Seven Things You Should Never Grill . . . and One Is Burgers?
If you’re busting out your grill and asking ChatGPT for tips for your Fourth of July barbecue this year . . . this might come as a shock:
A.I. uncovered a Bloomberg article that had professional chefs list foods you should NEVER cook on a grill. And one is . . . burgers. Here’s the list:
1. BURGERS. Their argument is the fat drips down . . . the outside doesn’t get caramelized . . . and you lose all the flavor. You’re supposed to use a plancha . . . a flat piece of cast iron you place on top of the grill. The Fourth of July is all about freedom though. So we say do what you want.
2. Filet mignon. It doesn’t have ENOUGH fat for the grill. And they’re usually pretty thick, so it’s hard to cook them the way you want when you’re using a flame.
3. Pizza. Most grills don’t cook very evenly, and it’s also hard to get the toppings to cook right. If you do try it though, use aluminum foil or a pizza stone. Otherwise you might have a tough time scraping it off the grill.
4. Most types of fish, including salmon. It tends to do better if you cook it on low heat. And with really flaky fish, the smoke hides all the flavor. Swordfish and tuna do pretty well on the grill though.
5. Pork chops. Again, you lose all that delicious fat. So they’re better in a pan.
6. Shish kebabs. They actually ARE okay on the grill, but not the way most people do them. Vegetables tend to cook faster than meat. So don’t put everything on the same skewer. Put meat on one, and veggies on another.
7. Back to A.I.: Melty cheeses. ChatGPT notes that softer cheeses and processed types like American will just melt through the grates. You CAN make it work on a burger . . . if you REALLY want to flip the script on this list.
But if you want them for a skewer, there ARE cheeses that can handle being grilled: The top three are: Halloumi . . . queso panela . . . or the Greek cheese kefalotyri, which is a great appetizer with lemon juice and black pepper.
Photo by <a href=”https://unsplash.com/@mashkov?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText”>Ilya Mashkov</a> on <a href=”https://unsplash.com/photos/meat-and-cheese-burger-surrounded-by-sesame-seeds-_qxbJUr9RqI?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText”>Unsplash</a>
