Ten chef approved tips and tricks to make your grill the envy of the neighborhood this summer! Don’t miss out on making perfectly charred steaks, mouth-watering chicken, and whole fish.

1. Clean your grill gate! All that gook from last summer and then a winter spent outdoors? Time to clean! Fill your grill with coals, light them up, and let them cook for about 10-15 minutes. Take your grill brush and work over the grill really well. Once you’ve cleaned the grate, dip a towel in oil, hold the towel in tongs, and wipe it over the grate.
2. Open vents make for a hotter grill. White meats and fish should be cooked with closed vents or, sometimes, on a grill without the top depending on the thickness of the cut and the type of meat. Vegetables should always be cooked with the grill top off because the top keeps in moist heat. By removing the top you will maintain the crunchiness of the veggies!
3. Fish shouldn’t be salted until after you take it off the grill. Otherwise it could dry out and crumble in the intense heat.
4. If your meat sticks to the grill, it’s not ready. Leave it on for another minute or two!
5. Want those perfect looking char marks on your food? Leave it on the grill for a little longer than you want to. Then turn your cut of meat 45 degrees and let it sit for a minute to make those gorgeous charcoal X’s on the meat.
6. Glaze at the end. Sauces and glazes will burn if you put them on too early and they won’t end up tasting right. Wait until the last few minutes to put them on to get the full flavor.
7. Take your meat off the grill right before it’s done. Remember, it keeps cooking once it comes off the grill.
8. Let your meat rest before cutting it.  As your meat cooks, the outside will constrict and the juices will retreat from the surface creating an imbalance in the meat of juicy inside, drier outside.  If you pull the meat right off the grill and cut into it, the juices will vacate the meat and pool on your plate. If you let the temperature normalize, the juices will stay in the meat and so will the flavor.
9. Add smoke! Whether you grill over gas or charcoal, use hardwood logs, chunks, briquettes, or chips to impart a smoky flavor to foods. Different wood varieties add subtle nuances; try applewood for sweetness, mesquite for tang, or hickory for a baconlike taste.
10. Use fresh plates, utensils, and cutting boards to prevent raw meat, poultry, and fish from contaminating cooked food.