Guest Author - Sherry Van Der Elst

Before you fire up the barbie, here's a list of do's and dont's you should know:


1. Always clean and pre-heat your grill on high. Once you're ready to grill, reduce temperature to medium or medium-high.

2. Before grilling, lightly brush foods with an oil that has a high smoke point (grapeseed, canola, and corn oil are excellent choices). This helps the searing process and prevents sticking. This step can be skipped when using a proper marinade containing oil.

3. Liberally season meats and vegetables on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper before placing on the grill.

4. Contrary to popular belief, searing meat doesn’t seal in juices but it does impart wonderful color, texture and flavor.

5. Use the proper utensils. Long-handled tools and long barbecue mitts protect you from the heat. Forks pierce food, causing flavorful juices to be lost. Use tongs or a spatula to turn meat and veggies instead.

6. If your food sticks to the grill rack, never try to force it. Allow it to cook longer instead. Once foods begins to carmelize and form a crust, they will "let go" by themselves.

7. Keep your grill covered as much as possible. Keeping the lid down allows heat to circulate so foods cook faster and more uniformly.

8. Keep a spray bottle with water handy to douse unexpected flare-ups.

9. Place your cooked foods on a clean plate--never on the plate used to transport the raw food to the grill without thoroughly washing it first.

10. Once the meat is removed from the grill, let it "rest" for five minutes. This allows the meat to reabsorb and redistribute its juices and prevents it from drying out after cutting.