A Girls Night Grill

A Girls Night Grill

If you think grilling is a "man's world", then think again. With the right choices and tips, you can stage the perfect Girls Night Grill.

Setting the Stage

The secret to any great entertaining is in the planning. Follow these tips when you're making your list and checking it twice.

• Keep the guest list manageable. Grilling is a very hands-on cooking process so keep the group relatively small so they can gather close to the grill action and you don't miss out on time with your guests.
• Special requests. A quick survey of your confirmed guests can help alert you to any special dietary needs. Knowing ahead of time that someone is a vegetarian or lactose intolerant can help you include something for them in the menu.
• Bugs be gone. Nothing can ruin outdoor fun quicker than pesky mosquitoes. Stock up on bug spray and list some citronella candles prior to your guests' arrival.

Getting Started

Gas versus Charcoal Grills

It's a hot issue with devout followers on both sides. No matter which type of grill you have, both options can give you great results if you keep a few things in mind.

Charcoal Grills

DO NOT use lighter fluid or lighter fluid-infused charcoal. Yes, we know it's convenient but everything you cook on it will be flavored with the petroleum. Instead use either an electric starter or a charcoal chimney, which is started by lighting waded up newspaper in the bottom of it.

People tend to cook over coals that are too hot. Once your coals are hot spread them in an even layer over the grate. Place the cooking grate over the coals and let it rest with the grill cover off until it reaches the cooking temperature stated in your recipe.

Gas Grills

Are easy to start and easy to control the heat but you lose that smoky flavor. Try a smoker box placed directly on the burners.

To test the heat of your grill place your hand, palm side down, 5 inches above the cooking surface, and count the seconds you can comfortably hold it there.

2 seconds or less = High heat (400 to 450 degrees F)

3 to 4 seconds = Medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees F)

5 to 6 seconds = Medium heat (300 to 350 degrees F)

7 to 8 seconds = Medium-low heat (250 to 300 degrees F)

Fire It Up

No matter what you're grilling, if you follow these few simple rules you are almost always guaranteed a success.

Before you put any food on the grill you need to make sure it is as clean as possible. Dirty grill grates will cause all foods to stick to it. The best time to clean the grill is immediately after you remove the food. While the grill is still hot, take 10 seconds to scrape the grate with a wire brush.

Never use a fork to turn or remove any cut of meat. Always use long handled tongs otherwise you will be letting all the juices escape.

Discard all marinades after you remove the raw meat. If you want to use the marinade as a basting sauce you will need to bring it to a full boil for at least 2 minutes to ensure it's safe to use.

Let all meats rest at least 5 minutes before cutting. The meat will actually increase slightly in temperature after you remove it from the heat and these few minutes of rest allows it to finish cooking and also lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat.

Beef

Want a great steak? Then you have to start with a great cut of meat. Look for cuts that are well-marbled, such as T-bone, porterhouse, rib eye or top loin.

Go for the thicker cuts. Instead of buying 2 thinner steaks, purchase 1 thick one. You'll end up paying about the same amount but the end result will be so much better. Thin steaks are easy to over-cook so look for a thickness of at least 1inch or more.

Brush steaks with a thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

Turn steaks once during the cooking. If your grill is clean the steak will naturally release itself when it's ready to be turned.

Hamburgers

When purchasing ground beef, remember the leaner the mix the dryer the burger. A 75/25 mix, often labeled as "ground beef" typically results in very moist burgers. "Ground chuck", 80/20, is also a good option.

Make each burger at least 1-inch-thick and about 4-inches across. This is approximately ¼ pound of ground beef. Just as with steaks, the thicker the burger, the juicier it will be.

After forming your burgers, make a small indentation in the center of the burger. During cooking the indentation will pop back out and you will be left with a flat burger instead of one that is rounded.

Once you place the burgers on the grill don't keep moving them around the grill. You should turn them only once and then take them off.

Never, never, never press your burgers with a spatula while they are cooking. Pressing the burgers as they cook compacts uncooked and cooked meat together making for uneven cooking.

Pork

Pork is probably the meat that benefits the most from grilling. The smoky flavor goes so well with chops, tenderloins and loins.

Pork no longer poses a health risk if it's served slightly pink in the center. In fact, the flavor is better if you remove it when the internal temperature reaches 150 to 155 degrees F.

Chicken

A very versatile meat, chicken accepts almost any marinade, rub or sauce and still manages to shine through.

Since the skin and darker cuts of chicken tend to be a little fatty, it's notorious for flaring up when placed on the grill. One way to tame this is to allow the grill to cool slightly to medium heat [hot link to temperature section] before putting starting. Once the chicken is on the grill, cover it with the grill lid. Once it starts to brown then move the pieces to a cooler section of the grill to finish cooking.

It's important to cook chicken to a minimum of 165 degrees F in order to kill any salmonella that may be present.

Fish

Probably the most important thing to remember when grilling fish is you need to start with as clean of a grill grate as possible. If it's not absolutely clean the fish will stick and break apart when you try to turn it.

Fish should only be turned once. Any more and you risk it breaking apart.

Thing fish fillets, such as trout and catfish are difficult to cook directly on the grill and really benefit from being placed in a wire basket.

Shrimp

Shrimp can go from tender and delicious to overcooked and rubbery in a matter of seconds. However, mastering grilled shrimp is simple if you follow a few easy steps.

Bigger is always better when it comes to shrimp. Jumbo and extra-large are preferred but with a watchful eye large-size shrimp will work.

Leave the shells on when grilling. The shell helps insulate the meat from the heat helping it to cook evenly.

Skewer 3 to 4 shrimp together with 2 skewers. This will help you get them on and off the grill quickly but will infinitely help with turning them.

Grill over medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees) You may think this is too hot but the quicker you cook the more moist and tender they will be.