Memorial Day has come and gone, and the actual first day of summer is not until June 21, but in Las Vegas, the season of never-ending sun has begun. This can mean only one thing -- it's time to fire up the grill.
From weekend backyard barbecues to Fourth of July food fests, cooking outdoors is unquestionably a big part of what makes summer so sublime.
Like any special occasion, the season of grilling should require a relative amount of preparation.
In the case of this aspiring grill master, well, I started getting ready in early November. You can never be too prepared.
Perhaps it's time to upgrade your facilities by purchasing a new grill, or at the very least, you might just want to spring for one of those shiny, oversized spatula, tong and fork sets you'll find hanging at the end of every aisle of every store you walk into.
But once you've got your equipment in order, it'll be time to get down to business, and we are in the business of charring some animal flesh.
Tips on grilling are easy to find, but I've developed a technique governed by a singular rule that has never failed -- keep it simple.
We're talking about meat cooked with fire, people. It's going to work out.
Sure, you can buy books and watch shows with alleged experts like Food Network darling Bobby Flay (You know, the guy who has that Mesa Grill restaurant at Caesars, but we'll get to that in a couple weeks when we explore celebrity chefs in Vegas).
No one but you knows what you like and how rare or well you prefer it. You don't need any fancy recipes when it comes to the grill. Just stick with fresh ingredients and your favorite flavors.
Many of those experts might tell you your gas grill is nothing compared to the natural smokiness that comes from cooking with charcoal, but temperature control is so much easier with gas.
If you're really going for smoky flavor, give plank cooking a try. Cedar and mesquite planks for your grill are available all over these days.
All you do is soak those suckers in water, then toss them on a hot grill and cook your meat on top. It'll work with gas or charcoal and the taste is amazing, especially with a fresh piece of salmon.
Going for that saucy, spicy, pit-style barbecue?
A true grill master once showed me his secret of sizzling dry-spiced pork ribs on low heat until cooked through, then wrapping the racks up in aluminum foil and slathering them in sauce before sealing them up and tossing the foil packets back on the grill for another round. Slow and low is the way to go. Trust me.
No grilling fanatic is without his own perfected methods.
Me, I cook a steak 320 seconds on one side, 415 on the other. Think that's funny? I'm dead serious.
Wondering when food is done is for the novice, which is to say if you're fretting while you're flipping that burger, stop it.
Stop worrying and stop flipping. Moving the meat around will only dry it out. And poking it with your finger is your best bet as far as gauging whether it's done -- if it's too soft, it's bloody perfect; if it's not springy at all, you've turned your filet mignon into beef jerky. Congratulations.
Grilling was made for summer, and summer is supposed to be fun. As long as you're enjoying yourself, odds are your food will be great. Just keep it simple.
Brock Radke's food column appears twice monthly. Contact him at bradke@viewnews.com.
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