Direct Method

By cooking with the direct method, also known as grilling, the food is directly above the heat.

You should pre-heat the gas grill, turning on all the burners on high, close the lid and in 5 minutes you can place the food. For charcoal grills, just light up the charcoal and after that, also put food directly above the heat.

This method with more heat serves to sear the food and keep juices and flavour inside. Usually it’s done quick and with small food such as steaks, sausages, hamburgers, small fish, vegetables, etc. For larger food this method is not so effective, as it will burn the outside and the inside will be raw. 

Before you start grilling, rub the grills with vegetable oil or olive oil. This way the food won’t stick and will be left with beautiful grill marks.

Turn the food only once, and always use tong or spatula to do it. If you use a fork you will pierce it and it will lose its juices. Resist the temptation of turning it too much, because this way it will lose humidity.

To grill a thicker food, like a thick steak, use the direct method initially, but then turn down the heat and use the indirect heat to finish. This way you will get a well-cooked steak, juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.    

Indirect Method

This method is usually described as oven roasting. The food is cooked at low temperatures for longer periods of time and without direct heat below the food.

The grill should be pre-heated by turning on all the burners and closing the lid. After it is heated, open the lid, place the food in the grill, turn off the burners that are below, leave the other ones at a minimum temperature and close the lid. For charcoal grills, light up the charcoal and when is ready just place food on the top side (not above). 

This method is ideal for cooking large food, such as a pork shoulder, chicken, whole fishes or for roasting potatoes.

The low temperatures and the longer time that food is in the grill, make it tenderer because will dissolve all the fibers. Also, the flavour obtained with a roast in a grill is different and richer than baked in a kitchen oven.

It is important not to open the lid too often to check on your meal. This will lose heat and will take longer to roast.

Use a thermometer to check the inside temperature of your food. This way you will know if it’s cooked.

Place food on a grid, with a tray underneath to collect the juices. In order to mix these juices with corn flour, heat and enjoy this gravy.

Smoker Method

With this method the food is cooked with smoke, at very low temperature and for a long period of time.

In a gas grill, you will need a smoke box with wood chips. To produce more smoke, soak the chips in water for at least 30 minutes, put them in the box, place it above the burner that is working and close the lid. Then do everything as in the indirect cooking method. The wood will heat and start smoking. You will probably need to add more wood chips, depending on size of food and cooking time. For charcoal grills, just put the wood chips on top of the charcoal.

This method requires patience, and it can take up to 10 hours to cook a large piece of meat with bone, but will be very tender

To perfume more, use walnut tree or apple tree chips and soak them in beer or wine, and you can even burn rosemary branches. Create your own mixture of flavors.

Mix wet chips with dry ones. The dry ones will serve to speed up the process, which is ideal for smaller foods, and the wet ones to go further when the foods are larger and need more time.

For long smoking periods, place a pan of water on the grill. This will maintain the humidity of the food and the temperature lower.

Rotisserie Method

This method is known as grilling on the skewer.

You will need an accessory for your grill, which is the Rotisserie. It is an electric rotating skewer, to place food. You should assemble the skewer according instructions and make sure that food is well centered.

With charcoal grills, you must use the direct heating method with low/medium temperature not to burn.

Using a gas grill with infrared on the back, you should use that source of heat, if not, use the lateral burners for an indirect heat, and then close the lid to preserve heat, humidity and flavour.

You can also place a tray with some water underneath the food, where juices can fall and will not leave the grill dirty.

In this method, patience is the most important ingredient, but you will see it’s worth it.

To add aromas, place beer, wine and fruit juice on the tray below the food. Also try adding cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, rosemary or lemongrass. Brush the food several times with a marinate to obtain a tastier crust.

Use a thermometer to check if the food is cooked inside, but don’t leave it in while it’s rotating.

To roast chicken of even turkey, you should tie the legs and the wings to the skewer with a string soaked in water.

If you cook a large piece of food and you can’t close the lid, use a shim to leave it slightly opened. This will even serve to lower the temperature, prolong the cooking time and better the flavor.