If you're a new comer to barbecuing, odds are you have run into problems with burnt and underdone results. Barbecuing, like anything else, takes learning and practice. Learning from your mistakes, along with the experience of the mistakes of others will make you a grilling expert very quickly.
Before you begin barbecuing steak, apply a thin coat of vegetable oil on the grill grates with a brush, or spray the grates with a nonstick cooking spray. This will prevent the meat from sticking when you're turning it or removing it. If your meat sticks and tears, you will lose large amounts of juice, and your expensive steaks will get dried out and tough.
On no account position your food on the grill until the temperature is suitable. Gas grills can take 15 or more minutes to preheat. When you are using a charcoal grill, be sure that the briquettes are completely gray before putting the meat on the grill. This tends to allow the temps to level out, and in the case of charcoal for most of the lighter fluid residue to burn off.
Using charcoal lighter fluid is usually both good and bad. Lighter fluid almost always leaves a distinctive taste on the cooked food. On the other hand, attempting to start a charcoal fire without fluid will create frustration because of the incontrovertible fact that charcoal is difficult or even impossible to light without lighter fluid. A Weber charcoal chimney is a good alternate starter method.
You should properly prepare the meat you will be barbecuing prior to placing it on the grill. It is best to never try to cook meat on the grill while it is still frozen, or even partially frozen. Thaw your meat by taking it out of the freezer about 12 to 24 hours before your cooking schedule. If you thawed the meat in the refrigerator set it out long enough for the meat to get to room temperature.
Never use a fork to pierce the meat while it is cooking. Piercing the meat will cause the juice inside to trickle out into the bottom of the grill. Not only will this make your food dry and unappealing, but it could potentially ruin your burners. At the minimum, it will produce a buildup of undesirable grease and juices on your grill, which will make cleanup harder.
Once the meat is on the grill, try to keep the lid closed. Every time you open the lid, you change the temperature inside the grill. The continuous change in temperature plus the air flow created from opening the lid will cause your meat cook unevenly and to dry out more quickly.
Keep in mind that intense heat may not always be the best. While high heat is ok to cook thin food quickly, turning the heat up with thicker steak cuts will just cause the meat to dry out and burn on the outside.
If you using your favorite barbecue sauce, make sure to wait as long as possible before putting it on the meat. Putting barbecue sauce on too early will carbonize the sauce. Barbecuing recipes may differ on the timing of the application of the sauce.
