With summer in full stride, many of us have shifted out of the kitchen to the great outdoors and closer to our beloved grills. There is something primal that stirs from cooking over an open flame.

Hang in there while I meat geek for a minute: The Maillard reaction occurs to meat when heat is applied. It is many minor simultaneous chemical reactions that happen when proteins and sugars in and on your food are transformed by heat, producing new enticing flavors, aromas, and colors. This differs from caramelization that sometimes causes browning in the same foods in which the Maillard reaction occurs, but these two processes are distinct. They are both promoted by heating, but the Maillard reaction involves amino acids, whereas caramelization is the pyrolysis of certain sugars. The bottom line is many of us enjoy these elements from our cooked proteins, especially when paired with a cold beer or a cocktail. My mouth is watering just thinking about a great, juicy, medium-rare steak, burger, or a good hot dog (Chicago-style) with those crispy bits hot off the grill.

With that in mind, I thought I'd share some simple tricks and preparation to boost your grilling experiences.

First, a couple of essential housekeeping tips: Clean your grill grates well and scrape off all the old carded blacken residuals left over. It doesn't add any flavors that enhance what you will be cooking. Plus, it can add quite a few bitter notes to any new food you cook. A clean grate helps with even heat distribution and great grill marks. Next, whether you're cooking meat, veggies, or fish, ensure you have ample grease or oil, so your food doesn't stick to the grill grates. When I worked in Hawaii, we’d slathered up all our fresh fish fillets with mayo, S&P before placing them on the grill. Since mayo has a large amount of oil it helps to create a buffer between the meat of the fish flesh and the grates, giving you well-defined grill marks and it melts away quickly. For veggies, we use a blend of grapeseed oil and olive oil 70/30 to add hints of flavor and allow you to cook at a high, more direct heat when desired, as grapeseed oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil.

Also, keep in mind that not all foods need high heat. Pork shoulder, tenderloin, or chops turn out juicier and more flavorful with lower heat sources — especially if you're smoking your proteins! I prefer to marinate or brine smoked proteins to help them retain more moisture and add in flavors. Depending on the cut of meat, you can do this anywhere from four hours to overnight. The most basic and top tip is to allow your food to become room temperature before grilling AND always allow meats to rest five to fifteen minutes before carving and serving. You will see the difference and so will your family and friends. Bon Appetit! Stay safe, enjoy you're summer, and happy grilling!

Our query this week is, What tip do you have to share to help us all raise our grilling game?

Cheers, Live well…

Simple summertime grilling tips

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