I have to admit. The first couple years of grilling, it was so hit or miss. When it was a hit, I was like “I’ve got this! Grilling is easy!” Until the next time I cut into a whole grilled chicken and it was raw in the middle. Gah.
But I have some tips that I’ve learned over the years that will help you become a grill master. My first piece of advice? Get a meat thermometer. Like for real – this is the game changer in cooking perfect meat.
I also use a charcoal chimney to light my coals, so I no longer use lighter fluid. I think the food tastes better. You can buy them in any home improvement store and they cost around $10. Simplly fill with coals, and put a piece of newspaper on the bottom, light the paper with matches, and within 10 minutes you’ll have perfect coals.
I’ve also learned how to cook my meat on indirect heat, and it’s almost exclusively how I cook my meat. All that means is that your hot coals are one side and the other side of your grill is “cold.” I start the meat on the cold side and let the heat of the grill cook the meat, without it getting charred over the hot coals.
I was also notorious for using way too many coals – I use the amount of coals that fit in my chimney, and I can simply add more if the temperature starts to drop too far down.
I decided to grill a chuck roast. Most people will tell you that you would need to cook that cut low and slow or in a Crock Pot, but I treat it as I would any other steak. Make sure your roast is at room temperature. Season with salt and pepper and any seasoning you want. I like using rubs with a bit of spice and brown sugar for some caramelization on the grill to get a nice crust.
I like to keep my grill at about 300 degrees. Simply use the vent on the top of your grill to keep it around that temperature. If your grill is getting too hot, pull the meat off the grill and shut the vent and the top of the grill to reduce the amount of oxygen the coals are getting. Oxygen feeds the coals to get hotter. Once the temperature has come down, put your meat back on the grill and continue.
- 3 pound chuck roast
- Salt and pepper
- Seasoning of choice
- Grill at around 300 degrees until a meat thermometer reaches 125 degrees.
- Let cool 30 minutes before slicing.
My late husband used to always cut beef within minutes of it coming off the grill and I used to cringe when he did that – if your cutting board is full of juice, which means your beef is going to be dry. You need the 30 minutes to let the juice redistribute back into the beef – it will be worth the wait!
And since you’ve already got the grill going, it’s the perfect way to meal prep for later in the week. Once my beef was almost done, I added bone in chicken breasts to use for tacos, chicken salad, or shredded into a quick Thai soup.
If you are ready to up your grilling game, check out all of The Chopping Block's amazing grilling classes coming up, especially our FREE Big Green Egg Kickoff Show this Saturday from 10am to 5pm at Lincoln Square. This year the menu is Cinco de Mayo themed!
Hooray for grilling season! To get started at home, download our free Guide to Grilling with grilling tips, videos and recipes.
