Grilling Tips

“Grilled” is the flavor of summer. Here in northern Minnesota, we grill anything and everything. Vegetables, desserts, pizza – you name it, someone has cooked it on the grill. Minnesota Northwoods is offering some of the best, basic grilling tips, so whether you’re grilling with your family in one of our summer cabin rentals, or hosting all your friends for a barbecue at home, your meal will be grilled to perfection!

First things first – safety! The USDA recommends using separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked meats to avoid cross-contamination. Refrigerate the meat while it is marinating to avoid bacteria. Flare-ups will occur when fat drips on the heat source. To avoid flare-ups, use lean meats and trim any access fats. If a flare-up does occur, don’t squirt it with water. This can cause splatters, which can lead to burns or damages to the grill. A flare-up is best extinguished by just closing the lid of the grill.

Now that the formalities are out of the way, everyone’s favorite part- flavor! There are so many ways to flavor meat, and each has its own technique. If you’re using a seasoning, apply rubs delicately. If you rub seasonings too hard, you can damage the meat fibers which will ruin the texture of food, and you risk over seasoning. If you’re grilling ribs, apply the sauce during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If you apply the sauce, especially sweet sauce, too early, it is likely the sugar will burn and ruin the ribs. When marinating, only marinate meat for 30 minutes- two hours. Anything longer than 2 hours can over-soften the food, leaving it too tender. After you marinate the steaks, pat them dry on both sides (wet steaks won’t sear). Try to avoid turning steaks over and over. The richest flavors will develop if you only turn them once or twice.

There’s nothing like a summer night surrounded by the people you love, eating a delicious meal, then sitting around the fire with a s’more (or three) for dessert. If this is the kind of vacation during summer that appeals to you, then a Minnesota Northwoods resort is your perfect family getaway! Visit our website to see all of the family friendly Minnesota Northwoods resorts and learn why they would be perfect for you and your entire family this summer!

Family-friendly Minnesota Northwoods Resorts