Top BBQ Tips from Ivan Orkin of Ivan Ramen
photo by Daniel Krieger
Now that summer is (unofficially) over, it’s only a matter of time before we begrudgingly swap our swimsuits out for sweatshirts. But as long as it’s not, you know, snowing, we’ve been known to fire up our grill until well into the winter. Which means, there’s still plenty of time left to take advantage of these barbecue tips from ramen maven, Ivan Orkin (because smoking and grilling doesn’t need to mean hot dogs, burgers and brisket, you know). And incidentally, you won’t want to miss Orkin strut his stuff at Taste Talks Brooklyn’s upcoming All-Star BBQ, where he’ll be grilling up Grilled Duck Hearts with a summer corn XO!
Ivan Orkin’s Top BBQ Tips:
If using bamboo or wooden skewers (as we do), make sure to soak them in water for at least half an our so they do not burn up on the grill.
Make sure the grill is very hot before placing meats or veggies on it, or foods may stick.
Use a grill basket for whole fish, to make it easy to turn.
Wipe the grill grates with a paper towel moistened with oil just before placing foods on the grill, to assure a nonstick surface.
If using charcoal, be aware that you can move coals to one side of the grill, and use indirect heat on longer cooking items, on the side with no coals.
If using propane, always have a extra tank on hand, as you will inevitably run out of fuel at the worst possible time.
Before brushing your grill clean after use, help the process along by closing the lid of the grill, which will burn off residue on the grates.
You can add smoke to your grilled foods by placing hardwood chips soaked in water or bourbon in a foil packet over the coals.
When grilling outside with friends, see which way the wind is blowing and position your grill so that your guests are not in the line of smoke.
Avoid buying so called “grilling tongs” and super long spatulas.They are hard to work with. Buy a good set of tongs from a restaurant supply store for half the money, as well as a good spatula.
Get someone else to do the actual grilling, and enjoy a cold cocktail while supervising from a chair!
Taste Talks Food & Drink returns to Brooklyn September 12-14, 2014. See the full schedule and buy tickets here.
