3 grill myths and the truth behind them

We’ve all heard of outrageous stories, tips, tricks, and myths about the grill from “experts.” This information is available on the Internet and there are too many things that we no longer know which are true. Unless you’ve tried and tested everything, that’s the only time you can prove it valid.

But considering science and popularity, here are 3 of the most common grill myths and the truth behind them:

The more you check, the longer your food will cook on the grill.

Surely you have read a tip about this: in general, they advise against controlling your food too much because it lengthens the cooking time. Some even say you add 15 minutes of cook time to long cookers (like beef brisket) every time you look. The truth is, no matter how many times you check your food, it doesn’t have much of an impact on temperature, let alone cooking time. According to Boston University Professor Greg Blonder, a food scientist and physicist, drastically opening the lid has little to no impact on the surface and core temperatures of the meat, so it doesn’t change its cooking time.

Marinate longer to tenderize the meat.

We’ve all heard of it – the more you marinate your meat, the better it will penetrate the meat for flavor and the more tender it will be. However, it is not entirely true. It may work for thin cuts of meat, but for regular cuts like chicken breast or regular pork chops, marinades are just a surface treatment. While salt can penetrate deep into meat, other spices (like garlic and pepper) have huge molecules and can only penetrate up to 1/8 inch of the meat’s surface, even when marinated overnight.

To prevent food from sticking, first grease the grill grates.

This is probably one of the most common tips that you will come across when you first read about the grill. Honestly, sometimes it works, but the chances that it doesn’t are higher. Greasing the grates below the smoke point can work (doing it above the smoke point will definitely cause the food to stick), but the best option is to grease the food, not the grates.

If you’re not convinced, put these grill myths to the test to find out if they’re valid. When it comes to grilling, what works for someone doesn’t mean it works for you. The experience will let you know what is the best!