What Do People New to Grilling Think About?

February 25th 2020

Ok, I said new to grilling, but I mind as well say new to cooking in general.

 

I mean I cook things here and there - nothing really complicated - but I don't know if I really learned anything in doing so. 

 

But NOW since I have this grill at home, I have kind of made it a thing this year to learn my way around a grill and be somewhat of a “grill aficionado”.

 

So lately I have been grilling every week.

 

Chicken, burgers, fish, tri-tip, vegetables...I  just started going at it.

 

But I don’t want to make the same mistakes as I did with cooking, meaning I don’t want to just go through the motions, and fail to take anything away from it.

 

So, I am taking my own advice (advice I would give to my clients)...

 

“If I want to learn something, I have to engage with it, and reflection is a good place to start.”

 

So here goes nothing.

The Nuances of Grilling/Cooking Knowledge

Anytime, someone does something for a long time they develop a certain knowledge about it that most of us aren’t privy to.

 

I called these the nuances of any skill, craft, or sport.

 

Now, these don’t have to be trade secrets, they are just things you know from having done the thing.

 

Today, I felt like I was confronted with a few of these nuanced, seemingly trivial tasks, while cooking on the grill today.

Where Do You Put Hot Things??

So I have recently purchased a perforated grill.  I mainly got it because I read somewhere that it would be useful for grilling veggies, which it was, but when it was time to plate my veggies, it should come as no surprise it was hot...LOL...but I didn’t have anything to grab it so here is my first note...

 

Remember to have gloves or something to grab the hot stuff off the grill.  These will probably come in handy.

 

After I ran in the house and got the mits, the whole process just seemed awkward.

 

I was holding it, while trying to scoop out the veggies, but the perforated grill was hot, so I couldn’t really support it the way I wanted to - so then it turned into a forearm exercise while trying to transfer my veggies from the grill to plate. 

 

But I couldn’t place it on the table, or I least I felt like I couldn’t because the table I have next to my grill is plastic, and I don’t know if it would bode well for the table if I put something that was 400 degree temperature...right?

 

Which brings me to my second point..

 

Have a place to set down hot things.

 

You see, simple things, which if you tend to grill or cook often, you’re probably like…”duh.”

 

But hey...it is what it is  🙂

How Do You Get Everything Hot AT THE SAME TIME??

This is not a “how to” section...no this is an ACTUAL QUESTION.

 

One which I will probably Google later this evening.

 

But damn, how the hell did my pops do when I was growing it up??

 

Because when I make food - say you got chicken, veggies, and rice - something is going to have to be warmed up again, because I ain’t got the timing right, my friends.

 

I am sure this comes with experience, but being where I am at now, a novice at this whole thing, if you got HOT food coming out together, at the same time, you’re a damn magician.

 

Well, this is all I got for today.  

 

I am still enjoying grilling, so stay tuned for more of these little reflections.