Secrets of Gaylord Hotels Chefs: Barbecue Basics, Part 2

National Barbecue Month continues at Gaylord Hotels! In this article,?Chef Sean Ellis?of?Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center?offers his recipe for success at grilling.??

Tips from Chef Sean for meat and vegetables, seasoning, marinades, temperature control, and grilling utensils:

Meat and vegetables

The sky is the limit with grilling as you can literally scramble eggs on a grill as I did during a winter storm we had in Texas last year that left us without power for a week. If it wasn’t for my charcoal grill, we would’ve been without coffee and cooked food during this time!

• When grilling beef, pork, or lamb, I recommend bone-in cuts such as loin chops, bone-in rib eyes, and T-bones.
• If you’re working with sausages and patties, they are good seared off with some color on the “hot side,” then set aside indirectly from the fire to cook thoroughly.
• When grilling poultry, use leg quarters, bone-in breast, and wings.
• If you’re preparing seafood, scallops and shrimp are fantastic off the grill. Just keep in mind these are lean and small proteins which will cook quickly. I highly suggest skewering shrimp and fish for quick cooking and minimal handling.

Seasoning and marinades

• Stick to coarser-grained salts for meats and proteins as they provide more in-depth seasoning with all the turning and tossing on the grill.
• Using a good sea salt is preferred. Dry rubs work well. Just check to see if they include salt or not so over-seasoning is prevented.
• Keep an eye out for oil-based or sugar-heavy marinades which may cause flare-ups on the charcoal. Cooking on aluminum foil can help with these marinades.?
• Marinate the food items for a minimum of four hours if using a wet marinade or even overnight to ensure flavor retention. Fresh herbs, garlic, black pepper, salt, and olive oil go a long way and are easy to source for a healthier option for marinating meats and vegetables.
• Season with a touch of olive oil, fresh black pepper, and kosher salt, at a minimum.

Temperature control

• Place the bulk of the lit charcoal on one side of the grill with your tongs or spatulas while leaving a smaller amount adjacent to it. This gives you the option of having a “hot” part of the grill to sear and cook quickly.
• Move items to the opposite side (which isn’t as hot) to complete cooking or hold hot. Seafood, poultry, burgers, and sausages should be cooked thoroughly to 160 F while beef, lamb, pork, and veal should be cooked to a minimum of 125 F.

Grilling utensils

• Stainless steel tongs, skewers, and spatulas are great tools for tending to grilled items. Wood skewers are preferred as they do not conduct heat, but you must soak them in water prior to using to prevent splintering.
• Cast iron pans are fabulous for grilling?if you have the space. You can deep fry or sauté vegetables or meats in the pan without dripping into the flames or losing food between the grates or even keep chili hot on the grill.
• Synthetic food-grade brushes with long handles are great for basting marinades, oils, or butter on meats.

Follow these tips and your family and neighbors will be amazed at your skill with the grill this summer.