Become a Grill Master With These Top Austin Grilling Tips

Summer isn't over yet! There are still plenty of warm, sunny days to enjoy before fall rolls in, so why not spend a few of them outside grilling with friends? In fact, with Austin’s seasonal temperatures, you can grill all year long!

Load up the grill with your favorites before the big game on Sunday, or even spend a Friday night preparing a home-grilled meal. Here are some grilling tips to ensure you impress your family and friends with your creations.

Add Flavor With a Marinade

Marinades work wonderfully for adding flavor to steak and chicken. For more tender cuts of beef, like ribeye and strip steaks, marinating for two hours is sufficient. For tougher cuts of beef like flank steak or chicken pieces, you can marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours. There are so many delicious marinades available in stores, but you can also make your own basic marinade by combining:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

This basic marinade is delicious on everything from steak to chicken thighs to pork chops.

Make Your Own Signature Rub

Dry rubs are a great choice for tender steaks and also for pork. Again, there are many pre-made dry rubs available in stores, but it's more fun to play around with different ingredients and perfect your own signature dry rub. Make sure you include some salt and sugar as a base, and then add spices and dried herbs as you please. Use about 1 tablespoon of dry rub per 8 ounces of meat, and let it sit on the meat for 30 minutes before grilling.

Choose a Good Cut For Grilling

When you're grilling chicken, it's best to choose a bone-in, skin-on cut, as these stay a lot more moist than boneless-skinless breasts or thighs. When it comes to beef, some of the best cuts for grilling are tri-tip, t-bone, sirloins and flat iron steaks.

Let the Coals Cook Down

If you are cooking over charcoal, make sure the coals are completely covered in a layer of white ash before you put your food on the grill. If you put the food on too early, the temperature won't be high enough.

Bring It Up to Temperature

The last thing you want is for your grilling to send someone to the hospital with food poisoning. Most instances of food poisoning can be avoided by cooking your meat to the proper temperature.

• Beef and Pork: 145°F
• Ground Meats (beef, pork, etc.): 160°F
• Chicken and Turkey: 165°F

Use a food thermometer to test the temperature of your food before removing it from the grill. Remember, a higher temperature is okay and may be ideal sometimes — especially if you're slow-grilling ribs and want them to fall off the bone.

Residents at Springs at Round Rock and Springs at Lakeline, do you have any additional grilling tips to offer? Share your grill master secrets in the comments section below.