The Cooking Tip To Keep In Mind When Grilling In The Winter

We all too often pigeon-hole grills into a summer-only category. The truth is, grilling is a year-round affair — you just need to know how to combat the colder climate. Tasting Table sought expert insight from Christie Vanover, owner and pitmaster of Girls Can Grill, who warns, "When the temperature drops outside, that can impact how your grill functions." She explains, "If you have a thin metal grill, it won't hold in the heat as well. It will likely take a little longer to preheat the grill, and every time you open the grill lid, it will take a little longer for the grill to get back to temperature." In short, the most vital winter grilling tip is learning how to optimize your grill heat.

Cooking outside in winter is a totally different experience to a summer grill. Be prepared for slower cooking and extra preparation; with longer preheating times, as Vanover said, you'll need to wrap yourself up warm. If winter grilling is to be a repeat event, it's worth investing in a hardy barbecue, too. Look for something robust to combat that problem of a thinner metal grill which performs badly by losing heat quicker. Nobody wants the headache of battling a rapidly dropping grill temperature while staring at limp sausages.

Research dish-specific guidance, too, not just essential grilling tips and tricks. For instance, knowing what you need to consider before grilling steak in cold weather is a good idea. Spoiler: you might want to ditch thicker cuts. Nothing beats the novelty of winter grills. Just bring your A-game, and don't go opening that grill lid every two seconds.

It's easy to see that heat retention is the secret to successful winter grilling. If the key to grilling in the rain is all about pumping up the heat, the trick in winter is keeping it. But aside from sparingly opening the lid, what else can you do to keep things toasty? A lot of it boils down to prep. Always place grills in sheltered, well-lit spots, covering your BBQ when not in use to eliminate moisture accumulation. And remember that the colder the food, the more energy heating it will require; keep ingredients inside as long as possible.

Investing in gadgets like a thermometer or thermal blanket can provide extra temperature control. A cuttable Sunico insulation grill blanket retails at just $36.99 on Amazon, and bolsters heat retention during the cooking process. This product has a 4.5 rating, and customers praise the lower price (pre-cut blankets cost almost double). It's a smart choice for those wanting a custom fit and, all-in-all, one of those grilling hacks you'll wish you knew sooner.

With a thoughtful approach, winter grilling is a piece of cake. Invest in a good-quality grill, utilize savvy barbecuing techniques, and purchase extra gadgets like blankets. Retaining heat is simply a question of juggling strategies.