Here we are again, dispensing propane-based knowledge into the final frontier known as the internet. In part one of this two-part series, we highlighted a few ways beginners (along with the odd intermediate) get tripped up when grilling. We talked about letting your meat settle the right amount before throwing it on the grill, while making sure that it doesn’t get all the way to room temperature.

We discussed how experienced grillers separate themselves from the pretenders in a key way; they trust themselves. As such, they don’t fidget with what they are cooking. They trust the process. Plus, if your party invitees see you squirming around with a pair of tongs every five seconds, they’ll probably say something like, “Hey buddy, why are you squirming around with that pair of tongs every five seconds?” And they’d be right to do so. Then, you lose all confidence, and you end up not being able to approach Sally, for whom you organized this entire event, and you never fall in love. Sally, as it turns out, ends up marrying Brad, your pseudo-friend who called you out for the tong-fidgeting earlier. So, you know, leave your meat alone.

How Not To Grill

That’s close to the worst-case scenario (don’t ask us what the absolute worst-case is, you don’t want to know), but it isn’t really grounded in reality. Below you’ll find a few tips that are more practical than what we’ve been musing about above. Enjoy.

You Season Like A Chump

Chump. Noun: a foolish or easily deceived person, as in, “Wow, did this chump really just fail to season his protein properly before grilling? I’m going to talk to the girl he’s interested as a consequence.”

Folks, you have to salt your proteins. If you remember one thing from this blog, let it be that DiSanto Propane is your choice for commercial and home propane in Upstate New York. If you remember two things, let the other one be that salt (and usually pepper) unlocks the meat’s natural flavor. It’s an enhancer, it magnifies. However, people can get hung up on salt and fail to realize the spectrum of spices and cascading flavors of marinades that they can have access to. Have you ever combined chili powder with paprika and brown sugar? Have you ever combined apple cider vinegar with mustard and honey as a delectable marinade? We have. And we don’t regret it. If you don’t have much time before Sally and the gang come over, use a dry rub. If you’ve got a few hours to burn, consider a marinade.

If you want to take a layer deeper, by the way, consider marinating your meat overnight using a low-acid fruit puree. Mango is good. You’re gonna like it.

Greasing The Grill Like A Newb

Don’t grease the grill directly. Doing so looks kind of weird and pointless, and eventually, it will drip down the sides, only to burn onto the metal grill itself due to the high temperatures. Instead, use olive oil or something similar to baste your chicken (or whatever the protein might be) to prevent sticking. The aforementioned low-acid fruit puree of a marinade will do the trick nicely.

Failing To Account For Direct Heat

Another thing grilling rookies tend to do is fail to have a nuanced understanding as to how to utilize indirect heat. The primate within becomes unleashed when seeing meat and fire at the same time, so it’s understandable that the unlearned might become a bit bullish with how they cook their meat. Resist your simian urges in favor of superior flavor. If your fire gets too hot it will burn on the outside before the center is affected. The key here is to be intentional with how you utilize your grill. If you have a charcoal grill, first of all, we feel sorry for you. And secondly, you should build a two-zone fire — place all the coals on one side and leave the other vacant for more control. Sear them on one side and then let them gently finish on the vacated side without charring the exterior to a crisp.

If you have a propane grill, first of all, congratulations and welcome to the club. It feels good to be right, doesn’t it? Secondly, follow your instincts because they have led you toward going with propane, so you should be in the clear. In all seriousness, repeat the process we described above for the charcoal heathens. You won’t have to rake any coals over like it’s B.C.E., either, as you can simply press a button and use half your grill. Boomtown.

Believing You Are the Michelangelo Of BBQ Sauce Appliers

Many a human has tried to get fancy with how they apply their barbecue sauce, assuming they are the first person that’s ever had the following thought: “I’ll apply several layers of barbecue sauce throughout this bird’s cook-sesh so it’s the best bird I’ve ever served.” Yeah, don’t be like this human. Instead, do it the right way. The way grillmasters have been doing it for millennia. Why? Adding multiple layers of sauce will turn into a blackened, acidic soot that will pretty much ruin the evening. Not even more barbecue sauce can fix it. It’s bitter, almost as bitter as your guests will be once they’ve realized the hideousness that is your grilling ability.

Instead, wait until the last five to ten minutes to get your brushwork on.

Become A DiSanto Customer

We thank you for reading our blog posts. We can get a bit silly sometimes, but at the end of the day, we want our readers to be entertained and educated just as we want our customers to be satisfied with our propane services. If you have been looking for a way to cut down on your energy bill, consider making the switch to propane. It is clean, efficient, safe, and reliable beyond belief. Browse our site to learn more, and once you do, we hope you’ll become a DiSanto customer soon!