Healthy Grilling Pt. 1

So it’s getting to be that time of year again when we start pulling out the grills and think about barbequing. Here are some helpful tips on good grilling and the recipes you can find on H3daily.com.

First and foremost we want to make sure that when we are grilling we are using the leanest meats there are. Chicken breast, turkey breast, pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin, lamb chops and of course fillets of fish. Now that you know what is leanest, you still have to remember to keep your ounces in consideration. Seafood can range from 5-6 ounces and meats can range from 4-5 ounces each. So those monster chicken breasts that are provided by your grocer need to be fileted in half for two servings instead of one.

Next tip is not drying out our meats so the use of the thermometer is key. Sure you can poke at the meat to see if it’s done, but you will know for sure when you use a thermometer. What you might not know is that there is a slight indent on your thermometer about 1 ½ inches up and that is actually how you temp your items; the tip of the thermometer does not actually read the temperature. Now you may ask, so what temperature do I look for? Check out the chart below:
Internal Temperatures for Doneness

Beef/Lamb
Rare	120 - 125°F
Medium Rare	130 - 140°F
Medium	145 - 150°F
Well done	155 - 165°F
Pork
All poultry	165°F
Seafood
All seafood                                                            (Cooking fish- ten minutes per inch of thickness)	145°F
Ground Meats
All ground meats	155°F

By not overcooking your meat, you will then be able to use less sauce and everyone will be happy because it’s juicy and tender.

Seasoning Tips
• Marinate or season meats ahead of time for at least 20 minutes. Using acidic items such as lemon, lime, white wine and balsamic are great tenderizers, that also add flavor to meats – but if used alone, marinating should be no more than 20 minutes, especially on small cuts of meat.
• Season all items before grilling.
• If using a basting method, such as barbeque sauce, add it toward the end to prevent the sugars from burning.
• Use herbs and spices for all types of grilled items, or make your own low salt rubs.

Grilling Tips
• Avoid touching the grilled meats too much, unless you truly feel that they are burning.
• The more you pick up and turn the meats, the longer they will take to cook and their juices might all leak out.
• Make sure to have all your tools out and ready for your use- such things as a long pair of tongs, grill brush, carving fork, hot pads, and a clean pan for items that are ready to be used.

Try this Sante Fe Tuna recipe. This marinade works great with pork tenderloin, and chicken. Look out for my Grilling Pt. 2 post soon!