Heat Up The

I’ve always liked building fires and eating burgers, so it was almost inevitable that I’d venture to master the art of grilling. There’s something so primal about using live fire to cook that makes me feel even more connected to the food I grill; so much so that I find every opportunity to grill all year round.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran, weekend warrior, or just bought your first grill, I think you’ll find these tips helpful to elevate your grilling game. Always remember, perfecting your grilling skills is a life-long journey!

Embellish Your Condiments

Shake-up your sauce routine by adding pantry staples to your favorite condiments. These are best made the day before you plan to grill, so the flavors have time to marinate together. Simply whisk all ingredients till they are smooth and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Below are six ways to do just that: curry ketchup → ½ c ketchup + 1½ tsp lime juice + ½ tsp curry powder

BBQ Ketchup → ½ c ketchup + 4 Tbsp bbq sauce + 2 tsp packed brown sugar

Sesame & Scallion Mustard → ½ c Dijon mustard + ¼ c sesame oil + 1 garlic clove, diced + 6 scallions, sliced thin + 2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar + salt & pepper to taste

Garlic Mayo → ½ c mayo + 2 cloves garlic, minced + 2 tsp lemon juice + salt to taste

Sweet Chili Mayo → ½ c mayo + 3 tsp Thai chili sauce + 1-2 tsp gochujang sauce

Za’atar Yogurt → ½ c plain yogurt + 2 garlic cloves, minced + 1 tsp Za’atar spice + 2 Tbsp lemon juice + salt to taste

Mustard Sauce: Two Ways

Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce is attributed to German immigrants who brought their love of mustard to South Carolina. Its vibrant yellow color is why it was coined ‘Carolina Gold,’ but I think this zesty sauce has as much of a place on your table in Lancaster County as it does in the South! I like to use it as a marinade for meats, and you can also use it to make a crowdpleasing dip for pretzels. Here’s how to do it:

Carolina

Gold Mustard

BBQ Sauce ↓

3/4 c yellow mustard

¼ c stone ground mustard

¼ c apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp hot sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp chili powder

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Let the flavors meld for a day before you marinate your meats. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Carolina Gold

Pretzel Dip ↓

½ c plain yogurt or mayo

¼ c Carolina gold mustard bbq sauce salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then serve. This pretzel dip also makes a great sauce for pretzel-crusted chicken if you don’t want to get hot grilling this summer.

Start Prep Work Before Starting Your grill

It takes my grill 15 minutes to get to 500F and then I wait another 10 minutes before I get cooking. If you think your prep will take a bit longer than 25 minutes, start before you heat-up your grill. Make sure everything is chopped, oiled, seasoned, and ready to hit the heat. By having all your ingredients ready to go, you’ll have a much more relaxing experience and can focus on cooking everything to perfection.

Sequence Your Grilling & Create Heat Zones

Because I let my grill get up to 500F, I always turn down the heat to a mediumlow, which gets around 350F right before cooking. This makes it easier to cook without completely charring your dinner.

Next, sequence your ingredients & find your hotspots–start your vegetable on the hottest spot since they will take a bit longer than your meat. The hot spot will be directly over open flames and more towards the middle. Once your veggies have a head start and good color, move them to a cooler part of the grill and start your meat on the highest heat zone. Once the meat has a nice sear, move it away from that hot spot to keep it moist.

Put Your Cast Iron on the Grill

Instead of wrapping your onions and peppers in foil for their trip to the grill, simply heat up your favorite cast iron skillet on your grill. Before you heat the grill, put the cast iron on the grill and let them heat up together, like you would with a pizza oven.

Use your cast iron on the grill to make pizzas, bake cobblers, stew tomatoes, or even create a smoky breakfast hash. Anything you cook in a pan can be grilled if you use a cast-iron skillet–don’t be afraid to experiment!

Build-A-Burger Bar

When I’m grilling for a crowd, I usually set up a builda-burger station. Everyone can choose all their favorite toppings, and all the fixings can be prepped ahead of time. My build-a-burger station elements include toasted and untoasted buns, a few sauces (see suggestions above), lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw and grilled onions (sometimes fried), and bacon. I recommend melting the cheese on the burgers when they are on the grill, but use a few of your favorites–cheddar isn’t the only burger-worthy cheese.

When forming burgers for the grill, make them ¾ inch to 1 inch thick and a bit larger than your buns since they will shrink. I always use brioche buns, for my burgers, but go for the classic sesame if that’s your thing.

Basic Burger Total Timing: Medium Rare 6-7 minutes, Medium 7-8 minutes, Medium Well 9 minutes. For a crowd I usually cook my burgers to medium.

Relax a Little

Just because you’re firing-up the grill, it doesn’t mean that everything you’re preparing needs to touch the flame. Choose one side that doesn’t even need to be cooked and can be assembled by one of your guests, such as a salad of any sort. Furthermore, consider getting ice cream sandwiches or a pie for dessert to cool off and relax at the end of your meal. Afterall, grilling season is summer season, a time to slow down and enjoy the long warm days.