Do I need to worry about marinade dripping in a gas grill?
I bought a marinated flank steak that I’ll be grilling on a gas grill. When I purchased it, the butcher suggested I use aluminum foil while grilling it to avoid the marinade potentially causing huge flames as it drips.
When I researched this later, I found articles saying it’s dangerous to use foil while grilling.
Do I actually need to worry about fire or giant flames when grilling a marinated steak? If so, what can I use instead of foil?
Best Answer
Yah aluminum foil is considered a bad thing on grills, from what I have heard.
They sell grill grates for such things if you like, me, I just turn the flame on the grill down a touch and deal with the occasional flame-ups. They actually do no harm. And if you have a grill brush to apply the marinade while cooking with a l o n g handle (what I use) you can keep your hands farther away from the (potential) flame.
Anyway a little bit of char from the flame is a good thing and adds flavor to the meat!
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Quick Answer about "Do I need to worry about marinade dripping in a gas grill?"
To avoid oily marinade falling into the fire, be sure to let the extra liquid drip off, and also pat your meat dry of all excess marinade with paper towels before placing it on the grill. If you marinaded properly, you don't need to worry about losing any flavor.Should you rinse marinade off before grilling?
Remove Marinade Before Cooking: To prevent flare-ups on the grill and ensure properly browned meat when saut\xe9ing or stir-frying, wipe off most of the excess marinade before cooking. Keep just a little marinade on the meat surface to maximize flavor.Can you pour marinade on grill?
A little bit of science goes a long way when it comes to grilling delicious meat. It always seems like a good idea at the time. Leave meat to soak for a few hours \u2014 or even overnight \u2014 in a flavor-packed marinade, then toss it on the grill.Why did my gas grill catch on fire?
The main reason gas grills catch on fire is due to grease buildup inside of the grill. When grills aren't cleaned properly, grease builds up in the firebox, on the burners, and in other areas of the grill. The grease can vaporize and ignite, causing a grease fire.Are flare-ups bad when grilling?
A flare-up can be a nasty thing, coming on quickly and posing a direct threat to whatever is on the grill. These bursts of intense flames are caused by oil or fat dripping off of food and hitting the coals, essentially causing a grease fire.Preventing Grease Flare-ups on a Gas Grill
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Answer 2
You can use aluminum foil on your grill.
I do all the time. It is really hard to cook bacon without it, or white fish that will flake out and fall thru. Maybe if you line the whole grill with foil you could damage it with its own heat. But foil is fine for food.
That said, you don't need the foil. Cook it on the grate as usual. A fatty steak can flare up. Hamburgers too. Even if you marinated the steak in oil the amount of extra grease is trivial compared to a burger or sausage. Watch the steak. Move it if it flares up. It will turn out better because on the foil you are basically frying it. Grilled steak is good. A flare up or 2 will give it character.
Flank steak tip: after you sear it on high turn the heat way way down. You might actually want to wrap the steak in foil completely after you sear it. It is easy to dry out a flank steak on the grill.
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