| Heat, Timing and Temperature-Reading |
| Heat, Timing and Temperature-Reading |
From "Fire Up the Grill"
episode DFUG-103 |
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Here, "barbecue queens" Judith Fertig and Karen Adler take host April Adams outside to begin grilling up the dishes they've prepared ....
- Heat the grill for five minutes or so before cleaning the grates. Once the grates are heated, it's much easier to scrape off the charred food.
- Try the "hand test" when checking the heat of the grill. Simply hold your hand five inches above the flame and begin counting: one thousand one, one thousand two. If you can feel heat by one thousand four, the grill is hot and ready!
- Try cooking with lump charcoal instead of traditional briquettes. Lump charcoal cooks quicker and hotter, and doesn't contain the petrol chemicals that briquettes have.
- If you prod the chicken breasts with your tongs and the middle is squishy, they're not ready; look for a firm texture and opaque white color. Another (more precise) option is to simply insert an instant-read thermometer into the center and look for an internal temperature of 165-170 degrees.
- Cook the chicken wings and drumsticks directly over the hottest part of the grill so that the skin will sear, then transfer to the perimeter of the grill so that the meat cooks through.
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