With grilling season just about here, I thought it might be helpful to review the basics and dive into a few tips from the masters. If you’re a griller or know one, you’ll want to read on.

Let’s start with kabobs. When grilling these, leave a 1/4 inch space between each piece of food. Not only does this allow the items to cook more quickly, it’s easier to baste them thoroughly. If adding vegetables to your kabob line-up, soak them in ice water. This way they’ll come off the grill moist yet crisp.

When it comes to burgers, baste them with butter. It adds flavor while keeping them moist and evenly browned.

And another tip to moist burgers (aka juicier) is to dip the meat in cold water before grilling. About 30 seconds should do it.

If grilling bone-in steaks, prevent the bones from burning or charring by wrapping them in foil. And if adding a rub to your meat, sweeten it just a little with a bit of sugar to help the meat brown. Then finish the dish over low heat so the sugar doesn't char the outside. 

And leave some fat on steaks—at least a quarter-inch of fat around steaks and chops will keep them moist. Score the fat in advance so that the meat doesn’t curl up on the grill.

Then there’s the marinading. To master this technique, use mayonnaise or plain yogurt in your marinade because it creates a beautifully blistered crust on foods when they’re grilled. The fat in the mayonnaise also adds flavor and helps lock in juices.

For extra moist and flavorful meat, marinade in onion juice. Try this tasty combination:

·         In a blender, combine (to taste) some onion, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest, lemon juice, allspice, and salt and puree until smooth.

·         Transfer the marinade to a re-sealable plastic bag, add your meat and turn to coat. Seal the bag, pressing out any air.

·         Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Now to ribs: The one piece of professional advice never to forget is to cook ‘em low and slow. You also want to KNOW your ribs. For instance, spare ribs (from the lower part of the pig’s rib cage), are fattier and more succulent than baby backs, but they take longer to cook.

Lastly, plan for leftovers. For instance, take leftover grilled chicken. You can make barbecued-chicken sandwiches, pulled-chicken tacos, smoked-chicken frittatas, and even barbecued-chicken soup.

Follow and practice these professional grilling tips and you’re sure to be the neighborhood grilling master in no time. Ohhhh, one last tip: You wanna be sure the propane tank is filled. (Ask me how I know.)