Top 8 Best Summer Grilling Tips

July 23, 2022

Summer has definitely arrived here in Texas, and grilling season is in full swing. Hopefully, you’ve been out there, cooking up a storm. But if you’re still feeling a little unsure on how best to barbeque, or maybe you just want some quick refreshers on cooking techniques, Texas Beef Company has you covered. Here are our top eight best summer grilling tips that we use here on the ranch. Keep reading, and take your cook-out game to the next level!

Summer Grilling Tip # 1 – Preheat Your Grill

Our first summer grilling tip is also one of the easiest. Just like your oven, if you want the best results, your grill needs to be hot before you use it and all you have to do is remember to fire it up. How hot is hot? We recommend getting it up to at least 500 F before you put anything on it.

This will ensure that your meat has a nice, flavorful sear. When using charcoal, let the coals burn until they’re covered with a thin layer of gray ash. Next, mix them around a bit, and you should be ready to cook. When using gas, preheat on high for about 10 minutes until the surface of the grates are smoking hot.

Summer Grilling Tip # 2 – Use the Best Quality Beef

Nowadays, we’re all trying to save money and watch our wallets. Still, the one thing you shouldn’t be skimping on is high-quality, wholesome food for your family. That’s why our second summer grilling tip is all about nutrition.

Next time you’re cooking, think about who you’re feeding. Your family and friends deserve a healthy meal made with the best ingredients. That’s why we recommend using our very own Premium Quality Texas Beef. It’s grass-fed, grain-finished, and always hormone and steroid-free. It’s time to eat better beef!

Summer Grilling Tip # 3 – Season with Dry Rubs

Our third summer grilling tip is to start using dry rubs. If you haven’t tried them yet, here’s the excuse you’ve been waiting for. They’re a great way to add a huge punch of flavor without adding a ton of calories and fat to your meal. How’s this possible? The secret is to use a rub that has plenty of salt in it. This helps the flavors of the herbs and spices in the rub work all the way through the meat.

We offer an entire line of delicious, Premium Quality Texas Rubs. Our Come and Steak It and Can’t Beat Our Meat rubs can be used on everything for that extra boost of flavor!

Summer Grilling Tip # 4 – Don’t Grill Cold Meat

This summer grilling tip is similar to the first because, with just a little bit of planning and effort, it’s easy to accomplish. 

Don’t put cold food straight on the grill. Always try to let your ingredients come to room temperature for at least thirty minutes before grilling. This will help everything, especially meats, cook more evenly. For example, if you are cooking a cold steak, the outside may reach well-done before the inside gets to medium rare. This is called a bullseye, and it’s a mistake professional grill masters always avoid. 

Summer Grilling Tip # 5 – Keep the Flavor in the Food

We’ve all seen commercials showing a chef flipping a big, juicy steak as flames leap through the grill. It’s a beautiful sight that makes our mouths water. But that burst of sizzling fire from repeatedly flipping meat or squishing burgers with a spatula isn’t a good thing.

What actually creates that flame burst is all the delicious fat leaving your food. And you know what fat is? Fat is flavor! That’s why our fifth summer grilling tip is to stop playing with your food and just cook it.

Every time you squish or turn things on the grill, you squeeze out moisture and taste. So don’t squeeze or flatten, and don’t constantly flip and turn your food. Flip once, and keep the flavor in the food. In general, the fewer times you touch it, the better. 

Summer Grilling Tip # 6 – Get a Thermometer… and Use It

For most of us, it’s impossible to know a cooking steak’s temperature just by touching it. And trying to guess only results in overcooked or undercooked food. At best, this means a dry, chewy dinner. At worst, it can lead to food poisoning and a trip to the hospital. So our next summer grilling tip is to stop taking chances and start using a meat thermometer. 

These handy tools are inexpensive and indispensable. Once you start using one, your cooking confidence will skyrocket. The problem with not using a thermometer is that cooking times can vary so much based on factors like preheating time, the starting temperature and thickness of the food, and the temperature of the grill. But with a thermometer, you’ll know exactly when your food is done.

Summer Grilling Tip # 7 – Patience is a Virtue

You’re so hungry, and the steaks have just come off the grill. It’s time to dig in, right? Wrong! As tempting as it may be to cut into your meat right off the grill, it’s essential to let proteins rest for a few minutes after cooking. That’s why summer grilling tip number seven is to remember that patience is a virtue. 

When meats cook, they contract, and their juices move towards the center of the cut. But after you remove them from the heat, everything relaxes and slowly redistributes. To ensure tasty results, we recommend about five minutes for a twelve-ounce steak. And the bigger the steak, the longer the rest time.

Summer Grilling Tip # 8 – Clean up to Start Fresh

Our final summer grilling tip might not be glamorous, but it’s definitely the most important thing to remember. Clean your grill. Not only will this guarantee that your investment will last longer, but it will also ensure that the meals you cook on it will taste better. 

Cooking on a dirty grill can lead to all sorts of undesirable results. Don’t let that salmon skin sitting for a week in your drip pan impart a fishy-char flavor to tonight’s dry-aged ribeyes. While you’re resting your meat (see tip #7), take five minutes to brush your grates and dust off any excess charring in the grill box. Trust us, you’ll taste the difference.

Check us out! We offer grass-fed, grain-finished, sustainably raised bulk beef and Premium Quality custom beef boxes. Each one is chock-full of all your favorite cuts. We also have tons of Texas Beef Company merchandise. Show the world that you Eat Better Beef!