16 grilling tips for Memorial Day Weekend

National Hot Tea Month, National Pecan Month, National Canned Food Month: If you can think of a food, there is probably a time of year to celebrate it.

Most are silly – there also are months dedicated to hot breakfasts, frozen food and noodles – but the month of May offers a dedication we can get behind: National Barbecue Month.

With each new grilling season comes the chance to learn something new, from techniques for creating a steakhouse-style crust to preventing pizza dough from falling through the grates. We turned to three barbecue aficionados – Ray Sheehan of Neptune, creator of the BBQ Buddha line of sauces and rubs; Reed Choate of Rumson, a grilling enthusiast and founder of www.grilladdict.com; and Chef Eric LeVine of Paragon Tap & Table and Morris Tap & Grill in northern New Jersey – for tips and recipes to inspire us this summer.

So as they say, let’s get grilling!

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Ray Sheehan says ...

When it comes to grilling, Sheehan knows his stuff. He has a competition barbecue team and his own line of sauces and rubs, which are sold in stores throughout Monmouth County. He grills everything, from steaks to watermelon, but always begins the same way: “Start out with a good, clean grill,” said Sheehan, who recommends cleaning the grill before and after each cook. “Get it nice and hot and burn off whatever bits of food that are on there from the last cook. I preheat it for 15 to 20 minutes and use a wire brush to scrape it, make sure everything is off.

The next thing I do is oil the grates. I use olive oil – some people use vegetable oil, but if that’s really hot, it will catch (fire),” he said. Soak a clean dish towel or paper towel in the oil then use tongs to oil the grates. “That’s going to give you a good, clean sear if you’re doing beef or burgers. And you’re going to gain lots of flavor from the caramelization of the meats.”

Sheehan shared recipes for grilling pizza, along with these tips:

• Spread the dough out thin and even.

• Brush the dough liberally with olive oil.

• Let it cook and get crispy. Don’t try and move the dough too soon or it may stick.

• Flip the dough carefully with both hands using tongs.

• Don’t overdo it with the toppings.

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Chef Eric LeVine says ...

At his restaurants, Paragon Tap & Table in Clark and Morris Tap & Grill in Randolph, LeVine features nine different burgers: The beer burger is soaked in stout, the Bacon-Eater is topped with bacon, bacon onion marmalade and bacon aioli. He shared some tips for making a great burger:

• Before you cook anything, I like to turn the heat on and close the top of the grill for a few minutes to let the grates warm up. Then, use a grill brush to clean and remove any food build up. This should be done BEFORE you cook, every time. Doesn’t matter if you used the grill months ago, or days.

• The biggest mistake I see people making is when they push the burger down. It drives me crazy. Pushing down on the burger presses out all the natural juices. Then people ask why their burgers were so dried out.

• Flip burgers with a spatula; never use tongs.

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• A foolproof way to make juicy burgers: The key to juicy burgers is understanding what type of protein you’re using. Always make your own patty, never buy frozen. For a chicken burger, use medium flame and light oil. For a beef burger, use a blend of short loin, chuck and brisket, 80/20 meat-to-fat ratio. For a veggie burger, use ether potato or sweet potato to bind the patty. For tofu, rub grates with a light oil before grilling and don’t be shy with your seasoning, as tofu is naturally very dense and bland.

• Burger patty ratio: It’s all about the meat. I prefer to make my own half-pound patties. For juicy, flavorful burgers every time, I use a blend of chuck, short loin and brisket. Season your meat with salt and pepper and cook to a medium-rare temperature (130 to 135 degrees).

Reed Choate says ...

Choate is a home griller who enjoys “cooking over fire as often as possible,” he said. For meat, he favors Monmouth Meats in Red Bank, and he purchases fish from Local 130 in Asbury Park.

• Preparation can take your backyard barbecue from chaotic to seamless. Keep the menu simple, and prep veggies and sides before your guests arrive. This ensures you have a good time with them.

• If you’re cooking hamburgers, steak or fish, flip the item once and make sure you do not flip too soon. You want to make sure you have clean and oiled grates so the food doesn’t stick. If the food is sticking, it’s not ready to flip: The food will release from the grate if it’s cooked on that side.

• Only flip your protein once. There is no need to flip a burger or a steak multiple times; one flip is all you need.

• Keep the lid closed once you put your food on the grill. If you’re constantly opening the hood of your grill to sneak a peak, you’re losing a majority of the heat on your grill. This will lead to inconsistent cooking time and potentially undercooked food. Remember, if you’re looking, its not cooking!

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• Let the food rest after cooking. There is nothing worse than buying an expensive steak from the butcher and not letting it rest. Five to 10 minutes is usually enough time; this allows the muscle fibers in the meat to drive the juices to the center. If you cut your meat right after removing it from the grill, the juices will form a puddle on your plate or carving board. Also, the meat will continue to cook while it’s resting, so if you’re in search of that perfect medium rare, make sure you take the meat off a few degrees early to allow for the temperature to rise. If your target is 130 for a perfect medium-rare steak, take your steak off the grill at 120 to 125 degrees to give yourself a window.

• Hamburgers and hot dogs are favorites, but you need to cook them differently. Hamburgers cook best over direct high heat and hot dogs do better off to the side with indirect heat, which keeps them from getting charred. If you’re using a gas or propane grill and have a top shelf, that is the best place to cook the hot dogs, away from the heat. If you have multiple burners, you can turn the dial down to low, or even off, to cook that perfect hot dog.