|
|
|
Written by Erin Frustaci
|
|
Wednesday, 28 June 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
Page 7 of 7
Girl on grills: A female’s finer points on flame
By Howie Rumberg
asap
FI-YA! Come on guys, say it. It’s grilling season and that means men are happily taking over the cooking duties.
But sorry, it’s not all about grabbing a beer and unleashing the troglodyte in you. Spend any time at the helm and you quickly realize that it takes a little practice to maintain a flame.
 In order to get started on a more successful grilling season, and to help quash the preconceived idea that the grill is a man’s domain, I called upon Elizabeth Karmel, the author of “Taming the Flame: A Southern Girls Sassy Guide to Grilling and BBQ” and founder of the online resource for female grillers, Girls at the Grill. Karmel is devoted to the cookout.
“Grilling is the absolute best way to prepare food, hands down,” Karmel says.
What gives grilled foods their flavor? The fats and juices from meats drip down, hit the coals and vaporize into flavored smoke. At the same time, the heat caramelizes the food’s exterior, making it even more tasty.
The first thing Karmel says you need to know is the difference between direct and indirect heat and when to use each.
Direct heat is putting food over the heat source. You do this for cooking that requires 20 minutes or less. Hamburgers, hot dogs, leaner meats, fish, or boneless and skinless chicken breast are cooked this way.
With indirect cooking, larger cuts of meat or bone-in chicken pieces are cooked near — but not directly over — a heat source with the lid closed. This allows for quicker cooking times and prevents drying out.
 Next, preheat your grill. Preheating gets the cooking grate hot, which allows you to clean it every time you cook. It also helps food not to stick.
When you’re ready to cook, turn the gas grill down to medium. If you’re using a live flame, the coals will have a gray-white ash covering them when ready.
Too much heat will burn outside before the inside is done. Too little and you’re eating hockey pucks.
So it’s time to put dinner on the fire. Don’t be nervous; grilling is very hands off. Karmel says you want to turn proteins only once, halfway through cooking, they stick when turned too soon.
“Grilling should be a relaxing process, and it’s really sort of is a no-peak cooking technique,” she says. “You don’t have to play with your food.”
Once you have your meat off the grill, let it rest for a few minutes. That gives the juices a chance to settle. Then enjoy.
GRILL BIBLES
- “The Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue”
- “The Thrill of the Grill,” by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby
- “Taming the Flame: A Southern Girls Sassy Guide to Grilling and BBQ” by Elizabeth Karmel
Howie Rumberg, asap
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.
|
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
