Italian Grill - Mario Batali [6]
GRILL BRUSH A good grill brush is essential for keeping the grill clean. Choose a sturdy wire brush that will stand up to the job; one with brass bristles will not rust.
TONGS It’s handy to have at least two pairs of long spring-loaded tongs for turning and moving foods on the grill; I have a couple of pairs of short tongs too.
BASTING BRUSHES You can buy long-handled basting brushes designed for grilling or just pick up a couple of natural-bristle (not nylon, which can melt) paintbrushes at the hardware store.
DRIP PANS Many gas grills come with their own metal drip pan, and you can buy disposable foil drip pans, to use in either a gas or a charcoal grill, at the hardware store. Foil loaf pans or small foil baking pans, available in any supermarket, also work fine in a charcoal grill.
SPATULA A long-handled wide spatula or pancake turner is handy for turning some grilled foods. Be sure it’s metal, not plastic.
SKEWERS Wooden skewers are inexpensive and available in any supermarket; 12-inch-long skewers are best for grilling. Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes before using them. Metal skewers come in various styles; flat ones are generally better than round ones because they help keep the food from flipping around as you turn the skewers.
SAFETY TIPS
Make sure the grill is on a level surface and away from overhanging tree branches, awnings, etc.—anything that could catch fire. Never grill in a garage or other enclosed space or in a poorly ventilated area, or you risk (deadly) carbon monoxide buildup.
As mentioned above, always open the lid of a gas grill before you turn on the fuel supply, and make sure all the burners have ignited before you close the lid for preheating. If using a chimney or electric coil starter for a charcoal grill, put it in a safe place to cool.
Keep a plastic spray bottle filled with water near the grill to deal with serious flare-ups. Char is good, incinerated is not. But don’t soak the food or the fire—often just moving the food away from the flare-up or closing the grill lid (or turning off a gas burner for the moment) will do the trick. To help prevent flare-ups, be sure to trim excess fat from any food before grilling it. And keep a fire extinguisher on hand for emergencies.
Although larger cuts of meat (and anything that will be spit-roasted) should be brought to room temperature before grilling, don’t overdo it—20 to 30 minutes should be enough time for most foods, 1 hour max for really big steaks or roasts. Fish should be kept refrigerated until just before cooking, as should any other highly perishable foods.
When marinating, don’t allow the food to stand at room temperature for any longer than the time specified in the recipe; cover it and marinate it in the refrigerator if you aren’t planning to cook it until later.
If you want to use a marinade for a sauce or serve it as a dipping sauce, you need to heat it, because it will have absorbed raw juices from the marinated meat or fish. Pour it into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. If you are planning to serve some of the barbecue sauce or glaze you are using to baste the food as it grills, it’s best to divide the sauce between two containers and use one for basting, one for serving. And, in most cases, wait until the surface of the meat or other food has seared and cooked before you start basting (this way, you avoid contaminating the basting brush—and remaining sauce). For barbecue sauces and glazes that contain sugar or another sweetener, you always want to wait until the food is almost cooked anyway, or the sauce will burn on the grill.
Never put cooked food back on the platter you used to bring it out to the grill. Put out a clean platter before you start grilling, when you aren’t distracted by cooking.
When spit-roasting, remember that the spit will be very hot when you take it off the fire. Have someone help you do this if possible, and put the hot spit in a safe place so no one will touch it and