Smoking, Gas Grilling and Marinade Tips From Chef Hans Schadler of Waypoint Seafood and Grill
You’ve got a perfect summer evening, you’ve got a crowd of hungry mouths and you’ve got your grill. So, what are you going to cook and how are you going to cook it?
We have just the tips for you, courtesy of the esteemed Chef Hans Schadler of Waypoint Seafood and Grill in Williamsburg. He's cooked for more than 30 heads of state from around the world...and is sharing his grilling tips with us here!
Here's how you can smoke perfectly (we recommend the Primo smoker!), marinade seamlessly and impress all of your dinner guests.
Smoking:
• Smoking can be achieved using either a charcoal/wood-burning grill or propane/natural gas grill.
• Soak wood chips in water for one hour – grape vines or fruit wood twigs for 30 minutes.
• Experiment with a small amount of wood to get a feel for the strength of flavors – add more as your feel comfortable, but a word of caution: too much wood over longer periods makes food taste bitter.
Charcoal/Wood-Burning:
• For direct heat smoking, simply throw the prepared chips or chunks on the prepared coals for a few minutes before you start cooking.
• Make sure your wood has been seasoned and dried to ensure a proper burn.
Gas Grills:
• Some gas grills come equipped with a wood burning box that you can use to put your wood chips in to achieve smoke flavor.
• An alternative you can use is a foil pan. Punch four or five holes in the bottom of the pan and fill it with re-soaked wood chips or twigs and place directly on flavorizer bars (ex. Cedar plank).
Marinades:
• The four main components to a marinade are: oil, acid, spices and herbs.
• When using a marinade, prior to grilling, remove food items from the marinade and allow them to sit in a refrigerator and out of the marinade for at least one hour. This will help with flare-ups and premature burning of residual marinade.
• Always keep a spray water bottle handy for flare-ups. Plus, it will help avoid pungent gas or char flavor when cooking on either grill.
Types of Wood to Use:
