The Essential Tool To Keep By Your Grill This Summer For The Best BBQ Meat

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Are you getting all excited for barbecue season this year? Perhaps you've already stocked up on the absolute best cuts of steak for grilling and are now taking inventory of your grill essentials. If you cook over charcoal, a chimney starter is worth every penny, although other backyard barbecue products like fly fans and grill lights may fall more into the "nice to have" category. One tool that's absolutely essential, though, is something that won't set you back more than a few bucks: a plastic spray bottle. According to Dennis Littley, who runs a namesake cooking blog called Ask Chef Dennis, "Using a spritz is one of those small things that makes a big difference."

Littley explains, ”One of the biggest mistakes I see when it comes to barbecue is letting your meat dry out on the grill or smoker, and it usually comes down to poor temperature control and not paying attention." If you spray the meat with liquid every so often, though, this can help regulate the surface temperature and make sure the outside doesn't dry out before the inside is cooked. If you're smoking your meat instead of grilling it, Littley says it also helps the smoke flavor stick to the meat. As he tells us, "It's one of those old-school pitmaster tricks that seems simple but has a big payoff."

Dennis Littley recommends setting aside a dedicated food-grade spray bottle to use for grilling — if you don't already own one, you can purchase the Bar5F two-pack of 16-ounce BPA-free food-grade plastic spray bottles from Amazon for $9.99 so you'll have a spare. Before you use the bottle, make sure it's adjusted for optimal spritzing. Littley says, "You want a fine mist, not a heavy spray, so you don't wash off the seasoning.”

So, should you be spraying the meat with water or what? Littley says there are no strict rules, but he uses the spray to complement the natural flavors. "The liquid you use definitely depends on the meat. For pork, I'll usually go with a mix of apple juice and apple cider vinegar. Beef can handle something bolder like beef broth, coffee, or even a little Worcestershire mixed with water. With chicken, I tend to keep it light, such as a citrus or vinegar-based spritz," Littley says.

One other thing to be aware of when spraying down your meat is that you don't need to do it too often. Give it an hour before you squirt it down the first time, then spritz it every 45 minutes or so after that. As Littley reminds us, "The key is not to open the lid too much, or you'll lose all your heat and smoke."