BBQ and Grilling Tips for Seafood by Gulfscapes Magazine

General Tips for BBQ and Grilling

Marinating quickly tenderizes meat and also adds additional flavor. Use roughly 2 to 4 cups of marinade for every 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of food. The marinade should completely surround the food. Cooked meat should never be returned to its marinade; germs killed in the cooking process could still be present in the marinade dish.

A secret to tender, moist, tasty meat and fish is the thickness you choose. A thickness anywhere from one inch to one and a half inches works well.

Trim beef steaks to 1/8 inch fat--this reduces grease drippings to help minimize open flames. If you like your hamburgers juicy, go with ground beef that is about 15 to 20 percent fat. Have fish fillets cut from 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick--anything thinner will dry out too quickly. Pork chops should also be at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick--this cut is ready when the meat is no longer pink along the bone and when the juices run clear.

For direct cooking on a charcoal grill, make sure there is enough charcoal to extend in a single layer 1 to 2 inches beyond the area of the food on the grill. This is for a low heat fire. I like mine hot-so my charcoal is two layers thick, and extends 3-4 inches beyond the meat. Pour briquettes into the grill to determine the quantity. Then stack into a pyramid for lighting. Don't disturb the pyramid till the charcoal is done (see below). For indirect cooking, food is placed over a drip pan and the briquettes are banked either to one or both sides of the pan.

When using charcoal, the key is to avoid giving the meat a "lighter fluid taste". The usual advice is to use the least amount of starter fluid as possible to light the fire. But I've found that I am less likely to get any "lighter fluid taste" on the meat when I use large amounts of lighter fluid. I thoroughly soak the charcoal, which makes for large, leaping flames and a very hot fire. My theory is that the heat generated from the large fire burns any petrochemical residue off better than a small, cooler fire. (Some folks like "charcoal chimneys", which are thin metal tubes that hold the charcoal and allow it to be lit from below with paper-no lighter fluid. I like these, but haven't used one lately. They are worth a try.)

The key, no matter how much lighter fluid you use, is to keep your cooking grate completely away from the fire until ready to cook. This keeps any petrochemical residue from being deposited on your cooking surface, where it could be transferred to your meat.

Your charcoal is not ready until 95% of it is gray. Cooking before your charcoal is fully ready will increase the likelihood of "lighter fluid taste".

When roasting or grilling with a BBQ pit closed, open a can of beer and place the beer over the hottest part of the fire. The beer will boil and super saturate the air inside the pit with water vapor, beer flavors and alcohol. This will help in keeping the roasting meats moist, while adding flavor to the meat.

Whenever barbecuing, use tongs to turn the meat. A fork should never be used as it will punch holes in the meat and allow the natural juices to escape, causing the meat to lose flavor and become chewy.

Tomato and/or sugar based BBQ sauces should be added only at the end of the grilling process, since these products will burn easily and are seldom considered an internal meat flavoring.

To estimate the temperature of your grill, hold your hand, palm side down, about six inches above the coals. If you can only hold your hand for:
      Two seconds - it's hot, about 375°F or more
      Three seconds - it's medium-hot, about 350 to 375°F
      Four seconds - it's medium, about 300 to 350°F
      Five seconds - it's low, about 200 to 300°F

Tips for BBQ and Grilling Fish

Small whole fish will need about 7 minutes on each side. A little longer if stuffed.

Large whole fish will need about 15 minutes per side, again longer if it is very large or stuffed.

Fillets (like salmon) will need about 6-8 minutes per side. Trout fillets may only need 4 minutes per side.

Steaks (like halibut or salmon) usually need about 5 minutes per side.
Kabobs are usually cut into chunks a little over an inch thick and will need about 12 minutes turning often.

Cook fish and seafood like shrimp on a cleanly scraped grill that has been brushed with a little oil or fat.

Cook fish on an oiled grill, skin side down, for the first part of the cooking time. The skin protects the fish from burning and drying out. It also can provide natural oils to your grill, so when you flip the fish it doesn't stick.

Tips for BBQ and Grilling Seafood

A hinged wire grill basket is best for cooking whole fish such as snapper, trout or salmon. It also works well for fillets of tender fish such as perch, snapper, catfish or flounder.

Firm fish, such as tuna, salmon, or shark can be cooked directly on the grill if handled carefully.

Skewer small shellfish such as shrimp or scallops on metal or water-soaked wooden skewers or cook them in a grill basket.

Grill fillets over medium to medium-low heat. Fish can cook quickly and it is easier to slow down cook time and monitor to not overcook.

If using a marinade, allow fish to soak up flavor for at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate while soaking in marinade.

If you are going to use the marinade as an extra sauce on top of the cooked fish or seafood, the marinade liquid must be boiled by itself for at least 5 minutes to cook out any bacteria that may be there from when the fish was soaking.

To grill shellfish in the shell, such as oysters, mussels and clams, place them directly on the hottest part of the grill. They're done when the shell opens. Discard those that don't open after about 5 minutes.