A Celebrity Chef Says You’ve Been Flipping Your Burgers All Wrong

A cookout can go from charming to humbling fast. One minute you’re pouring rosé, the next you’re trying to pry fish off the grill (and not in one piece). 

On All on the Table, Food Network star Katie Lee Biegel shares the tiny grilling fixes that separate an easy summer dinner from a full backyard spiral. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just trying not to embarrass yourself in front of one salmon filet, here’s what she wants you to know. 

Food Network Star Katie Lee Biegel’s Summer Grilling Tips

Let the meat tell you when to flip

The reason your food sticks is almost always that you’re rushing it. “The meat is going to tell you when it’s ready to turn,” Biegel says. “If you go with your tongs or your spatula and you cannot get it to turn, walk away. That means it is not ready yet.” When it’s properly seared, it releases from the grates on its own, no peeling, no shredding, no sad strings of chicken left behind.

The same patience applies to flipping in general. Constantly poking and turning your food keeps it from developing that good crust, so resist the urge to fuss with it.

A clean grill is a non-stick grill

Biegel learned this the scary way. She once put fatty curry lamb chops on a grill that hadn’t been cleaned since the summer before, walked back inside, and looked out to see flames. “It was a near disaster,” she admits, crediting her husband for grabbing the extinguisher. So scrub your grates every time you cook, and break the whole grill down for a deep clean once or twice a season. 

A couple of her go-to pointers:

• No grill brush? Crumple a ball of heavy-duty aluminum foil and scrub with that.
• Be cautious with wire brushes; the bristles can shed, stick to grates, and end up in food, which has caused serious injuries. If you use one, rinse the grates afterward.
• Season clean grates with a paper towel dipped in a high-heat oil while they’re cold, to keep food from sticking and avoid flare-ups.

Learn direct versus indirect heat

Cranking every burner to max is a classic rookie move. “Super hot doesn’t always mean best, because you will burn it on the outside and have it raw on the inside,” Biegel says. The trick is to build two zones, one side blazing for the sear and one side low or even off to gently finish thicker cuts like bone-in chicken or pork tenderloin. 

Thinner things are way more forgiving. A pounded chicken cutlet or a skirt steak can just ride over the hot side, start to finish. And whenever you’re melting cheese on a burger or working with something thick, close the lid so the grill traps the heat and behaves like a little oven.

Wipe off your marinade (yes, really)

“If you have moisture on the outside of the protein, that creates steam and you’re not going to get the good caramelization,” Biegel explains. That’s why your meat comes out looking “kind of anemic” instead of restaurant-pretty. Pat it dry, re-season, and let it sear.

Pick the right fish, then leave it alone

Grilled fish falls apart for predictable reasons, and it usually starts with the wrong fish. Biegel goes for firm, sturdy cuts. “I am a big fan of tuna, salmon, and swordfish for putting on the grill,” she says, warning that delicate white fish will disintegrate on you. A whole fish, stuffed with herbs and lemon and scored on the outside, is her most foolproof move.

Whatever you choose, dry it really well and flip it only once. That same steam problem hits even harder here because the extra moisture is what makes fish crumble.

Buy fewer tools than they’re selling you

“You really just need a pair of tongs and a good metal spatula and the silicone basting brush,” Biegel says. Skip the fork while you’re at it, because, in her words, “why would you want to poke the meat and put holes in it that then all the juices are going to run out of?”

The one tool she does beg you to own is a thermometer, which she calls a total game-changer. Instead of slicing into a steak to see if it’s medium rare or hacking at a chicken thigh to check if it’s cooked, you just take the temperature, and you’ve got your answer, no sacrificial first slice required. 

Want to hear the rest of Biegel’s tips? Catch the full episode on All on the Table, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

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