Tips for Outdoor Grilling at Home

Bring on the hot sun and the lazy days of summer in downtown Chicago. Grilling seafood and steaks is the best option for families when it is too hot to cook inside. Outdoor dining can vary from fast, easy, fresh to an elaborate and stylish dinner party that makes a hot summer cool. When cooking outdoors, your choices are unlimited. Here are some tips for the next time you break out the grill.

1. Use a rub or marinade to prep your meats or vegetables. Dry rubs tend to be more flavorful and are absorbed by the meat. You can flavor you meats with spices, herbs, and sugar up to 1-2 hours before cooking depending upon the time you have allotted for prepping your food. If you have more time to prepare, marinate your meat in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 12 to 24 hours. This will ensure crisp, juicy, and flavorful results.
2. If you choose a charcoal grill, as we do at Catch 35, make sure the coals are glowing before you begin to cook. You can fan the coals to get the embers hot.
3. Oil the grates to prevent sticking of meats or fish. Use a paper towel and drench it with olive oil and rub the grates using tongs to hold the paper towel so you don’t burn yourself.
4. Grilling is not just for meats. When you grill vegetables like tomatoes, asparagus, or potatoes the depth of flavors can be combined to make a delicious charred salad.
5. Let the food cook. Do not constantly move or smash meats with a spatula. Use tongs and move the food once it has a nice char but before it dries out.

Grilling seafood is an art and requires a lot of practice. This is how we do seafood in Chicago at Catch 35, check out our video titled, “The Grill”. We use a charcoal grill and incorporate all of these tips into our daily menu.

If you’re in the mood for some grilled seafood or steak, but don’t want to hassle yourself with the work, let our professional chefs in Chicago or at our Naperville location do the work for you. Two tasty grilled fish options you can try are the grilled Atlantic salmon with cool cucumbers, shallots, and lemon dill sauce and the grilled Block Island swordfish with roasted poblanos, chimichurri, fingerling potatoes, and grilled shrimp. The perfect accompaniments to any warm summer night! See you soon!