Tips for Starting Up:
- To keep food from sticking to your grill, try rubbing the grill with vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray.
- Leave a space around each food item on the grill to allow for even cooking and smoke penetration.
- If using a charcoal grill, make sure there is enough charcoal to extend in a single layer 1 to 2 inches beyond the area of the food on the grill. Pour briquettes into the grill to determine the quantity, then stack into a pyramid for lighting.
- When using charcoal, douse the coals with the least amount of started fluid as possible to light the fire.
- It is best to allow the coals to burn for about 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- With a gas grill, if a flare up should occur, turn all burners to OFF and move food to another area of the cooking grate. Any flames will quickly subside. Then, light the grill again. NEVER USE WATER TO EXTINGUISH FLAMES ON A GAS GRILL.
- Always use tongs to turn the meat as a fork will punch holes allowing natural juices to escape.
- Place cooked foods on a clean plate – not one that has previously held raw meat, fish or poultry. (Bacteria from raw food can contaminate the cooked food and cause illness.)
- Once the grill has cooled, brush the grilling surface with a wired brush to remove any food debris.
Tips for Grilling the Perfect Steak:
- Marinate beef in dale’s Seasoning or dale’s Reduced Sodium Blend 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to grilling. A zip-lock bag works great to ensure even coating.
- Allow ¾ to 1lb. per person for bone-in steak or ½ lb. per person for boneless steak.
- Choose steaks that are at least 1 inch thick.
- Trim off fat to 1/8 inch and score the edges to keep them from curling on the grill.
- Flip steak when the juices start to bubble on the top (uncooked side).
- Baste steak with dale’s seasoning during cooking to enhance flavor even more.
- In order to prevent piercing the meat to check for doneness, which could allow juices to escape, you can utilize another technique. This method involves comparing the feel of your hand to the meat on the grill. By holding your hand flat and pressing against the meaty part of the palm (just below your thumb), you’ll mimic the leanness of a rare cooked steak. Continue to compare the feel of your grilled steak to how your palm feels while touching your thumb to each one of your fingers. Move from your index finger to your pinky to feel the difference between medium-rare to well –done.
- For a Medium Rare Filet Mignon (1 inch thick): Grill 4 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
- Make a Medium Filet Mignon (1 inch thick): Grill 7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.
- Grill a Medium Rare New York Strip (1 inch thick):Grill 7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
- For a Medium New York Strip (1 inch thick): Grill 10 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.
- Make a Medium Rare Ribeye ( 1 ¼ inch thick): Grill 8 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
- Grill a Medium Ribeye (1 ¼ inch thick): Grill 10 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.
- For a Medium Rare Sirloin (1 ¼ inch thick): Grill 8 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
- Make a Medium Rare Sirloin (1 ¼ inch thick): Grill 10 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.
- Find some of our favorite dale’s steak recipes here.
Tips for Grilling Chicken:
- Trim off the fat from the chicken breast
- Since all chicken breasts have an uneven thickness, pounding the meat out with a meat mallet will create a more uniform thickness and ensure that the breasts cook evenly. Begin by placing one or two breast in a ziplock bag. Seal the bag shut and begin pounding the chicken to about ½ inch thick. Continue until all breasts have the same thickness.
- Marinate chicken for 30 minutes in dale’s Seasoning or dale’s Reduced Sodium Blend.
- Brush the grill with oil before grilling to prevent the chicken from sticking.
- Once the grill is ready, place the marinated chicken on the grill and only turn when the chicken breast is mostly opaque.
- Use an instant read meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked to the correct temperature.
- Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and juices run clear.
- Find some of our favorite dale’s chicken recipes here.
Tips for Grilling Fish:
- Allow the grill to preheat for 30 minutes to prevent the fish from sticking to the grill.
- Having the fish at room temperature before oiling and seasoning will eliminate the possibility of sticking.
- Cut fillet 1 to 1 ½ inches thick (anything thinner will dry out).
- Marinate fish in dale’s Seasoning or dale’s Reduced Sodium Blend for approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Clean grill to prevent fish from sticking.
- Lightly oil grill surface with olive oil.
- Using a grilling basket or grilling tray is a great way to ensure that the fish stays together during the flipping process. Aluminum foil is also a great tool, although you will not have the grill marks as you would when using the basket.
- Use a spatula to turn the fish to keep it from breaking apart.
- Allow for 8–10 minutes of grill time per inch of fish. If the fish in an inch thick, grill each side for about 3-4 minutes.
- Allow approximately 3-5 minutes for the fish to rest after removing it from the grill. The juices should soak back into the fish during this time.
- Find some of our favorite dale’s fish recipes here.
Tips for Grilling Veggies:
- Begin by lightly coating the vegetables in oil. Too much oil can cause flare ups, so a little will do.
- Vegetables like potatoes will take the longest to cook. Keeping them over too high a heat for too long will char them on the outside while keeping them raw on the inside.
- To prevent burning, sear vegetables over high heat, then move them to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking.
- Using a skewer or grill basket helps prevent smaller vegetables like cherry tomatoes from falling through the grill.
- How you prep your vegetables determines how they will cook. Cut them into smaller pieces if you want the veggies to cook more quickly. Cut round veggies like onions or eggplant into thin “rounds”, so that you will get more surface area, which allows for a crispier outside.
- Try cooking in packets. This method works great for dense vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes or other roots. Simply place a 24 inch long piece of foil on the counter and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange thinly sliced vegetables in a single layer, slightly overlapping, on the foil. Leave a 2-inch border on all sides. Fold the foil over and pinch the edges together, making a packet. Place the packet on the grill. Cover the grill and cook until the vegetables are tender (about 12-15 minutes, for potatoes). Be careful opening the packet, as the steam will be extremely hot.
- Find some of our favorite dale’s veggie recipes here.
Tips for Grilling Kabobs:
- Always make sure to soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes prior to placing them on the grill, as dry skewers will burn.
- Marinate meat prior to making the kabob.
- Cut meat into 1 inch thick cubes if possible, while leaving a small space between each piece to ensure even, easy grilling.
- Make sure the skewer goes through each piece twice so that each piece will stay in place while rotating.
- Alternate pieces of meat with fruits or vegetables as this creates a great flavor contrast.
- For a delicious outer “sear” to the kabobs, have a nice hot grill ready. For charcoal grills, light the charcoal and allow it to blaze freely until the flames die down so that the briquettes ash over and emanate and orange glow. This could take 30 minutes.
- To prevent the kabobs from sticking, apply vegetable oil to the surface of the grill with a grilling brush (not a paper towel or something that may catch on fire).
- Turn the kabobs during cooking to allow all sides to cook evenly.
- As a general rule, most kabobs require approximately 10-15 minutes to cook.
- Check the meat for doneness by making sure the temperature is 165 degrees for poultry, 155 degrees for beef and lamb, and 160 degrees for pork.
Click here for more frequently asked questions about dale’s seasoning!
