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Rather than fatty hunks of meat or sausages, try grilling:
Marinades are easy to make and allow you to use some creativity in your cooking! If you're making your own marinade, plan on about a half cup per pound of meat. There are usually 3-4 components to a marinade. You'll definitely need an acid such as citrus juices, vinegars, or wine. This acid will serve to break down the protein tissues in the meat, which serves to tenderize.
For flavor, you also need to include some oil (canola, olive, sesame, or other) and seasonings (salt and pepper, dried or fresh herbs, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustards, garlic, ginger root, onion, chili peppers, etc). You also might want to add a sugary ingredient like honey, jam, or molasses to add a touch of sweetness and caramelization to your grilled food.
About a quarter to a third of the marinade should be the acid, a few tablespoons should be oil, about a tablespoon of your sugar ingredient, and seasonings can really be however much you'd like.
Make sure to always marinate in the refrigerator. Large ziploc bags are great for marinating. Otherwise, use a shallow glass or plastic container. Avoid metal which will react with the acid in the marinade. The longer you marinate, it will also cut down a little bit on cooking times. Depending on what you're marinating, the times will vary.
Here are some general rules to follow:
Don't use leftover marinade for basting or as a sauce, unless you first boil it for 5 minutes to kill any bacteria. To prevent food from sticking to the grill, lightly coat your grilling surface with a small amount of cooking oil or spray. Some companies now make nonstick sprays specifically for the grill.
To ensure proper doneness, it helps to keep a meat thermometer handy at the grill. Here are temperature guidelines for different types of meat.
With these ideas and guidelines, you will easily be able to put together dozens of delicious and healthy grilled meals this summer - or whenever you feel like using your grill. Whether you're craving Italian, Tex-Mex, Asian, or plain old American - you can create a wonderful taste on your grill!
About The Author: Erin Rogers, a work-at-home mom of two, is the founder of Health-E-Meals.com, providing practical healthy living resources for busy people. Visit her website (http://www.health-e-meals.com) to sign up for the FREE newsletter, 'Dinners on the Double' - offering a quick and healthy, no-recipe dinner idea each week. Other available services include quick and healthy recipes, healthy cooking articles, fitness and motivation tips, healthy living web links, and lots more! Erin can be reached via email at mailto:erin@health-e-meals.com.
This article provided by the Family Content Archives at: http://www.Family-Content.com
By (Guest Post)
01/31/2005
why should you grill food? it is a thing i always cannot find things about.
i can never find anything to help me with my project and it is not good coz i need this stuff but i can't find it on the net i always find things to do with barbeques instead
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