them back on the grill to make those perfect grill marks.
7. Flip the steaks as little as possible. When meat is cooking over a direct heat source like on the grill, the juices get pushed through the meat away from the heat source.  To grill a juicy steak, you want to disrupt the juices as little as possible, so that means flipping the steak as little as possible.  After a total of around 5 minutes on the first side, flip the steaks over using your tongs (never pierce the steaks with a fork!).
8. Rotate again. After another 2 or 3 minutes on the other side, again rotate the steaks 45 degrees to create our grill marks on the other side.  Grill for an additional 3 – 4 minutes after rotating.
9. Check to see if they are done. Be nice to your steak, don’t ever poke or cut it with a knife or fork to tell if it is done!  Using a little practice, you can feel your steaks to determine how done they are.  Remember, you can always throw an undercooked steak back on the grill but you can’t reverse beef jerky, so err on the side of undercooked.  Using your finger or your tongs, press on the top of your steak.  The more firm your steak feels, the more cooked it is.  If you leave a depression after you push on the steak, it’s pretty much rare in the middle.  It will take a few practice runs, but pretty soon you’ll be able to tell how cooked your steaks are just by touch.
10. Let them rest! Once the steaks are grilled to your desired doneness, remove them and place them on a platter.  Now DON’T TOUCH those beautiful hunks of meat for 5 minutes.  Remember, the juices on the inside of the steak are going through a lot.  They need about 5 minutes to “calm down” and redistribute.  If you cut into it too soon, all of those juices will leak out.

See?   There is nothing to the perfect grilled steak.  Focus on technique, not the seasoning or (God forbid) sauces and let the natural flavor of the steak be the star of your grilling show.  Also, make sure you check out some of our other grilling recipes for those guests that don’t eat red meat.  If you are looking for a great appetizer, grilled shrimp kabobs make a great tasting and quick cooking treat!

Sometimes I like to flatten out the chicken and grill him whole. This is also the first step I take when “cleaning” a whole chicken, or cutting him up into his various components. Flattening a chicken is really pretty easy, so let’s take a look at step-by-step directions.

Step 1 – Cut out the backbone. Here is where we remove most of the structural integrity of the bird. Grab him (or is it her? How do you tell on a chicken? Oh who cares…) by what is left of the tail.  Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears (I recommend the latter), start cutting about a half of an inch away from the backbone and cut all the way from the neck to the tail, like so:

Continue on the other side of the backbone until you can remove it like this:

Step 2 – Access the keel bone!  Now that you have the backbone out, use both hands to spread the chicken out so you can see the underside of the breast area.  See this little white piece of grissel under my finger (just to the right of my finger)?  Cut through that with the knife (it is already cut in this picture):

Using the tip of a knife, score the chicken all the way down that line to the tail.  You just want to barely cut through the skin.  Now using both hands, “pop” the chicken open by bending his poor little body in the other direction.  You will now start to see the keel bone through the opening where we cut the grissel, it looks like this:

Now run your fingers down both sides of the bone to separate it from the skin and pull it towards you to remove it.  Here is what the keel bone looks like, see why it’s called a keel bone (probably not if you don’t know your way around boats, but trust me…):

Now you have a flat chicken!  At this point I often cut the chicken it in half, makes it easier to handle.  You can do this very easily now but cutting all the way through where the keel bone used to be.  You can now grill, bake or smoke that delicious whole chicken without having to worry about how to prop it up!

This grilled potatoes recipe is a great alternative to a boring baked potato. In this recipe, we give the standard starch a flavor boost. We redo this dinner staple by simply adding onions, garlic, salt, pepper and butter. The result is a crispy, delicious potato side dish that is hard to beat. This goes great with new york strip steak, turkey burgers, grilled pork chops or grilled chicken breasts. Or you can look up other grill recipes.

The idea is to create a sealed foil pouch the potatoes can cook in, where the flavors of the garlic and onions can co-mingle.  And by cutting them into cubes, the potatoes have more crispy edges and more surface for flavor.

Slice and dice
The first step is to slice potatoes into ½ to ¾ inch cubes. You can first peel them or leave the skins on, depending on your preference. We like to use a good chefs knife such as this Henckels chef knife

Slice a medium onion in half, and then cut the half into ¼ inch wide half rings. (We only need one half of the onion.)

Dice one clove of garlic, or use a garlic press to press one clove. Set the garlic aside on the cutting board or in a small holding dish.

Prep the foil
Tear off a large sheet of heavy duty foil, or double sheet of regular foil. The sheet should be large enough such that all of the potatoes can fit on ½ of the sheet, about 2 feet for 1 large baking potato, 3 feet for 2 potatoes. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the foil. Spread the oil with a basting brush or clean fingers.

Assemble the potatoes
Add the potato cubes to the one half of the oiled foil. Add the sliced onion, spreading them around. Sprinkle the garlic over the potatoes, making sure to distribute the garlic as much as possible. Grind about 1 teaspoon of fresh pepper and add about 1 teaspoon of salt. Slice 1 tablespoon of butter into 3 or 4 chunks and spread them out over the mixture.

Fold it up
Fold the foil in half, up to cover the potatoes. Crimp all sides of the foil to create a tight seal.

Cook ‘em
Now place the foil packet on a preheated grill over a direct medium low heat. Close the lid and let them cook for 5 minutes. Flip the foil packet over. We find it is best to use tongs and a spatula. Be careful not to poke a hole in the foil. Cook for 5 minutes and turn it again. Cook 5 more minutes then flip for a final 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Cut open the foil and scoop out the potatoes. Optionally, you can add butter to taste, though you don’t need it.

These crispy grilled potatoes serve as a great side dish. You can optionally add some fresh rosemary, or other favorite spices to boost the flavor even more. Grilling potatoes is a great way to bring new life to the boring same old same old. Try using one or two tablespoons of Dijon mustard for yet another twist.

Here is a quick tip on how to build a smoke pouch to give more flavor to your gas grilling:

Materials:

• Wood Chips (get them at any box store)
• Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
• Bowl to soak the wood
• Knife

Directions:

1. Soak the wood chips in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes.
2. Put a handful (or several, depending on how long you will be grilling) onto the middle of a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil.  About a cup of wood chips should be good for most grilling.  For meats requiring longer grilling times, like beer can chicken, go ahead and make two smoke pouches so you can throw the other one on the grill when the first stops smoking.
3. Fold all ends of the aluminum foil together to make a burrito-looking pouch.



4. Turn the pouch over and poke about 10 holes in the bottom of the pouch with a knife or fork.



5. Lift the grate of your gas grill and insert the pouch over a burner shield.



6. If you don’t want to lift the grill grate (or don’t have the room), you can try this alternative that I have been using a lot lately.  It doesn’t look good, but it gets the job done.  Use 2 bricks to suspend a small rack (like a small oven rack) a few inches off of the grill.  The point is to get the meat above the smoke so that it circulates around the meat.  Here’s a picture of my new preferred method (shown here with a delicious grilled pork loin roast:



7. Light your grill and turn it to high heat.
8. When the pouch starts to smoke, you are ready to grill!

Remember, it doesn’t take much exposure to smoke to give your grilled food a nice hint of smoke flavor!  Just grill your food like you normally would, only keep the lid closed as much as possible to allow for the smoke to circulate around the meat.

Got more time and want to get into more authentic barbeque?  Why not make your own smoker?  Jump over to this link to learn how to build a smoker.  You will be smoking whole chickens “slow and low” before you know it!

Cooking pizza on the grill is a lot easier than you might think. Next time your family is in the mood for pizza, don’t pick up the phone and order a greasy delivery pizza. Get the family involved and follow these easy steps to cook a much healthier and cheaper pizza on the grill.

Ingredients for a (roughly) 12 inch Grilled Pizza:

• Pizza dough (a little bigger than a baseball for a 12 inch pizza). Most grocery stores carry pre-made pizza dough, look for it in the bakery department.
• 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce (sauce in the jar is just fine, on the pasta isle of your grocery store).
• 1 handful of mozzarella cheese (add other cheeses if you want!).
• A few tablespoons of all purpose flour so things don’t stick.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• Toppings (whatever you want!)

Equipment:

• Cookie sheet (with no sides).
• Rolling pin.
• Grilling tongs and/or spatula.
• Brush for your olive oil.

Directions:

1. Clean and then light your grill and set it to high heat. Spraying a little cooking spray on the grate BEFORE you light the grill never hurts.
2. Sprinkle some flour on your table or counter top so the dough doesn’t stick and them put the mound of dough in the middle. Keep a light dusting on flour on the dough and your hands, it will make it much easier to handle.
3. Pound the dough as flat as you can with your hand and then start to roll with the rolling pin.



4. Continue to roll the dough from the middle out and get it as flat as you normally like your pizza crust. The dough will expand some when you cook it, so err on the flatter side to give it room to expand.
5. Transfer your flattened dough to a cookie sheet that you have sprinkled with flower and take it out to the grill.
6. Turn one of your burners down to about medium heat, but leave the others at high heat.
7. Over the medium heat burner, gently slide the dough onto the burner by wiggling the cookie sheet. This may seem scary, but the dough quickly forms a crust and it is very easy to handle on the grill.



8. Leave the lid open and observe the dough, pop any bubbles that form as it cooks to keep the air out.
9. Using a spatula or tongs, monitor the underside of the dough. Some charring is fine, this adds distinct grill flavor, but when it starts to get firm you know it’s close to flipping time. This step usually takes only a few minutes.



10. When the dough is firm and has some char on the underside, carefully flip the dough back onto the flowered cookie sheet with the (now) grilled side up.
11. Brush the grilled side of the dough with a little olive oil.



12. Spoon the sauce onto the middle of the dough and then spread it with the back of the spoon out to the sides. The sauce should not be too thick, too much sauce makes your cheese and toppings slide off!
13. Now sprinkle your cheese over the sauce and place on your toppings.



14. Now it is time to transfer the pizza back onto the grill. Just like before, carefully slide your pizza off the cookie sheet and onto the grill.



15. Continue to cook your pizza until the cheese has melted and the underside of the pizza is nice and crispy!
16. Transfer it to a serving plate and allow to cool for a few minutes before you cut into it and serve!

Kids love to help build their pizza. Get them involved in rolling out the dough and then let them add their cheese and toppings. Grilling pizza makes for a great Friday evening at home with the family!

If putting the pizza dough directly on the grill makes you nervous (it looks like it will fall through!), try picking up one of these VillaWare Pizza Grills.  We recently ordered one from Amazon and found ourselves making pizzas, quesadillas and flat breads for what seemed like a solid week!  This thing is fun to use and will turn your grill into a pizza oven.  Check out our detailed review of the VillaWare Pizza Grill.