Don’t Make These Common Outdoor Grilling Mistakes

Having a backyard is definitely something that many wish for. Having a grill in the backyard is even better.

But what happens once you get your grill and you have no experience in grilling? Don’t worry—this certainly is an art, and just like any art, it takes time and practice to become perfect. You can always try to grill something for the first time, and you might even succeed, but there are also those people who make the most common outdoor grilling mistakes. It doesn’t matter if you’re satisfied with your grilling skills or not, take a look at this list and simply make sure that you don’t make them. If you follow them correctly, you might as well get a reward for the best griller out there. These are the most common mistakes people make while grilling outdoors:

Crowding the grill
One of the most common mistakes newbies make is crowding the grill, which can only have bad results. If you don’t pay attention and place many burgers on the grill, they might get burned very easily. Instead, leave enough space between your food so that it grills comfortably and in the right way. You will not save time by adding more food to your grill; you can only make matters worse. Once you get to know your grill a bit better, you will see what its hot spots are, so you will have the option of moving your food around in order to grill it in the best possible way. But don’t worry, practice makes perfect.

Building one large fire
Next up, there’s always the mistake of building one large fire. And don’t worry, this is nothing to be embarrassed about, as many think this is the right way to grill. Now, one large fire might limit the grill’s capacity, and the heat will have the same intensity. This is something that you want to avoid, so either light two or three small fires or opt for a smoker temperature controller that will help you keep track of the temperature on your smartphone. Either choice you make is a good one—the second one a bit more hi-tech and up-to-date—but both of them will help you make the best possible burger.

Watching
Sure, watching your burgers get grilled is definitely pleasing, but bear in mind that you’re interfering with the actual grilling process. If your grill has a lid on top and you open it every once in a while to check on your burgers, you are meddling with the temperature and thus messing with the final outcome. Don’t peek on big meats, at least not very often. Know that fire management and patience are the most important factors for making great barbecue.

Saucing too soon
Even though a lot of sauce sounds spectacular, it’s very important to dose it correctly. If you sauce your meat too soon, you’re risking creating something that’s difficult to cut or chew. Why? Sauce has sugar in it, which means that it caramelizes. If you put it over the fire too soon, it will burn and thus create a very hard piece of meat. What you need to do is sauce your meat during the last ten minutes of your cooking. Another way you could play this is by going without sauce. What you actually want is the flavor of meat, spice and smoke, and there’s really no need for any sauce. If somebody really wants it, you can leave it as an option at the table.

Not cleaning the grill
The last piece of advice is actually the most logical one—always clean your grill. Many make the mistake of taking a spatula and simply pulling a burger off the cooking surface thinking that that’s where the job ends, but some parts of it remain in the grates. What you can do is take a hard-bristle brush and scrub the grates while the grill is still warm (not hot, though). This will clean the grill in the best possible way and will make your next grilling adventure much more satisfactory.

Be that as it may, grilling is a lot of fun, and it’s definitely something that you can learn along the way. There certainly are tips and tricks on how to make your food much more delicious, but let’s go with the 101 first. You got this!