Tips for Grilling Lean and Clean

It’s hard to believe Memorial Day weekend is upon us. Seems like just last week we were pulling hoodies over our heads or boots onto our feet. Oh wait…

Summer unofficially begins this weekend. If you plan to host a Memorial Day party, or you just plan on enjoying a juicy slab of meat on your day off, here are some grilling tips to get you started.

Prepping the Grill

Before you begin to grill, clean the grill. This is important if using it for the first time this year. You’ll want to scrape out old grease and coals ready for retirement. Before each use, clean the grill rack. If you have a charcoal grill, open the vents and use a stick or metal skewer to poke all of the dust remnants out from the last use.

Stock up on everything you need for grilling beforehand, especially if hosting a party. Nothing like realizing you forgot a necessary step right when you’re about to start cooking. Make a checklist: charcoal, lighter fluid, matches or lighter, cooking utensils, oil spray, oven mitts, spices and food. Obviously, if you have a gas grill, you won’t need all of these items. But who wouldn’t agree that charcoal-grilled food tastes better? Or is that just my opinion?

Buying the Food

Check out Oak Lawn’s local grocery stores for your meat and veggie purchases. Often, stores have deals for Memorial Day weekend.

• as locals call it, has nearly everything on sale for your party needs., featuring fresh pork baby back ribs for $2.99 per pound, boneless pork chops for $2.69 per pound, and split chicken breast for 99-cents per pound. A wide selection of produce, including a new shipment of organics, are  also on sale. A one-pound package of strawberries is $1.77 and sweet southern peaches are on sale for 79-cents per pound.
• fresh-made, grilling sausage including Italian, Lithuaninan, Cajun, Hot Italian, brautwurst and hot links are all on sale this weekend for $1.99. Joe and Frank's "grill sausage" is on sale for $2.59 per pound. If you need to bring pot luck to a barbecue this weekend, Joe and Frank's offers ready-to-eat pierogi, mostaccioli, beef stroganoff, salads and golabki at its deli counter. A meat Nirvannah awaits you.

Once you have the meat purchased, store it in the refrigerator for the weekend. If using frozen meat that you already have, thaw it in the refrigerator or immediately before use in the microwave. Never thaw on a counter or table, where bacteria can form.

Cooking the Food

You want to use direct heat when cooking thin pieces of meat. This means that you place the meat on the grill directly above the coals in a charcoal grill, or directly above the burners in a gas grill. If using a gas grill, the burners should never be set lower than medium heat. The best direct heat foods include hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, steaks, boneless chicken breasts and fish.

Use indirect heat when cooking larger pieces of meat, such as whole turkeys or chickens, pork roasts, pork tenderloin or beef roasts. For a charcoal grill, this means moving all the coals over to one side, placing the meat on the side without the coals and covering the grill. This allows the heat to slowly cook through the meat without direct heat burning the outer layer. For gas grills, turn one burner as high as it goes and place the meat away from that burner.

Most meat you can place directly on the grill to cook. With fish, you might want to brush it with oil beforehand in order to prevent sticking. The cooking times for each type of meat vary, depending on thickness. In general, fish takes the least amount of time, followed by beef and pork, and poultry takes the longest.

For vegetarians, you can place an array of veggies on a skewer or on a piece of foil to grill. Brush some oil on the veggies or the foil beforehand.

Fruit lovers can even grill up some fruits on the grill, such as pineapple, grapefruit, apples, peaches and pears, which can all withstand the heat.

Don’t forget to supply condiments with your final products! Allow people to personalize their burgers, sandwiches or skewers with spices, ketchup, mustard, pickles, buns or whatever you wish to include. Add some freshly made lemonade or a fruity cocktail and you are all set to relax and enjoy your grilled masterpiece.