11 Essential Grilling Tips from Iron Chef’s Michael Symon

Here are some tips from pro Michael Symon

Know the difference between barbecuing and grilling
Never forget to season the meat
Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking it
Folks without outdoor grills can grill too
Consider swapping charcoal for wood
Vary your style of grill to kick up your outdoor cooking skills
Choose inexpensive cuts of meat to barbecue
Get creative with burger toppings
Rethink the way you make your barbecue sauce
Wash it all down with the right summer cocktails
Don’t be afraid to grill on a budget

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Chef Michael Symon is serious about meat.

The award-winning Food Network chef shares perfectly cooked burgers, steaks and barbecue with the masses at his four restaurants in Cleveland and Detroit: Lola, Lolita, B Spot and Roast.
But it’s his own backyard where he serves the juiciest slabs of meat, including his personal summer favorite: grilled Old Bay chicken thighs. Mashable caught up with Symon to talk grills, barbecue sauce and his all-time favorite burger toppings. Here’s what we learned:

1. Know the difference between barbecuing and grilling.

As Symon put it: “Barbecuing is technically low and slow, and grilling is high and quick.” When grilling, he recommends starting the meat on a very high heat to give it that “wonderful char” before finishing it on a low heat, so it doesn’t burn or dry out. When barbecuing, keep the meat on a low heat, about 225 degrees, until it’s tender.

2. Never forget to season the meat.

Symon suggests seasoning your meat liberally with salt and pepper before grilling. His current favorite seasoning is Old Bay herb and spice mix on chicken thighs.

“I just take the chicken and coat it pretty liberally in Old Bay spices and a little bit of olive oil, let it sit for a couple of hours, then put it on the grill and serve that with a really great horseradish-y coleslaw and maybe some German style potato salad,” he said.