The Potato Hack That'll Keep Lean Meats From Sticking To The Grill
Grill enthusiasts have all experienced the frustration of lifting your meat off of the grill, only to have it stick and tear. Fortunately, there are fixes to help the meat from sticking. But before you can solve the problem, it's important to know why food was stuck to the grill in the first place. There are several common reasons, such as the grill being dirty, not being hot enough, or the meat lacking oil.
Richard Blais, of "Top Chef" fame, believes the most important factor in keeping meat from sticking to the grill is the temperature. On "The Rachael Ray Show," Blais said that a "hot, hot grill" is the key to preventing meat from sticking. And in addition to ensuring the grill is properly heated, Blais also gave another non-stick tip. "Right before you go to cook something, give it a little kiss on the grill to see if it's sticking," he said. If it does stick, keep preheating the grill.
Grilled chicken can be particularly sticky. One tip when grilling this lean meat is to put it skin-side down first, as that has less meat to stick to the surface. Another tip comes from a viral YouTube video and involves cutting a potato in half and sliding the exposed portion across the grates before applying the meat. In fact, applying a raw potato to your grill can have multiple benefits.
Why potatoes can keep meat from sticking
The YouTube video where an amateur cook shows how a potato can prevent meat sticking to grates went viral for its simplicity. YouTuber @JohnsonInc999 advises grill users to halve a potato and stick it on a fork, then rub it on the grates before grilling. (Before that, scrape the grill clean with a grill brush.) The YouTuber explains that the starch released from the potato prevents food from adhering to the grates.
For those who are hesitant to listen to an amateur, the potato method has been advised by professional chefs as well. Chef Tony Matassa says to first heat your grill before applying the cut potato. "Rub the fresh-cut side, directly on the cooking grids; using a new slice as needed," he told Well + Good. "This will coat your grids with a microscopic layer of starch." While the viral YouTube video showed the cook cutting the potato in half, Matassa recommends chopping the vegetable into smaller chunks if you have a larger grill, so you can cover every part. For safety purposes, the chef said to wear oven mitts while applying the potato in the hard-to-reach places.
Rubbing a potato on the grill grates will not only add starch, but it will also help in dislodging loose debris to ensure the grill is extra-clean. Applying the potato can help reduce sticking, but it's only one of the non-stick grilling hacks out there.
How vegetable oil can help
Ensuring the grill is clean by scraping it with a brush before grilling is a basic step to keep meat from sticking. McCormick senior culinary director Chef Kevan Vetter recommends taking that a step further by not only cleaning the grill before throwing on the food, but also scraping the grill clean when the cooking is finished and the heat is still on. He also suggests an additional hack to keep meat from adhering before firing up the grill. "[U]se a paper towel with a little vegetable oil on it and wipe the grates down to lightly oil them," Vetter told Well + Good.
Put the oil in a small bowl and preheat the grill. Then, dip a paper towel in the bowl and apply it to the grates, using tongs. Afterwards, close the grill and wait for the temperature to rise again before applying the meat.
It's important to note that you should be careful when selecting which oil to use. Choose an oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil or canola oil, or the oil will burn off too quickly to keep the meat from sticking.