Fire Up The Grill

Step 1: Choose Your Meat

• According to Stew Leonard’s team of in-house butchers, choosing good quality beef is the first – and most important step - for a delicious burger.
  • If using ground chuck, look for beef with a fat content of 20%. The 80/20 ratio is the key to a perfect burger that’s juicy but not greasy.
  • Stew’s Naked ground chuck patties and Naked ground beef are both 100% Black Angus Beef, plus they are free of antibiotics and have no added hormones or preservatives.
  • Stew’s Filet Mignon Burger is made by hand fresh daily by butchers using cuts of filet mignon, short rib, and ground chuck.
  • Stew’s Ribeye Burger is a rich and juicy ground blend of beef ribeye and chuck.
  • Stew Leonard’s Organic Ground Beef Chuck and Organic Hamburger Patties are Certified Organic, Non-GMO, and 100% grass fed!  Our ranchers never give their cattle antibiotics or add hormones, resulting in a lean, flavorful, and more nutrient dense ground beef.

Step 2: Form Your Patty

• If using ground chuck, Stew Leonard’s chefs recommend that the patties are about a ¾” – 1” thickness and a 3” – 4” diameter. Make a small indentation with your first two fingers in the center of the patty to prevent the burger from puffing up and ensure that the patties stay nice and flat on the grill.
• Season the patties with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper after they’ve been shaped and just before you put them on the grill. Adding salt to the ground beef too early can toughen the meat.

Step 3: Heat Up Your Grill

• Preheat your grill. Set your gas grill to high heat, close the cover, and let warm up for 15 minutes or prep a charcoal grill for direct heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Then brush the grates to remove any stuck-on bits. Grab a wad of paper towels using long-handled tongs and dip in a bowl of vegetable oil. Run over the grates so the patties don’t stick.

Step 4: Ready…Set…Grill!

• Be sure to leave the patties alone once they’re on the grill and aim for one single flip halfway through cooking time. And don’t press the patties down on the grill when cooking. This could cause flare-ups and a dry burger.
  
• If testing the burgers for doneness, use an instant-read thermometer and insert horizontally into the sides of the patties. Take off the grill as soon as it’s at the doneness temperature you want.
  • Medium-rare: 120°–125°F
  • Medium: 130°–135°F
  • Medium-well: 140°–145°F
  • Well-done: 150°F-155°F

• Adding cheese? Place the slices on the patties once they’re flipped then cover the grill for the last minute of cooking.

Take the steaks out of the fridge and let come to room temperature about an hour before grilling.

Lightly season both sides of the steak with kosher salt. It will draw moisture to the surface and help create a juicier steak.

Pat dry with paper towels on both sides. Salt the steaks again. This, along with freshly cracked black pepper, will help create a great crust.

For the grill, preheat to keep the steaks from sticking. For a gas grill, turn all the burners to high, then cover. For charcoal, place the grate over hot coals and heat, covered, for 5 minutes.

Before you start cooking, brush the grates to remove any stuck-on bits. Grab a wad of paper towels in long-handled tongs and dip in a bowl of vegetable oil. Run over the grates so the steaks don’t stick.

Sear steaks on the hotter side of the grill for 2 or 3 minutes. Don’t move the steaks until a crust has formed. If they don’t release easily, leave them alone until they do. Flip and brown the opposite side for 2 or 3 minutes.

Once well browned on both sides, move them to the cooler side of the grill and cook until they reach your preferred degree of doneness.

To temp the steaks, use an instant-read thermometer and insert horizontally into the sides of the steaks.

Temperature Guide:

• Rare: Pull steaks off the grill at 120°F for a serving temperature of 125°F
• Medium-Rare: Pull steaks off the grill at 125°F for a serving temperature of 130°F
• Medium: Pull steaks off grill at 135°F for a serving temperature of 140°F

Let the steaks rest on a platter, covered in foil, for 5 minutes so that the juices will redistribute evenly.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Before you start cooking, brush the grates to remove any stuck-on bits. Grab a wad of paper towels in long-handled tongs and dip in a bowl of vegetable oil. Run over the grates multiple times so that it builds up a coating and your fish won’t stick.

Pat the fillets dry with paper towels then rub lightly with vegetable oil and season with kosher salt.

Place the fillets skin side down and diagonally on the grill grates.

Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook without moving the fish until the skin side is brown and crisp, 2-4 minutes.

With a fish spatula, gently try lifting the fillets after 2 minutes. If they don’t lift off the grill cleanly, continue to cook, checking every 30 seconds, until they release.

Flip the fish to the opposite side. Cover the grill and cook until the very centers are opaque, 3-7 minutes longer. Use an instant-read thermometer for desired doneness. (White fish will take a little longer. You’ll want to cook until 140°F.)

Temperature Guide:

• Rare: 110°F
• Medium-Rare: 120°F
• Medium: 130°F

Preheat the grill to medium for about 10 minutes. Grab a wad of paper towels in long-handled tongs and dip in a bowl of vegetable oil. Run over the grates multiple times so that it builds up a coating and your shrimp won’t stick.

While the grill is heating up, pat the shrimp dry and season with a drizzle of oil and seasonings. If you’ve marinated the shrimp, remove it from the marinade, and let rest so that the excess marinade doesn’t burn on the grill.

If you’re placing the shrimp on wooden skewers, presoak the skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning. Thread 4 or 5 shrimp on each skewer.

Place the skewers on the grill. Jumbo or colossal shrimp should take about 2-3 minutes per side. They cook quickly, so be sure not to walk away from the grill. Shrimp are cooked when they firm up, curl up into a loose “C “ shape, and turn uniformly pink and opaque in color.

Place the tails flesh side down on the hot grill grates and cook for 4-5 minutes until light grill marks show. Flip the tails over to shell side down. Cook for another 3-6 minutes or until the lobster meat is firm and opaque. Doneness will depend on the size of the lobster tails. Lobster tails will be done once meat reaches an internal temperature of 140°F, which can be checked by using an instant-read thermometer.

Before you start cooking, brush the grates to remove any stuck-on bits. Grab a wad of paper towels in long-handled tongs and dip in a bowl of vegetable oil. Run over the grates multiple times so that it builds up a coating and your chicken won’t stick.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Before you place the chicken on the grill, brush lightly with vegetable oil. This will help crisp and brown up the skin or if you’ve opted for skinless cuts, it will help get the exterior just right.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. When it’s time to cook the chicken, reduce the heat a bit. Your grill should be around 425°F-450°F.

Once the chicken is on the grill, let it cook and only flip once about halfway through grilling. Flipping less creates a slow and even cooking temperature. To check the temperature of the chicken, use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. Once removing the chicken from the grill, let the chicken rest for 3-4 minutes before slicing or serving to prevent juices from running out.

To ensure kabob cooking success, get your grill as hot as it will go for about 15 to 20 minutes, then give it a good scrub with a wire brush to get rid of any stuck-on debris. Wipe the grill grates with a wad of paper towels that have been dipped in a high smoke point oil such as vegetable oil. Lower the heat to medium (350°F-450°F). Cooking for a slightly longer time over direct medium heat should ensure that you don’t end up with tough, burned, or scorched meat or vegetables. Give the kabobs a quick pass with some nonstick cooking spray or oil before you place on the grill. Be sure to turn the kabobs about every 3-4 minutes. If your grill is prepared properly, the kabobs will easily release once seared. If they stick, give them another minute, and try again. Don’t force it!

Fish and vegetables are fairly fast to grill and take about 10 minutes to reach their ideal temperature and texture. Chicken and beef will most likely need to cook for closer to 15 minutes. It’s a good idea to have an instant read thermometer handy for those kabobs that include meat. For chicken, look for an internal temperature of 165°F. Beef and pork should be at 145°F, or your preferred doneness.

• For a gas grill, pre-heat grill to 400°F and place corn in husks directly on grates. Leave corn on grill for three minutes per side, until the husks begin to turn light brown. Let the corn cool slightly, then peel back the husk and silk, and roll in butter.
• For a charcoal grill, place the corn in the husk directly on top of the hot coals, or on top of a grate set over the coals. Cook, turning occasionally, until it’s steamed through, about 15 minutes. Let the corn cool slightly, then peel back the husk and silk, and roll in butter.

• For a gas grill, pre-heat grill to 350°F. Shuck the corn completely and wrap it in aluminum foil. Place the corn directly on the grates for about 30 minutes. After pulling the corn off the grill, let the steam out of the foil before unwrapping.
• For a charcoal grill, shuck the corn completely and wrap it in aluminum foil. Grill directly on top of the hot coals. Cook, turning occasionally, until the corn is fully cooked, about 15 minutes. After pulling the corn off the grill, let the steam out of the foil before unwrapping.
  Note: The foil will keep the corn hot for a long time, making this a great method when serving a large crowd.

• For a gas grill, pre-heat grill to 400°F. Shuck the corn completely and place it directly on the grates. Grill, turning occasionally, until it’s completely charred and cooked through. This should take about 8 minutes.
• For a charcoal grill, shuck the corn completely and place it directly over the hot coals. Grill, turning occasionally, until it’s completely charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  Don’t have a grill? Place a whole, un-shucked ear of corn in the microwave. Microwave it for three minutes and you’ll have perfectly cooked corn on the cob.