Random BBQ Hacks Every Grill Master Should Know (27 items)

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  (#1) Wait for Your Coals to Turn Grey

  You can't be impatient when it comes to cooking time. If you're using a charcoal grill, always wait for the coals to turn grey and have a little glow about them. Who really needs to be rushing through a BBQ, anyway?
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  (#2) Always Let the Meat Sit for a Few Minutes Before You Cut It

  If you want your meat to be the juiciest most delectable meat you've ever cooked, you should let it sit for about ten minutes before you cut into it. There is some very scientific reasoning behind all of this: when meat hits the heat, the liquid and juices rush toward the center, storing them there until you cut into it. If you want to let these juices internally marinate before cutting it open, let it sit first. 
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  (#3) Clean the Grill with an Onion

  Cut an onion in half and you have yourself a DIY, environmentally conscious grill cleaner (that actually works really well). Stab the half with a fork or sharp object so you can use the onion like you would a bristle brush. Get your grill really hot to loosen the built-up grime, then start scrubbing (the sliced side of the onion should be face down). The onion will remove all residue and won’t leave the grill with any harsh chemical flavors.
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  (#4) Smoke Stuff!

  Not quite sure what the differences are between smoking meat and barbecuing it? Smoking is a slow process that usually takes hours to cook. Smoking meat is a delicious alternative to barbecuing if you have the time and the means, and there are tons of fun ways to experiment with different wood chip flavors. There are plenty of relatively affordable smokers that are great for the beginner.
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  (#5) Add Some Wood Chips to the Charcoal

  If you're going for that smokey BBQ flavor, throw a few small pieces of wood into the charcoal. Add the wood to the coal right after the initial fire dies down.
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  (#6) Apply the Rub an Hour Before Cooking

  If you're using a rub instead of a marinade, apply the rub about an hour before you're ready to cook, says pit master Johnny Trigg. Trigg recommends using equal parts salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and grilled onion (McCormick and Weber will do the trick, too). 
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  (#7) Avoid Using Chemicals Because They'll Change the Flavor

  If you're a true barbecue lover, you care about achieving a succulence and flavor that can't be attained by any other means of cooking. Avoid using chemical fire enhancers on your grill or you could be chowing down on some strange-tasting dinner.
  
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  (#8) Take Steaks Out of the Fridge 20 Minutes Prior to Cooking

  Cooking steak? The one and only Bobby Flay says to take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you start grilling. This will let it get to room temperature and will allow for an even cook. 
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  (#9) Spray Your Meat with Apple Juice

  Pit Master Johnny Trigg likes to keep a little spray bottle of apple juice by the barbecue and spray the meat while it's cooking. He says the kind of meat doesn't matter (pork, chicken, ribs, brisket, etc.), it'll add extra flavor to the meat and maintain that nice golden color that everyone loves.
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  (#10) Use Two Skewers Instead of One

  To prevent those clumsy little pieces of meat and veggies from spontaneously rotating around the skewer, stab 'em with two skewers. This also makes eating a lot easier. 
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  (#11) Fire Roast the Vegetables for Optimum Deliciousness

  Fire roasted vegetables are an easy and satisfying side dish. Throw tomatoes, onions, bell peppers (anything with thin skin that can be peeled off) directly onto hot coals or wood and blacken the skin. Fire roasting enhances natural flavors and it’s a simple way to impress your guests with some variety. (Plus, you’ll look like a badass while you casually turn rotate your veggies in the fire.)
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  (#12) Take Your Meat Off Right Before It's Done

  Meat continues cooking after you take it off the grill - there's a lot of heat trapped inside those walls! Take your meat off the grill about a minute or two before you think it'd be done and you'll get the desired cook you were going for. A lot of people tend to pull the food off when it looks done and end up sad and disappointed when it turns tough or loses that pink color. 

  A good tip for knowing if your meat is cooked: if the meat comes off the grill easily, it's ready to go. If it sticks to the racks you want to keep it on longer. 
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  (#13) Ice Your Patty for a Better Burger

  MasterChef Graham Elliot recommends making a small crater in the middle of your burger patty and placing an ice cube in the middle of it. This will keep it moist and prevent it from drying out if you're cooking them well-done. 
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  (#14) Serve Condiments in a Muffin Tray

  This awesome hosting hack will save you lots of clean up and it makes you look like quite the innovative BBQ connoisseur. 
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  (#15) Only Flip the Meat Once

  According to Nicole Davenport, a Chopped Grill Master and co-owner of Whiskey Ranch BBQ, you should only flip your meat once. You may be subconsciously flipping because you've been overcome by the power of the tongs, but flipping repeatedly causes a lot of natural juices to fall off the meat. Cook one side fully then flip it over and let the other side do its thing. 
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  (#16) Get Those Perfect Diamond-Shaped Grill Marks

  In order to get those aesthetically pleasing crisscross grill marks, barbequelovers.com says to think of the grill as a clock and angle your meat towards 10 o'clock. Cook the meat about half-way through then flip it and angle it towards 2 o'clock. Voila! Crisscross barbecue sauce. 
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  (#17) Marinate Your Meat with Beer

  Whether you're drinking it or using it as marinade, beer is to barbecuing what charcoal is to the grill - you simply can't have one without the other. Check out this garlic beer marinade or this beer-marinated skirt steak recipe for some ideas on how you can start using the magical elixir to enhance flavors. 
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  (#18) Get Rid of Your Gas Grill

  Jonny Garret from Jamieoliver.com cracks a joke (that’s really accurate) comparing gas barbecue flavors to flavors created in the oven. Your food can still be delicious when cooked in a gas grill, but if you want to do BBQ right, you should trade in that gas grill for a charcoal one. While there’s more maintenance and upkeep with charcoal, you’re losing lots of classic barbecue flavor without one.
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  (#19) Never Let Your Fish Stick to the Grill Again

  Sure, you can cook fish super easily in a pan on the stove, but a little smokiness makes for that perfect rustic summer flavor. If you've cooked fish on the grill, you've probably had to painfully peel delicious fish meat off the rack. To avoid that, clean the grill really well before you get started. It's best to cook fish on the grill that still has the skin on it, so oil up the skin side and place that down on a super hot rack. Let it sit, covered in the grill, for several minutes. 
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  (#20) Use a Paper Bag to Peel Fire Roasted Veggies

  If you’ve ever fire roasted a vegetable, you know that peeling one of them is like trying to take off wet denim. To avoid stripping flavor, mangling your vegetable, and possibly throwing the steaming veggies at your guests, try this trick for peeling fire roasted veggies. All you need is a paper bag!
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  (#21) Use Lumpwood Charcoal

  There are plenty of ongoing debates and opinions about the best kind of coal, probably because different kinds of coal serve different purposes. But if you're looking for a smoky, authentic BBQ flavor, Lumpwood Charcoal is regarded as the most flavorful and authentic by BBQ master Jamie Oliver (among others). It's also considered the most "pure" because it's the most natural form of charcoal, minus all the additives and chemicals that are pumped into the Match Light Briquettes. 

  "Pros: Lights quickly, burns hotter, little ash production, easier temperature adjustment, all natural
  
   Cons: Burns faster, more expensive, less consistent (bags can contain unusably small pieces of charcoal)"

  Source: Serious Eats
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  (#22) Always Marinate the Meat (and Always Save Some Marinade)

  Ideally, you'll think ahead and marinate your meat the night before you cook it, but even if you only have a couple hours, get those cuts in some sauce and leave them marinating in the fridge for as long as you can. Leave a little extra marinade so you can glaze the meat while you have it on the grill. 

  Marinating meat not only contributes to flavor and juiciness, the American Institute for Cancer Research says that marinating meat cuts down on HCAs (Heterocyclic Amines), which "contribute to the process of cancer development."
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  (#23) Keep the Burger Patty Simple

  MasterChef Graham Elliot says to keep your patty simple - don't prepare the meat like you would meatloaf, with onion and garlic and pepper. According to Elliot, the patty should just be meat (and a piece of ice for moisture). 
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  (#24) Always Be Prepared with the Right Gear

  If you're taking your barbecuing seriously, you'll want to be prepared by having all the right tools. Lots of folks out there recommend using two different sets of tongs, one for the meat and one for moving coals around. You'll also want two spatulas, one for raw meat (depending on what you're making) and one for cooked meat.

  To keep everyone alive and out of the woods, you should always use a meat thermometer for cuts that are harder to gauge. Every grill needs a brush, so get one of those while you're at it too.
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  (#25) Use Briquettes

  Unlike it's moral counterpart (Lumpwood Charcoal), Briquettes are all about consistency, convenience, and accessibility. You can find them at just about any store and you know exactly what to expect from them when you light up the grill. They'll cook your food evenly because they're packed with additives and chemicals that allow for that even burn. 

   
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  (#26) Pick Up Some Head Country Sauce

  Many professionals swear by Head Country barbecue sauce, which regular backyard barbecuers can find at just about every grocery store in America. Get it in the original flavor or in a Hickory Smoke flavor which takes it up a notch on the spicy scale. 
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  (#27) Use Squash as a Vegetarian Hot Dog Option

  Entertaining vegetarians? You can whip up some squash hot dogs in no time! This is a great option because you can cook the squash on the grill and the vegetarians can use all of the toppings you've put out for regular dogs. No one has to feel awkward about you cooking some fancy vegetarian dish, and you won't have to go through the trouble of using other parts of the kitchen. Win, win! 
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  (#28) Infuse a Cigar with BBQ Sauce

  There may not be a better way to end a daytime barbeque than with a tasty cigar. Pair your cigar flavor with the BBQ brisket you just enjoyed by infusing your favorite barbeque sauce into a cigar. Learn how here.

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