Grilling With Spices
6 Dos and Don'ts for Grilling With Spice
While there are truly no rules when it comes to grilling with spices, there are a few things that should be kept in mind if you want to achieve maximum flavor with minimal waste. Here are the 6 dos and don'ts of grilling with spices.
1. DON'T use extremely delicate spices.
While we always want to encourage experimentation with spices, there are certain spices that don't need to be grilled. For example, orange blossom flowers will burn from the intense heat on the grill. So, when deciding which spices to use on a grilled dish, make sure to avoid more delicate spices to reduce waste. More examples of spice to avoid:
- Dried herbs, unless in a marinade
- Flowers in general
- Fennel Pollen - can be added after grilling
2. DO consider using more potent spices when grilling.
These types of spices can hold their own to the high heat of a grill. Examples:
- Pimentón - adds another layer of smokiness
- Cumin
- Cinnamon
3. DO season ahead of time.
Use rubs or marinades to season your meat (and even veggies!) ahead of time. This allows for the flavors of the marinade to penetrate your ingredients for a more deep seasoning. Plus, it gives spices a chance to hydrate so that they don't burn on the grill. Marinate your meats and veggies up to three days ahead of cooking time.
4. DON'T forget to use fat.
Use oil to adhere spices to your ingredients. Otherwise, the spices will simply fall off.
5. DO use course spices and spice blends to season.
Using more textured spices can create a beautiful, flavorful crust on fish or meat when grilling.
6. DON'T forget about delicate ingredients.
Ingredients like vegetables and light fish are more likely to hold onto the grilled flavor if they're seasoned with spices. If you want to capture that smoky, deep grilled flavor with ingredients like these, use spices to help enhance.
