180 seems high. My understanding is that, for chicken,165 is safe. Thighs can be cooked at a higher temp than breasts, so 170 to 175 might be appropriate. I'm not all that good a grilling chicken, but the direct heat for a bit of char on both sides and then moved to indirect seems to work.

But I don't believe that's true for all meats. Direct and then indirect seems better suited for chicken and meats that need to be cooked to a higher internal temp. Trying to get the proper internal tem on direct heat might burn or dry out With other meats and cutes that don't need that high of an internal temp, you can do it all with direct heat.

160 seems well done for a bison burger

It depends on the thickness of the meat and how done you want it. I am going for medium rare or 165 deg for pork or chicken breast. I am never using high except to sear.

1.25" or so and less, I am just going direct over med to med/high heat (could differ by grill).

1.5" plus and I am going reverse sear (indirect to start, then sear it off at the end). Your method can work also but I think the reverse sear gets rid of some of that grey border around the edge of a cut piece.

And you will get about 87 diff opinions on this. I am cooking on by BGE about 90% of the time and a Weber Genesis the other part.

Your first mistake was opting for propane over charcoal :)

My two cents: totally different approaches depending on the type/cut/thickness of the meat and desired doneness. Steak tips need a totally different approach than chicken breast which needs a totally different approach than a rack of ribs. Your best bet, when you're just experimenting, is to do a search online for the type of meat you're cooking, give that approach a shot and adjusting over time based on results.

I found that I was way too conservative with heat in the early going, I'd cook too low-and-slow and wind up with dry, tasteless meat. Don't be afraid to cook at high temps, you may burn the ever-loving shit out things once or twice but to me, I'd rather have something crisp with the inside cooked correctly than tough, overcooked meat.

Also don't be afraid to poke the meat (with tongs, your finger) periodically and get used to what 'done' is for medium rare/medium/medium well/fully cooked chicken/etc, you'll find over time you won't need the meat thermometer and can cook to order. All the BS about 'losing juices' when you poke meat are just that: BS.

Oh and my approach to cheeseburgers: get the burger cooked, pull off the heat then add the cheese. As long as it rests a few minutes--and for burgers you want them to have a little rest before you chow down--the cheese will melt a bit without becoming a runny mess like when you add the cheese on the grill.

I like to grill over direct heat only. If I am cooking things to different temps I put them on at different times. Typically I heat the grill on a higher temp and turn down to med. I like the grill hot in order to mark what ever I'm cooking. If there's room I'll do cross sear marks. My FIL likes to grill on a lower temp. I like a higher temp.

I've had some success in the past with a thermometer but typically just touch to check how well steaks and burgers are cooked.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

My grill is rarely lower than med-high and I mostly cook direct heat. I will try and keep a cool area if I have varying thickness of meat so i can set things to the side.

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Pactimo brand ambassador, ask me about promo codes

There are endless proper ways to grill, and each type of meat is different.

I think there are a few golden rules you should follow though:

-if it's pork or poultry, brine it. Prevents drying, infuses flavour, isn't really anything work to do. I significantly upped my chicken game when I started brining. Also, as a beginner, it gives you more wiggle room between over cooking and drying out. My brine is a carton of OJ, few garlic cloves, maple syrup (being Canadian), and what seems like an obscene amount of salt. Even 30 minutes of brine time can help.

- take meat off grill before it reaches desired temp. It will rise the last 5-10 degrees on its own while resting on a plate/cutting board.

-let meat get close to room temp before grilling. If it's not properly thawed you'll get overcooked on outside, undercooked on inside. Not disasterous for a steak, not good for chicken breast.

-if grilling chicken breast, mildly tenderize it to equal thickness (before brining!).

-once you get timing/heat down, burgers and steaks only need to be flipped once and otherwise left unmolested.

-always use a meat thermometer. I'd rather lose a teaspoon of juices and have properly cooked meat then a chicken breast full of salmonella :).

-direct heat isnt bad. I have a small Weber that only allows for direct heat. I don't have a problem getting fantastic results with pork tenderloin, steak, chicken thighs, burgers or ribs.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

For chicken breasts I cook them about half way over direct, then wrap in three layers of foil and let them coast on low for about another 20 minutes. They come out moist and tender, which is hard to pull off with direct cooking.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

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The secret of a long life is you try not to shorten it.
-Nobody

ANother trick for todays super-sized chicken breast is to slice them in half so you only have to deal with a 3/4" filet instead of a 1-1/2" filet. Much easier to control a thinner filet.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

You can overcome the gas grill syndrome by getting one of those tin boxes and filling it with wood chips for smoke.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

Totally agree with this, good call. butterfly and tenderize to create a fairly even thickness, it makes such a difference, cuts the grill time in half and gives you more of the 'good' stuff (outside surface where the rub/spices/sauce live).

That, sir, is one of those tips that made me slap myself upside the head and wonder why I didn't think of that. Thanks!

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War is god

Good news. A grill master doesn't need/use a meat thermometer or (heaven forbid) cut into the meat to check it's readiness. A master knows.

I keep a fully charged propane canister as a backup. You can ruin your day if you run-out of fuel.

And like LT83 I often use a smoker box with wood chips when grilling chicken and/or pork.

Apple for chicken and pork, mesquite or old hickory for beef.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

Bone in chicken breast I cook over indirect medium heat ( 350 to 400 ) never flip. Bone stays on grill. Also I am liberal with high temp grill cooking oil for grate and on meat. ( Cook to 160 ) absolutely moist and tender, skin is browned nothing is burnt or black. If I use barbeque sauce I put it on just before I take the meat off.

Boneless I will cook medium heat direct for 1 minute flip, direct for 1 minute then flip onto indirect for rest of cooking time. Again being generous with the high temp grilling spray. Spraying every time I flip. Outside will be browned with darker brown grill marks but nothing burned or black... great flavor, texture and moistness.

Yes. And I actually smoked ribs last weekend with maple. It came out quite well. I made two very large foil packets of maple chips that covered the entire heat area (under the grate) to apply indirect heat and plenty of smoke for St. Louis style ribs. 3 hours, wrap in foil and eat when ready.

from the 'what do you like to do but suck at thread', i'll be welding my own charcoal grill up this fall. my neighbor has one a local artist, who is his buddy, put together for him. made it with c-channel for the frame and it's awesome. uses a plow disc for a wheel to raise and lower the grate over the coal. it's connected to the grate with wire cable. all cool stuff.

lots of good ideas here. i had a really crappy grill that was falling apart before i got this weber. with this grill it fun to cook outside again. i'll be trying some of the suggestions shared here.

the next outdoor purchase may be a smoker.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ-ΛΑΒΕ
we're doomed

I usually throw it in a layer of wax paper and whack it with a cast iron pan a few times, evens out the thickness without having the thin sections that you get when you filet it

Chicken only needs to be cooked to 160 degrees. I use direct heat only.

And you don't need a thermometer. Just touch it with your finger to know when it's done.

Bone-in chicken should be cooked over indirect heat.

Also, and I'll get flack for this, I cook chicken to 150 degrees remove from heat and wrap in foil. After 7 minute the internal temp will have climbed to 160.

This is for bone-in chicken. I do not coo boneless chicken on a bbq.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

I like to char the chicken a little. BBQ sauce only in the last minute. Salt before grilling. I take it off at 155 to 160. Never a problem always cooked through. Pork 140. Steak 120-125. Fish until flaky. Mostly do it by touch/feel. I'll cut into a piece if I'm dealing with a picky customer. Corn in the husk. Veggies in foil packets. Always on charcoal for me. Sometimes a chicken or pork butt on indirect heat smoked with the cover on. Nothing more than a Weber kettle grill.