Tips for Grilling Vegetables
- By Ray Subs
- Published 11/5/2010
- Food and Drink
- Unrated
Many vegetables are extra delicious when grilled. However, if you've never grilled them before, it is difficult to know the best way to prepare some vegetables. Here are some tips for grilling veggies.
Use your side vents to regulate your grill's temperature. Fire needs oxygen to burn, so keep them wide open to ramp up the heat, and slide them toward the closed position to take the temperature down a notch. This is especially helpful when cooking vegetables because some harder veggies will need higher temperatures while softer veggies may need a lower temperature to be completely cooked.
Avoid aluminum when you're marinating. It adds unwanted flavor. Marinating vegetables is a wonderful way to enhance their natural flavors. Almost any meat marinade can also be used for vegetables.
Dedicate separate, differently colored or styled pairs of tongs to raw and cooked food. Along with this tip, remember to keep meat and vegetable plates, tongs, and other silverware separate for health safety.
Your tendency might be to salt a little of any vegetable you put on the grill.
Usually it's all right, but remember that salt acts as a chemical as well as a flavoring ingredient. It can make some vegetables, especially soft ones, "sweat" and cook faster.
When using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes before
grilling so they won't burn. You are probably disposing of them anyway, but I have had skewers completely burn before the food is done.
Slice a head of romaine lettuce in half and grill face-down for two minutes. It'll add an unexpected charred kiss to your Caesar, or any summer salad. This is an especially effective way to impress dinner guests, since most people don't think of grilling lettuce!
Marinated mushrooms are a delightful and easy side dish for any meat, but remember to, remove the gills from the underside of Portobello mushrooms. They add a bitter flavor and a funky color to the rest of the dish.
Grilled sweet potatoes are an easy treat. Add some wood chips to the coals or smoker box, pierce the 'taters all over with a fork, slather with butter or bacon grease, and grill near (but not directly over) heat until soft. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar and butter after you slice them open and enjoy!
Use your side vents to regulate your grill's temperature. Fire needs oxygen to burn, so keep them wide open to ramp up the heat, and slide them toward the closed position to take the temperature down a notch. This is especially helpful when cooking vegetables because some harder veggies will need higher temperatures while softer veggies may need a lower temperature to be completely cooked.
Avoid aluminum when you're marinating. It adds unwanted flavor. Marinating vegetables is a wonderful way to enhance their natural flavors. Almost any meat marinade can also be used for vegetables.
Dedicate separate, differently colored or styled pairs of tongs to raw and cooked food. Along with this tip, remember to keep meat and vegetable plates, tongs, and other silverware separate for health safety.
Your tendency might be to salt a little of any vegetable you put on the grill.
When using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes before
grilling so they won't burn. You are probably disposing of them anyway, but I have had skewers completely burn before the food is done.
Slice a head of romaine lettuce in half and grill face-down for two minutes. It'll add an unexpected charred kiss to your Caesar, or any summer salad. This is an especially effective way to impress dinner guests, since most people don't think of grilling lettuce!
Marinated mushrooms are a delightful and easy side dish for any meat, but remember to, remove the gills from the underside of Portobello mushrooms. They add a bitter flavor and a funky color to the rest of the dish.
Grilled sweet potatoes are an easy treat. Add some wood chips to the coals or smoker box, pierce the 'taters all over with a fork, slather with butter or bacon grease, and grill near (but not directly over) heat until soft. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar and butter after you slice them open and enjoy!
Ray Subs
Ray Subs is a public relations expert who is working with Pete's Grills. More information about Pete's Grills can be found at Pete's Outdoor Grills
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