We’ll grill just about anything

By Gwen Schoen

He’s a handsome devil, dressed in safari shorts, flip-flops, a sauce-splattered T-shirt and a backward-turned baseball cap. He has oven mitts draped across his shoulders like snow mittens and a giant spatula in one hand. A spray bottle of water is riding on his hip like a six-shooter.

The grill has been hosed down. The gas tank is fully loaded. The steaks are soaking in the “secret sauce.”

Let the backyard grill season begin.

So what are we cooking for Memorial Day and other gatherings? We’ll grill anything, from steak and burgers to pizza and eggplant. Nothing escapes the lure of the backyard grill master. We rounded up our sources and came up with five top grilling items and five tips for cooking them. But don’t stop here. Our motto is: If it fits on a grill, you can cook it on a grill.

Beef: Best choices

UFor burgers, buy ground beef with some fat in it. Usually about 10 percent fat is best for flavor and juiciness.

URib steak, lightly marbled with fat, is tender and juicy.

UFlank steak has great flavor, but it can be tough, so lightly score it on both sides at an angle across the grain and marinate it for at least an hour before grilling.

UTri-tip is lean and tender with little waste. It takes on the flavors of a good rub or marinade. Cook it quickly to prevent shrinkage. One will serve about four hungry people.

UTenderloin is one of the most tender cuts, and it’s a good choice for inexperienced grillers.

Five grill tips

UUse tongs or a spatula instead of a fork to turn beef. Forks pierce the surface and allow juices to escape.

UAllow meat to come to room temperature before placing it on the grill. Placing cold meat on a hot grill can make it tough.

UMarinate for at least an hour, but no more than 24 hours or the meat will get mushy. Beer, by the way, makes a great marinade.

UWhen using a rub, apply it at least an hour or two before grilling to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat.

UBuy the best quality you can afford. USDA Prime is the best. If that’s not available, buy Choice.

Vegetables: Best Choices

UBrush asparagus with olive oil. Grill it just until it develops dark grill marks.

UArtichokes turn sweet and tender when grilled.

UEggplant slices are simple. Just brush the slices with oil and grill until lightly browned. Then top with tomato slices and grated cheese.

UCorn on the cob is the king of the grill. Pull husks down, but leave them attached. Remove the silks, then pull the husks back over the cob. Soak the corn in water for about 15 minutes before grilling it until it’s hot and looks charred.

UPotatoes and onions are simple to cook in a foil packet. Add a pat of margarine or oil and a sprinkle of your favorite herbs.

Five grill tips

UBefore grilling, parboil hard vegetables such as artichokes or potatoes to help them cook faster.

UDon’t salt vegetables before grilling; it’s believed that salt causes them to release water and makes them dry out faster.

USmall vegetables or small pieces of vegetables should be cooked in a grill pan, in a basket or on a wooden plank to prevent them from falling through the grate.

UWhen making skewers, use vegetables with similar textures that require the same amount of grill time.

UWhen grilling vegetables on wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for about 15 minutes before threading on the vegetables, and wrap the tips of the skewers in foil to prevent them from burning.

Pork: Best Cuts

URibs are at the top of the pork list. Spare ribs are fattier but also have more meat than baby backs and they are less expensive. Baby backs, though, are usually more tender.

UBoneless pork butt makes great sandwiches. Use a rub for extra flavor and add a drip pan to the grill to prevent flares. One roast takes three to four hours at medium heat.

UTenderloin cooks quickly on a grill. Turn it frequently to prevent burning. An average tenderloin of 11‚Ñ2 pounds takes about 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 170 degrees.

UDouble-thick pork loin chops are juicy and tender. Sear them for about two minutes per side, then reduce the heat, close the lid and slow roast them for about 15 minutes.

UBoneless loin roast is great when cut into cubes and used for kabobs.

Five grill tips

UTrim fat to avoid flare-ups.

UTo prevent burning a sweet sauce, apply it at the very end of grilling time.

UDon’t parboil your ribs. You will just boil away all the flavor.

UGrill pork ribs, rib side down, slowly over indirect medium heat — about 11‚Ñ2 to 2 hours. Use direct heat for small cuts and indirect heat for larger cuts like a tenderloin.

UCook until the internal temperature is 170 degrees.

Poultry: Best choices

UWhole chickens are much less expensive than pieces. You can either roast them whole or use chicken shears to split them down the middle along the backbone and lay them flat on the grill.

UIf you prefer to buy chicken pieces, you can’t go wrong. Pick and choose your favorite parts.

UWhole turkeys. Why wait for Thanksgiving?

UGame hens. They cook in about an hour and they are a bit easier to handle than a whole turkey or chicken.

UBoneless turkey breast. Use indirect, medium heat to prevent them from drying out and try not to take the lid off the grill too often.

Five grill tips

UOil the grill before placing the chicken on it to prevent it from sticking.

UBoneless chicken pieces should not be marinated much longer than 15 or 30 minutes or they will get mushy.

UIf you baste chicken with the marinade it was soaked in, stop basting 10 minutes before the chicken is done to allow the marinade time to reach a safe temperature.

UPoultry should be grilled to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, which will take about 35 to 40 minutes for large pieces with a bone and about 12 to 15 minutes for most boneless pieces.

UWhen grilling boneless, skinless chicken breasts, use direct heat, but for other pieces or whole birds, slow cooking with indirect heat and lower temperatures works best.

Fish: Best choices

ULarge shrimp and scallops are easy to cook on skewers or in a fish basket.

UTuna steaks are firm enough to cook directly on the grill without falling apart.

USnapper or other white fish fillets are delicate, so cook them in foil packets or on a plank.

USalmon steaks or fillets should be turned just once during grilling to keep them from falling apart. Brush them liberally with oil to prevent sticking.

UHalibut, like tuna, is firm enough to cook directly on the grate.

Five grill tips

UMarinate no longer than two hours or the fish will get mushy.

UWhen cooking fish in a foil packet, leave enough space in the packet to allow the fish to steam as it cooks.

UWrap fish with prosciutto or bacon to keep it from drying out.

UAlways brush the grate with oil or spray it with a nonstick cooking spray designed for high heat to prevent fish from sticking.

UCooking fish on a cedar plank is a great way to add flavor.

XSources: “Weber’s Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Cooking With Live Fire” by Jamie Purviance (Sunset Books); “Barbecue Nation: 350 Hot-off-the-Grill, Tried-and-True Recipes From America’s Backyard” by Fred Thompson (Taunton Press); and “King of the Q’s Blue Plate BBQ” by Ted Reader (Penguin Group).