Meat Selection & Grill Cooking Techniques

Obviously, you want to start with the highest quality meats available. Selecting top-grade cuts of meat is an art form in and of itself.

Ground Beef

Choose the lean mix, around 93/7 (93% lean and 7% fat). Greasy burgers will cause your grill to “flame up” and burn the burgers. Plus, even though you’ve made large-diameter patties, fatty ground beef will shrink considerably leaving you with something that resembles more of a big meatball than a nice, bun-sized burger.

Beef Steaks, Roasts, and Briskets

Choose reasonably lean, yet well-marbled cuts. Too little fat, and the meat will wind up dry and tough. Avoid cuts with excessive fat around the perimeter of the cut. It’s just waste that will have to be trimmed off before cooking.

You want the included fat distributed evenly throughout the meat (marbled). This will give you juicy and tender masterpieces to place before your guests.

Chicken and Turkey

Most people think that grilling poultry is easy, that is until they try it. The fact is though; it’s one of the most difficult meats to serve up with good results. Unlike beef, poultry has to be “romanced” to come out just right.

To be safe and prevent illness, you must cook it long enough to reach an internal temperature of 165° – 170° at the core. Yet, if cooked for too long it will be dry, burnt on the outside and pretty much tasteless.

Low and slow is the rule of thumb for great-tasting chicken or turkey every time.