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Motherās Day may kick off the celebrations, but May is packed with reasons to fire up the grill. Between National BBQ Day and National Brisket Day, it's the perfect time to sharpen your outdoor cooking game.
Whether you just bought your first grill or are learning how to master different cuts of meat, these beginner-friendly BBQ hacks will help you grill smarter, not harder.
Bonus: Stick around for a featured UGC (user-generated content) recipe that will have your friends and family asking for seconds.
Photo by @pigsonbbq
A clean grill grate prevents food from sticking and improves flavor. A dirty grill covered in grease, ash, and bits of meat from previous cooks can not only ruin flavor but also cause food poisoning if harmful bacteria survive.
Use a sturdy grill brush to scrub the grates both before and after every cook. If your grates are very dirty, heat the grill first to loosen debris, then scrape clean. Making grill cleaning a habit keeps your BBQ safer and tastier.
Example: Grilling chicken on dirty grates could cause it to stick badly and tear the meat when you try to flip it.
Give your grill 10 to 15 minutes to fully preheat before putting any food on it. Preheating helps food cook evenly and creates beautiful grill marks, locking in juices.
For charcoal grills, wait until the charcoal pieces turn white and glow red underneath. For gas grills, close the lid and let it fully heat up.
Example: If you put a steak on a cold grill, it might steam instead of searing, leaving it gray and rubbery instead of juicy and crusty.
Setting up a two-zone grill means creating a hot side (direct heat) and a cooler side (indirect heat).
Example: When grilling thick pork chops, you can sear both sides quickly over high heat, then move them to indirect grilling to finish cooking gently.
How to set it up: On a charcoal grill, pile the coals to one side. On a gas grill, turn one burner on high and leave the other off.
Guessing doneness is the fastest way to ruin great meat. Use a smart thermometer like The MeatStick to track your meat temperature accurately without opening the lid every few minutes.
It ensures food safety by confirming your meat is cooked to safe internal temperatures without drying it out.
Example: When smoking a brisket for 12 hours, you cannot rely on time alone. Only internal temperature tells you when itās ready.
Once your meat comes off the grill, let it rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes before cutting. Resting allows juices inside the meat to redistribute instead of spilling out onto the cutting board.
Example: If you slice a steak immediately, all the juices run out, leaving it dry. Resting keeps it juicy and tender.
Pro tip: Cover the meat loosely with aluminum foil or butcher paper while it rests to keep it warm without steaming it.
When doing low-and-slow cooks like brisket, place a disposable aluminum pan filled with water under the meat or next to the coals.
The water evaporates, adding humidity inside the grill and helping prevent drying out during long backyard barbecues.
Example: Without a water pan, smoking a pork shoulder could dry out the outer layer before the inside finishes cooking.
Bonus tip: Add aromatics like herbs, apple juice, or beer to the water pan for extra moisture and subtle flavor.
During long smoking sessions, meat often hits "the stall," where the internal temperature plateaus around 150Ā°F to 170Ā°F.
Wrapping the meat in aluminum foil or butcher paper helps retain heat and push through the stall faster.
Example: A brisket can stall for 3ā4 hours. Wrapping around 165Ā°F helps power through to 203Ā°F while keeping the brisket juicy.
For the best flavor and tenderness, prep your meat hours or even a day ahead of grilling.
Example: Salt a whole chicken the night before grilling for extra-juicy results.
Pro tip: Always pat off marinades before cooking to avoid flare-ups from dripping oil.
Every time you open the grill lid, you lose heat and moisture, causing major temperature swings. Trust your thermometer and let the grill do its job.
Example: Constantly checking ribs can extend cooking time by an hour or more, drying them out.
Pro tip: āIf youāre lookinā, you aināt cookinā.ā
Different woods create different smoke flavors:
Example: Using strong hickory smoke on fish would overpower it. Stick with cherry or apple wood for milder meats.
Pro tip: Always use seasoned wood. Green wood makes bitter smoke and ruins good meat.
This Mexican Pulled Pork is smoky, tender, and packed with bold flavors. Enjoy it straight out of the pan or pile it into tortillas for taco night.
No matter your skill level, mastering a few smart BBQ hacks makes all the difference. This May, sharpen your barbecue game and make every gathering a celebration.
And if you want one less thing to worry about, tools like The MeatStick make it easier to cook with confidence.
Happy grilling! š„
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