Morning Mix

Actions

Chef Jenn’s grilling hacks to make your meal a success

Posted at 11:48 AM, May 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-16 11:48:49-04

Memorial Day is coming up and it’s time to get that grill hot! It's the first big grilling weekend of the holiday and grillers may be a little rusty. But that’s okay because Chef Jenn of Jenny with the Good Eats stopped by to show us some grilling hacks to make your life a little easier.

Hack #1- Place a frozen beef broth ice cube in the center of your hamburger patties.

As your burger patties start to cook, they will immediately begin losing moisture. Many times when we grill over holidays, we are completely distracted. This trick will help keep those burger patties nice and juicy as they cook, plus it will be a nice little flavor boost.

Juicy Grilled Hamburgers

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20)
  • 4 beef broth ice cubes (frozen unsalted broth in ice cube trays)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • Toppings of choice

Preparation:

Divide ground beef into 4 equal size patties. Place an ice cube in the middle and flatten to desired thickness. Salt and pepper both sides of the burger patty. Grill to desired doneness and add toppings of your choice.

Hack #2- Keep your condiments in a muffin tin.

Having everything in one place is a great way to stay organized and have your guests easily load up their food with preferred toppings. No more yelling across the yard taking everyone’s topping orders! Plus, this is an easy way to clean up.

Hack #3- Cook seafood on a bed of lemons.

The biggest problem when it comes to grilling seafood is having it stick to the grill. A good way to prevent this is by cooking it on a bed of delicious citrus fruit. Grilled lemons take on a great flavor when grilled and will provide the barrier between the hot grill and your delicate seafood.

Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Garlic Compound Butter

For the butter:

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • zest from one lemon
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup parsley, minced
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced and smashed to a paste
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

For the salmon:

  • 4 (6 ounces) salmon fillets
  • 6 lemons, sliced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

  1. For the compound butter, let the butter come to room temperature then combine all of the ingredients. Roll into a log shape and roll up tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to harden. This can be made days in advance.
  2. Preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Place the lemons on the grill in a single layer and place salmon fillets on top. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes with the grill lid closed. During the last few minutes of grilling, place 1 tablespoon of the compound butter on top of each fillet. Serve with the grilled lemons.

Learn more grilling tips from Chef Jenn, and other delicious recipes atjennywiththegoodeats.com.