Grilling is loved by one and all, be it a chef or any regular at home cook. It is such a fun way to hang out with your friends, family, or any human being in general!
Not only does grilling have the above-mentioned ‘social’ advantage, but it also has several other advantages, which will definitely ‘grill’ your mind for a long time! And without further ado, let us discuss them!
What are some of the advantages of grilling your food?
There are many advantages to grilling your food over other methods. Grilling can help save your house from heating up. Grilling can change the flavor profile of the food. Grilling can even be a good way to socialize with family and friends.
No matter your reason for wanting to grill, let’s discuss some of the advantages shall we?
Is Grilling Healthy?
Many people would be surprised to know that grilling does not contribute to a decline in your health. The one way in which grilling can be threatening will be discussed later, but there is also a solution for the issue, so no worries!
During grilling, the excess sauce or marinade drips off of the grates, preventing any unwanted calorie intake. So, the diet-conscious people can enjoy their grilled food without any stress about too many fats and oils going into their bodies.
But, this does not mean that the grilled food will become dry. Normally, grilling your food will keep the juices inside to keep your food tasting the best. Since the grills work at very high temperatures, the moisture gets locked into your food and that is why grilled food is so much juicier. All you have to do is stay close to your food and turn it over frequently to keep it from burning.
If you are non-vegetarian and have eaten good grilled meat, you would know how tasty the smoky and succulent flavor can be. Have you ever wondered why that flavor happens? It is because the natural sugars on the skin get caramelized. Due to this caramelization, the taste becomes all crispy and heavenly. Moreover, this juiciness and caramelization prevents the need for any excess amounts of oil. Again, lesser calories and more taste!
Proper grilling also kills the bacteria in the meat. Grilling can even increase the retention of riboflavin and thiamine in meat. Both are vitamins (B2 and B1, respectively) that are very important for the normal growth of our body. Vitamin B1 helps in breaking carbohydrates down while Vitamin B2 helps absorb iron and zinc.
In vegetables, (especially those with low water content), the quantity of vitamins and minerals is increased when grilled which is again good for our health.
It is said that certain processed food cooked by grilling can cause dangerous carcinogens. This is true only if you overcook or char your food on the grill. Even with this warning, I personally think grilling is still way better than frying or roasting. The food just tastes better when grilled correctly!
Other Advantages of Grilling
As discussed in the beginning, grilling is a great socializing event regardless of the weather. But grilling is, hands down, the best during the summer. You can gather with your friends and family, get out of your house, play games while you wait, eat deliciously grilled food, arrange cooking contests, and just relax to name a few things.
Also, grilling reduces the time it takes to cook the meal, as compared to the time taken in the kitchen to prepare the same meal.
If you are one to use an air conditioner inside your home, outdoor grilling can possibly help you save money on those power bills. How you might ask? Traditional cooking in the kitchen can raise the temperature of the surrounding areas by 4 degrees. So, the AC takes more time to cool the place by consuming more power.
This is just another reason for you to get out of your house and enjoy some fresh air while grilling.
Charcoal Grill vs Gas Grill
Technically, grilling is done mainly on two different types of grills – charcoal and gas.
While both types of grills give quite notably different tastes, each is preferred to the other for different reasons. From the cleaning point of view, gas grills are easier to maintain and leave behind a lesser mess. Charcoal grills are tough to clean after their use because there is a lot of ash to clean out in order to maintain a proper use.
Also, the heat in gas grills can be easily adjusted using the knobs, while temperature adjustment in charcoal grills is a very tedious and cumbersome task. Moreover, you have no idea about the temperature when using a charcoal grill. When using a gas grill, it is definitely easier to keep control of the temperature, although some people have been known to say that the charcoal grill is a pure form of grilling, whereas a gas grill is cheating. Temperature control becomes an issue when you work with certain foods because they cook best under certain conditions.
Environmentally, charcoal grills are not eco-friendly while many gas grills function using natural gas, which is less polluting.
Another headache regarding the charcoal grill is the deposition of soot on the food if enough oxygen is not available. Also, to give the gas grills a further edge, many infrared burners are available in the market nowadays which direct intense heat into the food being cooked.
Even after all these positive features of the gas grills, many people still like to grill their food over charcoal. Why? Because nothing can match the flavor it brings to the table. The charcoal grill does need a lot of time and hard work in order to be set up, so if you want to cook something on a grill urgently, the gas grill might be a better choice.
And so, the battle between charcoal grill and gas grill continues on today as strongly as ever.
Tips For Better Grilling
Here are certain tips or suggestions that you can follow to cook better on the grill of your choice. So, take your time and go through each one of them.
- Marinate your meat for some time before you start cooking. This can reduce the formation of chemicals on the food by about 99%.
- Always bring the meat to room temperature before grilling it. Never put frozen meat directly on the grates.
- Using smoked wood chips can boost the flavor of your food.
- Try adding spices and rubs to your food and avoid adding artificial substances. If you do, there won’t be any difference between your grilled food and junk food.
- If you are going to cook meat, try buying leaner meat like chicken, lamb, veal, etc. You could also go for low-fat cuts of beef or pork, if you want.
Finally
There is a general misconception that grilled food is not good for our health. But, I hope that all of these points show everyone that if we follow certain methods, grilling can be really fun and healthy!
So, enjoy that grill life and eat till your heart and stomach are full.
And as always, Have Fun!!!