Hy-Vee Recipes and Ideas

How to safely turn on your grill: For a gas grill, keep the lid raised and then turn on the gas from the propane tank. Next, turn on the gas burners on the grill. Press the auto light or ignition button and it should light. For a charcoal grill, arrange coals into a mound. Add lighter fluid to the pile of coals and light immediately. When the coals are covered in gray ash, they are ready.

Use direct cooking for steaks, chops, chicken, seafood and vegetables. Essentially, you want to use direct heat for anything that takes less than 25 minutes. If it takes longer, use indirect. (Indirect cooking is placing the meats or vegetables to the side of the flame.)

On a cool grill, you can use non-stick cooking spray to grease the grates. For a warm grill, use tongs to dip a folded paper towel in cooking oil, then brush over the grill grates. 

Let steaks come to room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking. This helps them cook evenly.

Patting steaks dry removes moisture and allows them to get a good sear (yes, even if they've been marinating). If there's too much moisture on the surface, the steaks will steam instead of sear. This trick also applies to poultry and seafood. 

Try to turn steaks only 2 to 3 times. Don't force pulling them off the grill too soon; the meat will easily release when the steak is well seared.

Press a thumb print into the center of the patty. When the burger cooks, it will puff up to the right level, without creating a domes shape.

Use tongs to turn your brats on the grill. When you use a fork, you risk piercing the casing and allowing juices to leak out.

If you are using a standard charcoal grill, you will need a water pan. However, if you are using a gas grill to smoke, you don't need a water pan.

When grilling pizza, grill the dough on both sides first, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Top with your favorite toppings and cook over indirect heat to bake your pizza.

Grill boneless chicken quickly over direct heat. Bone-in chicken, however, is better when it’s cooked over indirect heat—which prevents it from burning.

When grilling ribs, keep a consistent temperature. Peaks and valleys in temperatures will cause meat to tighten up and be tough. When smoking ribs, after 1 hour, open vents to bring temp to 225 degrees to 250 degrees. Cook for 4 to 6 hours, holding meat at an internal temp of 165 degrees to 170 degrees.

Instead of using a basting brush, use a food grade spray bottle to spray wine, cider, fruit juice, soy sauce, or other flavorings on grilled food. You can also use a spray bottle filled with water to put out any flare-ups on the grill.

The following is based on 1-inch steaks:
Rare—125 degrees 
Grill for 6 minutes, then flip for additional 3 to 4 minutes.
Medium-Rare—130 to 135 degrees
Grill for 6 minutes, then flip for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
Medium—140 to 145 degrees
Grill for 7 minutes, then flip for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.
Medium-Well—150 to 155 degrees
Grill for 8 minutes, then flip for additional 6 to 7 minutes.
Well Done—160 degrees
Grill for 9 minutes, then flip for an additional 7 to 8 minutes.

Let your meat rest for about 10 minutes after cooking. This will allow all those yummy juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making for a more tender and flavorful meal.

Presoak skewers in fresh water for 30 minutes. Use what you need and place the rest in a freezer bag. Next you grill with skewers, just pull what you need out of the freezer and they're ready to go. 

When grilling veggies—especially smaller ones—use skewers, a grill pan, or wrap them in foil. These methods will prevent vegetables from falling through the grates. 

When grilling peaches and other stone fruits, adding black pepper and vanilla enhances the natural flavor. Just make sure the grill is clean before grilling fruit.