Complete Guide to Indoor Grilling

Our Complete Guide to Indoor Grilling will walk you through everything you need to be an absolute Grillmaster – Without the actual grill!! To do this, we are going to cover step-by-step instructions on how to take your grilling game to the next level within the comfort of your own kitchen.

No Grill Needed!!

I will say it again – You do not actually need a grill to make delicious meals that look, taste and smell just like they came off the grill. The secret is this Cast Iron Grill / Griddle from Lodge. Because this amazingly versatile kitchen essential will allow you to sear, sauté, and char your dishes to perfection!

Flavor, Flavor, Flavor!

Enhancing meals with flavor is a priority for our family. Our Complete Guide to Indoor Grilling would fall short if we didn’t provide tips on how to flavor your meats. Because of this, your plan to flavor your proteins should be your first consideration. Based on your tastes and timing, you can choose to marinade, inject, brine, or rub your meats. No matter which you choose, you can’t go wrong. By identifying a few solid go-to flavor-enhancers that load your foods with flavor, you can consistently create delicious meals. My personal recommendation is our amazing brine recipe that you can find below.

Marinade

As you are aware, marinades are a super-simple way to impart a tremendous amount of flavor into any meat. In addition, marinades work well with pork, beef, chicken, and seafood. Because of this fact, there are myriad choices available in the market. Dry packaged marinades, like the Brazilian Steakhouse pictured below require the addition of a few simple ingredients like oil, water, and vinegar. Personally, I prefer to make up my marinades in a gallon sized zip-top bag.

First, empty the dry contents of the seasoning packet into the bag. Next, you will add the wet ingredients, such as oil, water, and red wine vinegar. After that, you can simply swirl everything around to mix thoroughly. Once you trim and slice the meat, it is ready for a dip in the flavor pool. Next, I drop in my protein into the bag and seal it with the slider. Because air will create pockets, make sure to seal out any excess air. This small extra step provides a thorough coating and consistent contact with all surfaces of the meat. I follow the same process with the wet marinades featured below, as well. Now that your meat is coated thoroughly, toss it in the fridge for a few hours to let it marinate.

Inject

Injection is another great method for flavoring your meats. It is as easy as taking a loaded syringe full of delicious flavor and injecting it directly into the meat. Another reason we love this option is because it is very versatile. Because it can be done before, during, or after cooking, this option is particularly attractive for large cuts of meat where traditional basting would not penetrate deep into the meat. One of the most popular injections on the market is The Cajun Injector. This product packs meats with flavor and the syringe is sturdy and reliable.

Brine

This is probably my favorite way to impart flavor to a grilled meal because it penetrates throughout the entire cut. If you have the time to prepare the brine and let your meat soak overnight, this is the best way to go. We have a brine recipe that we are very fond of because it is very fresh tasting. This brine packs a ton of flavor while complimenting the natural taste of chicken, pork, or turkey. You can find our Sweet & Savory Poultry Brine here.

Brine Ingredients

• 4 Quartered Lemons – Divided*
• Rosemary – Fresh Bunch – Divided*
• Thyme – Fresh Bunch – Divided*
• Parsley – Fresh Bunch – Divided*
• 4-5 Garlic Cloves – Peeled & Smashed
• 1 TBSP Whole Black Peppercorn
• 4 Bay Leaves
• ½ Cup Honey
• 10 TBSP Coarse Kosher Sea Salt
• 10 Cups Water
• *Split the lemons and the herb bunches in half. Now you can use 2 lemons and half the herbs in the brine and the other half during cooking.

Cook the Brine

1. Select a pot large enough to hold ingredients and allows for meat to be fully submerged without overflowing.
2. In the large pot combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat source and let the brine cool to room temperature.
5. Add meat to room temperature brine and fully submerge . Its helpful to put a heavy plate on top of meat to help weigh it down in brine mix. Also, if you find there is not enough water to fully cover, simply add more until meat is fully submerged.
6. Refrigerate

Rub

There are TONS of rubs available out there. Some are Sweet and Smoky like the one featured below, while others are more savory. There are rubs that have a heavy base of coffee flavor, as well. Regardless of what your favorite flavor profile is, there is a rub out there for you. Personally, I love the convenience of an all-in-one rub because it makes things quick and easy. Again, find a rub or three that you and your family enjoy and keep them in your rotation. This should keep your crowd happy and make dishes feel more diverse because you won’t be eating the same flavor over and over again.

Pro Tip: Applying a liberal coating of plain yellow mustard prior to applying rub will help the rub to stick to the meat without making the meat taste like mustard. Science!

Grilling Without The Grill

Now that we have our meats flavored up, our Complete Guide to Indoor Grilling will cover everything you need to know about grilling indoors.

1. Be prepared for some mess! You will be cooking on an open griddle. There will be splashes and splatters. It will be worth it!
2. There will be smoke! Grill lines, beautiful searing, delicious char – All of these cooking techniques are going to generate smoke. Be prepared by blasting your hood fan and cracking a window!

As you can see from the video above, the griddle is designed to be placed over two burners on your propane or natural gas stove. The griddle has two sides – a flat side and a side with raised ‘grill grates’. As you may have guessed, the flat side is ideal for searing large flat surfaces, like a roast beef. However, The ‘grill’ side of the griddle is perfect for getting those lovely grill marks on your meats. Depending on how you season your meat, those grates will also impart additional flavor in the form of char or caramelization. Best of all, these flavor notes, combined with the tell-tale grill marks will make your foods look, taste, and smell like they just came off the grill!

Let’s Get Cooking!

Brazilian Steakhouse Chicken

Recipe

1 Packet McCormick Grillmates Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cup Water
1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
2 Lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Preparation

1. Place dry marinade in a one gallon zip-top container. Add oil, water and vinegar.
2. Mix contents of marinade thoroughly – set aside.
3. Trim chicken breasts of any visible fat. Remove rib meat, if present.
4. Slice chicken breasts in half, widthwise.
5. Place chicken in marinade. Shake bag after placing each piece in bag to ensure total coverage of the meat.
6. Seal bag, ensuring that any excess air is squeezed out.
7. Place bag in fridge overnight.

Cooking

1. Preheat griddle over low-medium heat, grate side up. Add a touch of olive oil to the grate. When oil begins to smoke slightly, you are ready to cook.
2. Place chicken on griddle at a 45 degree angle. Breasts should be placed directly over burners for best results.
3. Discard any remaining marinade.
4. Cook until breasts reach an internal temperature between 115-125 degrees.
5. Flip your chicken and cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Allow your chicken to rest for ten minutes. Once cooled, you are ready to serve up a delicious ‘grilled’ treat that you and your family will love!

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