You know spring is in the air when the soothing sounds of birds fill the air, the fragrant smell of fresh foliage sprouting along our landscapes, and of course the mouth-watering aromas from the barbeque grills in the neighborhood.

To fit in with the rest of the neighborhood aromas, you want to be the best barbeque chef possible, contributing to the smells of spring. There is nothing worse than destroying the image with burnt foods from improperly grilling methods.

Here are a few tips to help you grill like the masters:

Never put the meat on the grill until the grill has reached the maximum temperature, which is around 500 degrees, make sure to have a proper grill thermometer, and keep the cover closed until the temperature is reached.

Use spray cooking oil on the grill to avoid food from sticking, if you don’t have spray oil, use a paper towel soaked with oil and rub on the grill. It is very important to clean your grill after every use, do not use the oil on a dirty grill; this can cause flair ups of flames that can cause scorching of your food.

When cooking steaks, do not cut into them to see if it is done, this lets out the flavorful juices and will dry out your steak, and can result in over cooking. When you remove the steaks from the grill, let them stand for approximately 5 minutes before serving, this allows the stead to finish absorbing its own juices which enhances the flavor. Marinating your meat the night before will add more flavor and will make you meats more tender.

Always use clean utensils when cooking foods, avoiding the ones used to handle the meat when it was raw, especially poultry, this will avoid contamination of the cooked meat.

Follow these few simple tips and you can be the grilling master in your neighborhood, and contribute to the fragrant aromas filling our back yards throughout the summer months.