Secrets of Good Grilled Food

How to Grill Corn.
This method works on a grill or in the oven (preheated to 500 degrees).

1. Carefully pull back the husks, keeping them attached while exposing the kernels.
2. Gently pull out the silks by hand.
3. Wrap each ear's husks back around the kernels and carefully twist the tops closed.
4. Place the corn on a medium-hot grill (or on the oven rack) for 20 to 30 minutes. Turn the ears occasionally so the corn roasts evenly; take care not to overcook. (If the fire is very hot, soak the corn in cold water for 10 minutes before grilling.)
5. Use tongs to remove the ears from the heat. Wearing oven mitts, remove the husks. If you like your corn charred and smoky tasting, baste the husked ears with olive oil or butter and put them back on the grill or under the broiler briefly before serving.

Secret of a Great Burger.

Making a great hamburger is a perfect excuse to go cheap at the butcher counter. More fat in the meat means more flavor, so skip the high-priced extra-lean sirloin and buy regular ground chuck instead. (Much of the fat drips out during cooking, anyway.) After grilling, the regular ground-beef burger has only 13 more calories and two more grams of fat than the lean burger, but it is much more moist and flavorful. To make 4 juicy burgers, take 1 pound of ground beef and, handling it as little as possible, gently shape it into patties (the meat strands should still show). For medium to well-done burgers, grill the patties over a medium-hot flame for 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning only once.

Flavoring Your Grill Fire.

Topping coals with hardwood chips, such as hickory, oak, apple, or cherry, adds old-fashioned barbecue flavor to food.

Charcoal: Place about one cup of chips that have been soaking in water for one hour on each mound of charcoal, then cover the grill. For prolonged cooking, of a brisket, turkey, or other large piece of meat, add fresh charcoal and chips every hour.

Gas: Most high-end models have a separate smoker box-a metal tray or box that holds chips directly over a burner. If your grill is equipped that way, add the chips and run the smoker-box burner on high until you see smoke.

If you don't have a smoker box, make your own smoker pouch following these steps:

1. Place one to two cups of soaked wood chips on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

2. Make a pouch, folding over the edges twice to form a seal.

3. Poke a few holes in the top with a pencil or knife to allow the smoke to escape.

4. Place the smoker pouch under the grate and directly over one of the burners. Run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to the desired temperature.