Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends

Chef Paul's Top 10 Grilling Tips

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1. SEASONING SECRETS
The first and most important tip is to season everything that you put on the grill. Seasoning elevates the surface heat, which allows the product to cook faster, brown better and produce a better crust. It also creates a flavor that can't be duplicated any other way.

2. TWO BRUSHES
A clean and lightly oiled grill is the best surface for cooking meats and fish. Having two brushes handy will help keep your grill clean and shipshape. The first is a long handled metal brush for removing the charred bits that stick to the grill and burn. The second is a long handled grill-proof brush for keeping the grill lightly oiled. Use a light healthy oil with a clean flavor, such as Canola oil.

3. A QUESTION OF DEGREE
The best gauge of doneness in meat, poultry and fish is its internal temperature after cooking. Choose your thermometer based on accuracy, readability and speed. Buy the best instrument you can afford. Cheap thermometers break quickly and are a false economy.

4. THE RAW DEAL
Grilling success depends to a great degree on the selection and preparation of your raw ingredients. Always select the freshest and best quality products possible, because any off-taste will come through very clearly. Fish and seafood should be very fresh and free of any "fishy" odors. Pork and chicken should also have a clean and fresh aroma and a fresh appearance, never discolored or slimy. Steaks should have a rich red color wih a faint and pleasant beefy aroma. Aged steaks (which some people prefer) will have a darker color and a more pronounced, but not unpleasant, aroma. Selecting the thickness of a steak or chop is a matter of personal preference. But most people find that steaks of about ž" to 1" thick work best.

5. FIRING UP THE GRILL
A hot and even fire is essential to good grilling, so allow plenty of time for your coals to heat up throughly. Avoid too much starter fluid and allow enough time for the fluid to burn off completely.

6. ONE SIDE HOT - ONE SIDE NOT
I like to bank up the coals under one side of the grill so that one side is very hot and the other side is not as hot. This allows for the cooking of different types and thicknesses of meat, fish and vegetables at the same time.

7. DON'T FORGET THE VEGGIES
When it comes to grilling, vegetables are often overlooked. And yet, grilling adds a rich and wonderful flavor to most vegetables. Cut your vegetables in fairly large and thin slices. Large enough to not fall through the grill and thin enough to cook quickly. Hard vegetables or thickly sliced vegetables may need to be blanched (cooked for a few minutes in simmering water) before grilling. Lightly brush the vegetables with Canola oil. Season to taste with your favorite Magic Seasoning Blend and grill.

8. PICTURE PERFECT RIBS
Ribs cooked on a grill tend to be dry and tough, but there is a way to make perfectly tender fall-apart ribs. Season the ribs and wrap them in three layers of ovenproof plastic wrap. Cook ahead of time in a 250° oven until the ribs are tender, about 1˝ to 2 hours. Remove the plastic brush the ribs with BBQ sauce (if desired) and finish on a hot grill. Brush the grill with canola oil before finishing the ribs to help prevent sticking.

9. TAKING THE CHILL OFF
Ideally, items to be grilled should be removed from the refrigerator and allowed to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, so that the internal temperature rises to about 45 - 50°. This allows the item to cook more quickly and evenly on the grill. A word of caution: As soon as the temperature of the item exceeds 40°, the possibility of bacterial growth exists. So only grill with products which you are sure are very fresh and have been properly handled.

10. TURN, TURN, TURN
When grilling hamburgers, chops or steak, feel free to turn them over OFTEN so that you lock the juices in and keep the meat juicy and moist.