Everyone’s hungry. The weather’s beautiful. But Dad is working late, and you can’t wait for him to start the grill.
Hold on a minute…Where is it written that women have to cook with burners and microwaves while men get to have all the fun with open flames? Who says we have to be content with breadcrumbs while he gets to make grill marks? Go ahead: Tie on a manly apron, get out there, and fire that puppy up. A great grilled meal is easier than you think.
Here are some hints to help:
Hit the heat. If you have a gas grill with an ignition, it’s easy. Lift the grill lid, open the propane valve, push the button, and watch the temperature rise. If you have a charcoal grill, here’s the trick: Buy a charcoal chimney from the hardware store. Crumple some newspaper into the bottom, top with briquettes, and light from the base. The charcoal is ready when it turns white. Pour into your grill and start cooking.
Prepare the meat. While the grill or briquettes are warming up, bring your meat out to rest. Refrigerator-cold meat will toughen when it hits the high heat of a grill. Better yet, marinate the meat in a plastic bag with some olive oil, herbs, and spices. They give the meat flavor but also keep it from sticking to the grill.
Be the Queen of Kebabs. Go ahead and buy the premade kind from the supermarket—we know you’re busy. But jazz up the wooden skewers with long, fresh sticks of rosemary for even better flavor. Or try preseasoned skewers from mysecretpantry.com.
Squeeze the fat out of dogs. If the kids want hot dogs, make a deep slit down the length of each one and pierce it a few times with a fork. This burns off more fat.
Summon the secret weapon. Here’s an easy, fun way to cook tender chicken with perfect grill marks that will impress even Bobby Flay. Season some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and coat the grill with olive oil. (Be careful of flare-ups.) Place the chicken on the grill and rest a clean brick, wrapped in foil, on top. Cook 4 to 6 minutes on each side at high heat.
Make tasty veggies. One of the best vegetables to grill: corn on the cob. Cook the corn in its husk on high heat until the outside blackens and a fork can easily poke the kernels. Turn frequently to avoid burning. Or, for something completely different, quarter a head of lettuce—iceberg works best—and lightly grill. Serve with low-fat blue-cheese dressing, chilled.
Finish with dessert. Try peaches, plums, pineapple, or watermelon. Grill until lightly blackened. Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
Oh, and be sure to save your man the leftovers.
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