Common Grilling Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Americans love to grill. Whether it's on their patio, balcony, backyard, driveway, at the park, or on the beach, grilling or barbecuing is a significant part of American culture, an activity that has been taking place since colonial times. Just about anything can be thrown on the grill – from burgers, steaks, shrimp, and tofu to portobello mushrooms, broccolini, and eggplant. But that doesn't always mean everyone is doing it correctly. This is why we've prepared this guide to common grilling mistakes and how to avoid them.

If you haven't yet purchased a grill and aren't sure where to start, there's a wide range of gas and charcoal grills available in every price category, as well as models that operate with compressed wood pellets, or with electricity, and you can even opt for a griddle. However, if you're a traditionalist, you may want to forgo the last two items and stick with the standard charcoal or gas grill.

Drawing on the advice of experts and many years of collective grilling experience, 24/7 Tempo has assembled a list of common grilling mistakes and how to avoid them. (If you'd like to enjoy your barbecue with an adult beverage, check out the most delicious beers in the U.S.)

You wouldn't leave your pots and pans dirty after cooking with them, and by the same logic, you shouldn't leave your grill dirty. It is important to always clean your grill thoroughly after, and even before using it. Leftover bits of charred food will affect the flavor of your food and can leave it caked with unattractive residue — and all that blackened gunk is very unhealthy.

Numerous grill-cleaning implements and systems are available, or you can simply scrape large pieces of food off with a spatula or knife, and then clean the grill with a kitchen scrub pad. Alternately, wad aluminum foil into a rough ball and use that to scrub.

Certain food items, like steaks and other firm protein, usually won't be a problem with an unoiled grill, but if you're cooking fish, vegetables, or fruit, rub a light coating of vegetable oil over the unlit grill with paper towels to help prevent the food from sticking.

If you have a gas grill, one of the most important things is to always make sure you have a good supply of fuel before you start to cook. Nothing's more annoying (or embarrassing) than having to bring those burgers, hotdogs, or chicken breasts into the kitchen to finish on the stove when everyone has been anticipating that outdoorsy taste.

Some propane tanks have meters; others sit on a sliding device that moves as the tank gets lighter. If you have a handy scale, you can also detach the tank and weigh it. A full standard-size home barbecue tank weighs between 25 and 30 pounds and an empty one about 18. It's always a good idea to keep a backup tank on hand, just in case.

If you have a charcoal grill, you may already know that the standard brands of charcoal lighting fluid all claim to burn off cleanly as soon as they flare out. They may do just that but you don't want to chance lending your food a chemical flavor. The most efficient way to light coals or hardwood charcoal is in a charcoal chimney.

Fill the top with coals or wood, stuff crumpled newspaper in the bottom, and light the newspaper; the flames will rise into the briquettes or wood and ignite them. When everything has started to glow, the fuel is ready to be used.

Also applicable only to charcoal or wood fires: Once the coals are lit, they should remain heaped in the bed of the barbecue until all are coated in gray ash which is an indicator that they're smoldering all the way through.

No matter what kind of grill you're using, you need to preheat it, getting it up to the hottest temperature possible before throwing on the food. If the heat seems too intense for what you're cooking, see the next step.

There should be at least two levels of heat coming from your grill, no matter what application you use, gas or charcoal. The very hot portion is for searing meats and other hardy foods and a slightly cooler part is for fish and vegetables that can also be used as a holding space for food that's flaring and burning over high heat.

With a gas grill, assuming that you have at least two burners, simply turn one to medium or low. With hardwood or coals, bank the coals from one side to the other or back to front so the heat is less intense on one side. Depending on what you're cooking, you might even want to keep one section of the grill unlit entirely for things you'd want to cook over indirect heat.

While just about everything can be grilled – Brussels sprouts, potatoes, peaches, pizza- not everything works well with this method of cooking. Avoid flaky fish, tough meat cuts like short ribs or veal shanks, watery or leafy vegetables like cucumber and spinach, and fibrous vegetables like okra, and celery).

If you've splurged on well-marbled wagyu steaks, don't grill those either. Their fat content is on the higher side and the fat will leak out, catch on fire, and incinerate the meat. Another reason to cook wagyu in a pan: That fat is worth saving, as it's great for sautéing potatoes and other vegetables.

Unlike your indoor kitchen, you don't need to splurge on an excess of fancy barbecue tools. A few key items are essential, like a long-handled spatula and a pair of long-handled tongs. If you use short-handled versions, you'll end up slathering on the burn ointment. A fork (also long-handled) might be useful for some vegetables but don't stab your meat with it, as you'll lose some precious juices.

Unlike dishes cooked indoors, grilled foods require more seasonings. Put more salt and pepper than you think you'll need because some of it will burn off and some of it will fall off. A good layering of salt, preferably coarse, will also help form a delicious crust on your meats.

If you slather sauce onto foods before grilling them, especially sweet ones, like most barbecue sauces, they will quickly burn, becoming sticky and unpleasant. Brush a light layer of sauce on things near the end of the cooking process, while they're on the cooler side of the grill. Or just apply it after they're done.

If you prefer your burgers pressed or smashed, you might want to purchase an outdoor griddle, but if you prefer your grill, you may need to reconsider your burger cooking methods. Burger smashing should be left to griddle cooking, a practice that often allows the juices to linger around the meat. Smashing a burger on the grill, though, just means that you're consigning a lot of the precious juices to the flames, and are apt to end up with a hockey puck instead of a luscious patty of ground meat.

It's natural to get distracted when you're cooking outdoors, after all, the cook doesn't want to be manning the grill the whole time. You may want to chat with friends as they come arrive, take a break from the heat and jump in the pool, or even take a beer break. But when you've got something on the grill, it only takes a few minutes to have food go from delicious to disastrous.

No matter how you cook meat – on the grill, sautéed in a pan, in the oven – you should never cut into it or serve it the minute it's done. Let it rest for about three to five minutes for steak or lamb chops, and 10 minutes or so for larger pieces of meat like pork loin or leg of lamb. Heat pushes the meat's juices toward the center, and letting it rest briefly allows them to be reabsorbed and distributed more evenly. That way, the meat is juicier and more tender and will retain its juices when cut into.

If you're an experienced griller, you'll likely be able to tell when that steak has hit a perfect medium-rare or those shrimp are still this side of rubber, but for most summertime grillers, getting things cooked just right is a matter of guesswork. It doesn't have to be. Look up the ideal internal temperature for whatever protein you're cooking, then use a meat thermometer to tell you when you've gone just far enough.