When it comes to grilling, there's no substitute for learning by fire--that is, standing in front of one with tongs and the faith that, eventually, you'll get the hang of it.
Here are four experience-tested tales of the grill that will shave some time off your learning curve, plus add great dishes to your repertoire.
Grilled Tri-Tip with Cuban Mojo Sauce
Tip: Play with your fire
After years of living in the East, where tri-tip is as common as zebra, I'd lost my tri-tip grilling savvy, especially over
charcoal. On my first attempt, the coals, perfect at first, dwindled fast, and the meat took ages to cook. Next I tried grooved
coals that burned as hot as a blowtorch. Then I remembered: Play with the fire to get the right heat. I created a coal-free
zone to give me medium heat, and moved the tri-tip there. Later, I pushed it back, chasing medium. At the end, I let the breeze
fan the coals into a final burst. Cooking over live fire is like driving a stick shift. It feels good to be back in gear.
-Margo True, Food Editor
Tip: Try a baking sheet
Boy, do I hate to skewer things. It takes so much time. Plus I'm afraid of stabbing myself. But how else to grill little chunks
of vegetables so they don't fall through the cooking grate? Use a baking sheet. It saves time and pain, and, since the vegetables
cook indirectly, I can glaze them with balsamic vinegar, which ordinarily scorches on the grill. And I can cut them into strips,
which won't cling to a skewer. The result: creamy, melt-in-your-mouth vegetables.
-Stephanie Dean, Test Kitchen Coordinator
Pineapple Satays with Coconut Caramel
Tip: Use big pieces of firm fruit
While the pastry chef at Boulevard in San Francisco, I tried using the grill with different fruits. Early disasters: strawberries
(they fell through or stuck to the grates) and cherries (hard to skewer). Some customers complained that my grilled fruit
tasted like meat. My solution: choosing denser fruits like peaches, nectarines, and pineapples ― the first two cut in half,
the third thickly sliced. They were instant winners. Also, I cleaned the grill well to let the fruit flavor shine through.
I'm glad I kept at it, because warm grilled fruit is perfect with ice cream in summertime, and it makes use of an already
hot barbecue.
-Amy Machnak, Recipe Editor
Crazed Mom's Easy Steak and Garam Masala Naan-wiches
Tip: Turn heat super-high
In 1½ hours, can I make dinner while grocery shopping for the week? On my mark: I toss a flank steak (very thin and therefore
fast to cook on a hot fire) in a ridiculously easy marinade, dump charcoal in a chimney, alert husband to light the fire,
and call children to set the table. Get set: I'm off to the market, where I careen through aisles, piling food into the cart.
Back home, go! Toss meat on grill. Zip in house to make sauce from marinade. Warm up bread. Pile watercress in bowl. Slice
meat. Sit down with happy family. Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes. Crazed mom does it again.
-Elaine Johnson, Associate Food Editor
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