How Bobby Flay Stops Food From Sticking To The Grill

Picture this: It's a perfect summer day, and your grill is fired up. Everyone's enjoying cold drinks while waiting for you to finish cooking the meat. But then the unthinkable happens. As you flip the chicken, you notice that the meat is stuck. You try your best to salvage it but end up creating a mess, with some of the meat getting left behind on the flaming grill. There's nothing more frustrating during summer season than meat glued to the grates, especially if you are in charge of grilling. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay, who owns and runs many restaurants, knows this feeling too well, so he's sharing a surefire fix that's all about patience.

Speaking via the Food Network, Flay admits, "The No. 1 mistake people make at the grill is touching the food too much." He recommends doing "absolutely nothing" after placing meat or vegetables on the grill, at least for a little while until they are visibly cooked. According to him, "If you check on the food and it's sticking a little, it's not done cooking. Turn the food only once and let the fire be your guide." With this hack, there's less fuss and more flavor. Plus, no more sticky situations.

It is important to note that even if you follow Bobby Flay's hands-off approach, your grill setup still plays a big role in preventing meat from sticking. For starters, a clean grill is the most essential step to preventing a sticky mess. Old bits of burnt-on food can act like Velcro for a fresh batch of meat. You're probably not cleaning your grill as often as you should if you're not giving the grates a good scrub with a wire brush or grill scraper before every use.

Once done cleaning the grill, it's time for some lubrication. Preheat the grill for a few minutes, then use a paper towel that's been lightly dipped in a high-smoke-point oil to lubricate it. Examples of such oil include canola, corn, and peanut oil. Use tongs to wipe down the grates with the towel. Doing so will season the surface and create a slick barrier between the metal and the meat. When cooking, you may also oil the food itself, especially for lean items like skinless chicken and fish, to prevent sticking.

Finally, heat also helps prevent meat from sticking to the grill. Always ensure that the grill is sufficiently hot before you start cooking. Meat quickly starts to sear upon making contact with a hot surface, and this helps form a barrier that prevents it from sticking. If your grill is not hot enough, the food will steam and adhere to the metal instead of searing and releasing.

Among the many hacks that will come in handy for grilling season, you need to know how to remove meat that's sticking to the grill. Because even with the best intentions and efforts, meat just sometimes sticks. When it does, there's no need to panic — and don't rip it off either. Doing so will not only tear the surface of the meat, but it will also let all the flavorful juices go to waste and ruin your chances of serving a delicious meal, not to mention ruining your food presentation.

The first thing to consider is extending cooking time. Meat tends to unstick once it's fully cooked or when it's done searing. If this doesn't solve the problem, then try lowering the heat of the grill to soften the bond between the meat and the metal surface. Next, grab a wide, flat spatula and lightly coat it with oil before slowly inserting it under the stuck meat, working around the edges carefully so as not to ruin any part of it. This trick is useful even for fish, although this can be prevented if you use a fish basket when cooking delicate fish protein.

After rescuing the meat, be sure to clean the grates before adding a new batch of food for cooking. Leaving behind stuck debris and burnt bits will repeat the cycle and create sticking problems the next time you use your grill.