Large Cuts of Meat, Thick Fillets of Fish, and Vegetables: Tenderloins, Hams and Ribs, Whole Chickens, Half Chickens, Thick Chicken Breasts and other Chicken Parts, Steaks and Chops (over 1¼” thick), Vegetables
Afternoon, TEC grillers!
Today we have the final post for you in our series of Bill Best’s tips, and he’s focusing on larger, thicker cuts of meat, fish and vegetables. Here’s what he’s got for you:
- 1. Preheat your grill on medium for 5 minutes with the hood closed. You can’t start thicker pieces of meat and fish on high because they take longer to cook and sear marks will get too deep before the meat or fish is done.
- 2. Try using woodchips while you’re grilling to add a “certain” flavor to your food. When I’m grilling a tenderloin, I start the grill on high and spread just 4-6 handfuls of woodchips along the front of the grates just behind the control knobs. Woodchips don’t last long on the grates and I don’t add more, so the meat isn’t exposed to the smoke very long and it doesn’t taste smoky. When the grill begins to smoke, turn the grill to low. I call the taste a “certain” flavor because I can’t describe what it is except that people love it!
Woodchips
- 3. Grill anything that’s going to take more than 30 minutes – tenderloin, roasts, ham, ribs – between low and medium low with the hood down so that all sides will cook. Thick steaks, chops and vegetables should be cooked on medium with the hood open.
- 4. No special consideration needs to be given to prepping thicker meat, fish or vegetables because seasoning, rubs, and marinades won’t burn at these lower temperatures. Barbeque and other sauces will burn so wait and put them on just before or after you take your meat off the grill. You can also pour beer, wine or marinades on food while it’s on the grill. When it drips onto the heated glass below the cooking grate, it sizzles and steams and becomes part of the smoky vapor that flavors the food.