Grilling For Flavor

by Chuck Fisher, Just In Thyme’s Grillmaster

All of the grilling gurus out there (like Bobby Flay and Steven Raichlen) will tell you to sear meat first and then slow cook it.  In my 20 years of grilling for Just in Thyme Foods, I have found it better to do just the opposite.

I don’t know about you, but I like that real good hickory smoke flavor in my meats.  And you know what?  You just cannot get that flavor if you heat the meat up first.

The reason is that the smoke flavor you taste does not come from the smoke you see.  If comes from the gases given off by the charcoal and the reaction it has with the meat.  This reaction stops when the meat reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  So if you get it hot early….no smoke flavor.

Also, think about this, what is meat?  Muscle, right?  And we all remember our from 6^th grade biology class:  muscle is 60% water.  What is the boiling point of water?  212 degrees.  So if we get our meat too hot, too soon, we will boil all the water out and it will not be juicy and tender.

Makes sense, huh?

So, Here’s the Just in Thyme Method

1. Build a fire on one side of the grill (it doesn’t matter what kind of grill you have, because it is not the grill …  it is the grill man).

2. Place your meat on the cool side of the grill.

3. Cook until the meat is about 10-15 degrees below your desired end temperature.

4. Remove meat from grill and spread fire out.

5. Then place meat back on the grill to sear and get it to the final temperature.

If you follow these simple tips, you are well on your way to being an expert grillmaster!

 

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