Hey all class of 16 here and I just got my first grill as a wedding present last week. Never was involved with the cooking as a child so I am a total beginner. It is a little four burner propane set up that I had to assemble myself. Just wanted y'all's best advice as far as receipes, tip, and tricks!

What types of things are you interested in grilling?

I'm open to anything really

One of my absolute favorite things to grill would be beef fajitas.

Contrary to what some on this board would say, I think flank steak makes for a very fine cut for beef fajitas.

So here is what I do.

1) Tenderize the meat. I own a tenderizer but if you don't, I would take a mallet and pound the thing as well as take a fork and poke about a million holes in the meat. This will do a few things. First of all it will tenderize the meat. Secondly, I think doing this helps with marinade permeating the meat and helps flavor the meat. Finally, it thins the meat out which is good because If left to its own devices, I think Flank steak gets a little thick for fajitas.

2) Marinade. I usually whip up a marinade the night before and let it sit all night. Lots of salt (I find it hard to over salt in a marinade), lots of FRESH GROUND pepper, garlic (minced or lots of powder), some olive oil, juice from 3 or 4 limes, a very healthy dose of red wine vinegar, soy sauce and a little bit of Worcestershire. Some may argue with having BOTH lime juice and the vinegar as it makes for a very acidic marinade and ultimately tangy flavor for the meat. However, I think having that tangy flavor is exactly what you need with fajitas. I have tried just using lime juice and cutting out the vinegar but it just isn't quite the same. Need the vinegar imho.

3) Grill. I would probably suggest medium to medium-high heat depending on how hot your grill runs (you probably wont know this for a while until you get experience with the grill). Many people suggest turning your meat as little as possible, but this is an old (and debunked myth) on how to cook. I usually grill each side for a (relatively) long time on each side to get good grill marks and then turn pretty regularly (every minute or two) after that to ensure even and consistent temp all the way through the meat. Grill to desire temperature, I prefer medium rare. You can use a meat thermometer, but the ultimate goal would to be to get familiar enough with the feel of beef to be able to tell temperature from the firmness of the meat.

4) Let the meat rest. This is a pretty key step actually. Give the meat a good 5- 10 minutes to rest after coming off the grill. By doing this you are going to keep the meat more moist after carving.

5) Slice the meat into very thin slices. Not quite shaved but keep very thin. This is important as well. Flank steak is a VERY flavorful piece of meat, but it is dense. So slicing very thin (as well as pre tenderizing) helps to keep the meat tender when eating.


That's all there is. Get some good and fresh tortillas, grill/saut some onions and bell peppers and throw all your favorite fixins in and go at it!

aeroag14 said:

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One of my absolute favorite things to grill would be beef fajitas.

Contrary to what some on this board would say, I think flank steak makes for a very fine cut for beef fajitas.

So here is what I do.

1) Tenderize the meat. I own a tenderizer but if you don't, I would take a mallet and pound the thing as well as take a fork and poke about a million holes in the meat. This will do a few things. First of all it will tenderize the meat. Secondly, I think doing this helps with marinade permeating the meat and helps flavor the meat. Finally, it thins the meat out which is good because If left to its own devices, I think Flank steak gets a little thick for fajitas.

2) Marinade. I usually whip up a marinade the night before and let it sit all night. Lots of salt (I find it hard to over salt in a marinade), lots of FRESH GROUND pepper, garlic (minced or lots of powder), some olive oil, juice from 3 or 4 limes, a very healthy dose of red wine vinegar, soy sauce and a little bit of Worcestershire. Some may argue with having BOTH lime juice and the vinegar as it makes for a very acidic marinade and ultimately tangy flavor for the meat. However, I think having that tangy flavor is exactly what you need with fajitas. I have tried just using lime juice and cutting out the vinegar but it just isn't quite the same. Need the vinegar imho.

3) Grill. I would probably suggest medium to medium-high heat depending on how hot your grill runs (you probably wont know this for a while until you get experience with the grill). Many people suggest turning your meat as little as possible, but this is an old (and debunked myth) on how to cook. I usually grill each side for a (relatively) long time on each side to get good grill marks and then turn pretty regularly (every minute or two) after that to ensure even and consistent temp all the way through the meat. Grill to desire temperature, I prefer medium rare. You can use a meat thermometer, but the ultimate goal would to be to get familiar enough with the feel of beef to be able to tell temperature from the firmness of the meat.

4) Let the meat rest. This is a pretty key step actually. Give the meat a good 5- 10 minutes to rest after coming off the grill. By doing this you are going to keep the meat more moist after carving.

5) Slice the meat into very thin slices. Not quite shaved but keep very thin. This is important as well. Flank steak is a VERY flavorful piece of meat, but it is dense. So slicing very thin (as well as pre tenderizing) helps to keep the meat tender when eating.


That's all there is. Get some good and fresh tortillas, grill/saut some onions and bell peppers and throw all your favorite fixins in and go at it!

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That sounds awesome will attempt it and report on the results. I have been enjoying grilling out in this cold!

Grilling in the Cold is the best!

Some in general tips off the top of my head:

- Always have a second propane tank. you dont want to be in the middle of a cook for a party or family event and run out and have to run to the store. Have two and switch them out as needed.

- Keep the burners and deflector plates if your grill has them, clean. Doesnt have to be every time, but try to do it every few cooks. Sure it sucks having to dig through a bunch of dried up grease and burnt food but keeping them clean will help keep the unit working longer before you have to replace parts.

- Dont trust the thermometer on the grill lid. The top of the lid is a long ways away from the grate that the food is cooking on, and its probably significantly hotter down there. Keep that in mind if you are shooting for a target temperature to cook for a certain amount of time.

- Dont try to "bbq" anything on a propane grill. Its not too common, but I have seen guys ask about if they turn the heat really low, if its a good idea to "smoke" ribs or something like that on a propane grill. If you're wanting to bbq, get a separate charcoal or stick burner pit.

My favorite things to cook on propane are burgers, hot dogs, fajitas, and grill vegetables. I used to do steaks but now its super easy to do those on cast iron with the oven that I dont use the grill anymore.

Can't beat a good grilled burger & sausage. Always a win. Especially if you make yourself prior.

Glad fajitas covered. Don't forget about chicken.

Shrimp skewers are easy as well. Use bamboo skewers so you can flip many at once and stay uniform. Cover in a light oil, blackened seasoning, etc. My kids love them and they cook fast.

Salmon - one my favorite grilled salmon recipes is to soak the filet in soy sauce (Ziploc bag for an hour or two). Place skin side down on a cedar plank. Then coat the top of the fish with brown sugar. Lay foil down over the grates, so when the sugar melts it won't gum up your grill. Get it hot and the sugar glazes over and turns the fish a dark, rich orange color.

Another pre-cook option, cut a sweet onion in half and "clean" the grate with the open side. Imparts a lot of flavor.

Grilled fruit is great also. Pears. Apples. Even watermelon (covered in balsamic glaze, feta, and chopped mint leaves).

Ag_07 said:

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This is a fantastic book that I've had for a long time and still use today.

Weber's Big Book of Grilling

Gives tons of great recipes but also goes in depth about technique including meat cut selection, prepping seafood, tips on doneness, etc.

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Saw that book at Half-price for $5 this week. I too have used it for many years,

All this.
Grilled skin-on salmon fillets is something that a gas grill does really well, and crispy salmon skin ranks just behind crispy chicken skin in deliciousness.

What brand is the grill? Lots of different quality levels out there. Takes time to learn a new grill. To figure out if your grill heats evenly cover the cooking area in white bread slices and see how evenly they brown. Does it have a side burner? If so use a cast iron pan on that to sear your steaks. If not and the grill area gets hot enough you can use a cast iron griddle in there. Best things to learn to cook at the beginning are cheap things like fajitas, burgers, pork chops. Watch out for flare ups when cooking really fatty cuts.

Grilled corn on the cob is one of my summertime favorites (along with homegrown tomatoes, watermelon, Stonewall peaches).

https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/myth-let-meat-come-room-temp-cooking

I just realized why I stopped posting on here last time. I will leave all the tips and replies to the experts on the board.

1. Get yourself a good meat thermometer
2. Replace the thermometer on the grill with a better one
3. Start easy with some 80/20 burgers
4. Keep trying and remember a cold beer makes all grilling better

When you are first starting out just grill for you and your wife and always have Pizza Hut on speed dial. I was in your shoes before and my advice is to just get in front of the grill and cook. I made the mistake before of cooking for friends and family as a novice. Once you cook hotdogs, fajitas,sausage,burgers,fish, and veggies a few times you will get the hang of it. As for chicken, get a thermometer. I have been grilling for 8+ years but I would be lying if I said I still don't use that thing for poultry

I use a therm for all cooks and always will beef or chicken. Cooking is 90% science and 10% creativity and feel.

Figure out what you can control the heat, the temp of the meat, the length of the cook and the spice/rub/seasoning/marinade.

If you're not exactly the best at cooking and still learning, my advice is to always have Peanut butter and jelly available for a sammich in case you burn the food.

SheriffBarclay said:

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Good tips, but know that the letting the meat rest is another one of those things that has been thoroughly debunked.

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It has? pre or post cook? Cause post cook any unrested red meat will be ass.

TennAg said:

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SheriffBarclay said:

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Good tips, but know that the letting the meat rest is another one of those things that has been thoroughly debunked.

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It has? pre or post cook? Cause post cook any unrested red meat will be ass.

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Post cook, especially if you are doing a reverse sear.

I don't do the reverse sear very often. I cook it over direct heat, but I'm flipping the steak every 30 seconds or so and basting with butter. Then I move it to the cooler side and let it finish. It's a little more messy and prone to flare-ups, but it's a technique I've mastered, so I stick with it.

Gotcha htown, makes sense with that technique and that's how i finish my steaks too, it lets the meat recalibrate itself while you go. But for op's sake, for now, look into resting a little after you take certain things off the grill.

It's already been stated a couple of times, but IMO, the importance of a decent meat thermometer is HUGE. It's a game changer when it comes to grilling meat.

Too cold and you could get someone sick; Too hot and you've overcooked it and you'll need plenty of ketchup.

They aren't expensive: $24 for a Cooper on Amazon or $29 for a ThermoPop. I own both and they've worked great for years.

Couldn't agree more. Steaks are easy enough to gauge with experience but when it comes to chicken and pork you really have a small window of awesomeness between poison and garbage.