EVERYTHING Sticks to the grate! How can I avoid this?


 
Sunil Punjabi

Sunil Punjabi

New member
Hi everyone! I have a problem that everything I cook sticks to the grate on my weber S-335. Food even stuck on the 1st cook, brand new. I have tried Weber's grill spray, Spraying food with olive oil or Avacado oil. I read that you should leave chicken on the grill until it releases. This just burned and dried out the chicken and still stuck.

What am I doing wrong? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
How hot are you going before dropping the meat on, and are you cooking the chicken direct?

This is just me, but I cook chicken 350F indirect, esp thighs, to avoid the dreaded flare up from the fat drippings. I also try to spray the grate right before putting the meat on as I've got "hot pan, cool oil, no stick" ingrained in my brain from childhood.
 
Better to oil the food rather than the grate. Because if you oil the grate, it can carbonize/burn very quickly.

So if you do oil the grate, don't heat it for too long or at too high heat before putting the food on. Use a high smoke point oil. And be careful when spraying oil on a burning grill. Safer to wipe the grates with a paper towel soaked in the oil.

If it is a new grill, build up some seasoning by wiping the warm grates with oil after you are done cooking.

www.huffpost.com

PSA: You Should Never Oil Your Grates Before Grilling

It won't stop your food from sticking -- and there's a better solution.
www.huffpost.com www.huffpost.com
 
I rarely have food stick. Even fish and what have you. My guess is either you're not getting it hot enough or getting it too hot
 
Hi Sunil. How many times have you used the grill? If I recall from one of your previous posts, it's a new grill. I might be wrong.

Also, have you tried other proteins besides chicken? The only time this has happened to me was when my Genesis was new and I didn't preheat the grates adequately. You might want to try some veggies, too, like planked zucchini, and see if you have the same problem. What other foods have you tried?

Just my two cents. Good luck!
 
I start everything on high direct heat to get grill marks or char. After a few mins I flip, then move to indirect. This is how I've been doing all meats.


Erik Tracy said:
How hot are you going before dropping the meat on, and are you cooking the chicken direct?

This is just me, but I cook chicken 350F indirect, esp thighs, to avoid the dreaded flare up from the fat drippings. I also try to spray the grate right before putting the meat on as I've got "hot pan, cool oil, no stick" ingrained in my brain from childhood.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, it's a new grill. I've done NY Strips, chicken and burgers. 3 cooks so far. It maybe too hot

TCampbell said:
Hi Sunil. How many times have you used the grill? If I recall from one of your previous posts, it's a new grill. I might be wrong.

Also, have you tried other proteins besides chicken? The only time this has happened to me was when my Genesis was new and I didn't preheat the grates adequately. You might want to try some veggies, too, like planked zucchini, and see if you have the same problem. What other foods have you tried?

Just my two cents. Good luck!
Click to expand...
 
Thanks! I'll give that a shot.

Jim C in Denver said:
Better to oil the food rather than the grate. Because if you oil the grate, it can carbonize/burn very quickly.

So if you do oil the grate, don't heat it for too long or at too high heat before putting the food on. Use a high smoke point oil. And be careful when spraying oil on a burning grill. Safer to wipe the grates with a paper towel soaked in the oil.

If it is a new grill, build up some seasoning by wiping the warm grates with oil after you are done cooking.

www.huffpost.com

PSA: You Should Never Oil Your Grates Before Grilling

It won't stop your food from sticking -- and there's a better solution.
www.huffpost.com www.huffpost.com
Click to expand...
 
"I start everything on high direct heat to get grill marks or char. After a few mins I flip, then move to indirect. This is how I've been doing all meats."

I always sear blazing hot at first rather than sear in the rear. Put the oil on the food and your problem will be solved. Your temp isn't too high -- your method is the cause.

Even low smoke point EV olive oil won't burn/carbonize. Because the oil gets sandwiched between the blazing hot 600F grill and the wet 72F meat. So the oil temp will be in between -- well below the 325-375F EVOO smoke/burn point.

As compared to putting the oil on the hot grate. If the grate goes up to 600F, then the oil will be 600F as well. So even the highest smoke point oil (sunflower oil at 450F) will be burned/carbonized by the time you start cooking.

But your issue should fade away over time as your new grates pick up seasoning through use.
 
The temp on the hood thermo is one thing. But, yu have t get the grill hot with nothing in it and let it stabilize for about 10 to 15 min prior to cooking. So typically I get it ripping hot. All burners full on. Once it's up to temp I scrape and then turn the burners down to the temps I want to cook at. I don't throw food on until the grill has been not only hot but stable at the temp I want to cook my food at
 
I pretty much make every grill as hot as I can and I never oil food or the grates, and I never get any sticking unless I try to turn food over or move too quickly before the sear sets. If chicken or something does start to stick a little I just make sure to use my tongs to slide under the meat in the direction of the grill grates in a slight scraping motion and takes care of it.
 
The only things that don't stick to my stainless steel grates are ribeye and NY steaks, and (sometimes) beef burgers. And I should say that my grates are 18 years old, so Sunil, just accept the fact that yours might stick forever, too.

My solution: PAM non-stick cooking spray is my best friend. I spray boneless skinless chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, skirt steak, Impossible burgers, salmon filets. Not a paid advertisement! :)

My blog post about the subject: https://virtualwebergasgrill.com/2014/06/how-to-prevent-foods-from-sticking-to-grates/

pam-non-stick-spray.jpg
 
I think what happens is people turn on their grills, see the temp gauge go up and assume the grates are hot. They're not. I find it takes about 10 minutes to actually have the grates hot enough. But you don't always want the grill at max temp that long. So like I said. Full bore for about 10 to 15 minutes than reduce heat to what you want to use. I use heavy gauge stainless grates in both my grills (I do find skinny stainless grates are impossible though) such as the skinny ones on most Weber and other grills. I have also found the further apart the grate bars are the worse the sticking. I don't know what your grill came with (you say stainless but if wide spaced little 7mm bingo) there isn't enough oil in Texas to keep proteins from sticking. Maybe invest in a quality set? The only time I ever have anything stick is certain types of seafood proteins. Mahi Mahi is one, another is Grouper. Also depending on the protein I am going to use I may oil it (not the grates) with a little EVOO or Grape Seed oil. I never use spray on stuff. Personal preference here but I prefer to be able to pronounce what is on my food :D A look at the ingredient list of spray on stuff and you will know what I mean. However I rarely ever have to oil my proteins. Some veg will stick without oils due to high sugar contents as well. But honestly GOOD grates, PROPER heating and stabilizing techniques and believe me your food will not stick.
 
Larry, you have experience with the s/s grates I have on my 2002 Weber Summit 450. Food stuck on Day 1 and it continues to stick now 18 years later. I do a 10-15 preheat with all burners on HIGH, brushed clean, and I do all the things people suggest...and I've found the only reliable solution is non-stick cooking spray. I've decided that I'm willing in ingest a few hard-to-pronounce label ingredients for meat that doesn't stick.

Addendum: Just looked at the label on PAM. Canola oil, palm oil, coconut oil, lecithin (a fat) from soybeans, dimethyl silicone (anti-foaming agent), and rosemary extract. People generally aim their criticism at the dimethyl silicone, but it's used in a tiny amount, approved for use by the FDA and WHO, and is apparently closely related to the anti-foaming agent simethicone used in anti-gas medications. Better grilling through chemistry! :D
 
I use the grates from my Summit in my Genesis and I just don't have a sticking issue. In fact just the opposite. I cook salmon on the skin without flipping in the hopes the skin will stick, an I can slide the spatula under the flesh leaving the skin behind. LOL the stuff just does not stick. So I have to struggle with it a little. Same on the Wolf. Not sure why for some people sticking is an issue and not for others. Honestly other than the 2 types of fish I just never have any sticking issues. And I rarely use any type of fat applied to the protein and never to the grates.
 
As long as your grill is hot and grates are clean, you should not have any issues with food sticking on them as long as the meat side touching the grate is cooked. Otherwise it sticks. Used to have that problem when I used to keep flipping meats back and forth. I focus on 3 times tops. Takes practice. But it will work.
 
Thanks, everyone for the guidance. I bought the S-335, spending a bit more than the E model. Assumed I was getting high-quality grates over enamel. I don't think I can bring myself to spend another $100 or so on new grates. Going to grill some burger tonight and chicken on Friday. I'll take into account all the great advice. Get the grill super hot, make should it's clean, and spray the food with olive oil, and maybe some foods with PAM. I'll report back.

Thanks again for all the help. This is a helpful group!

Sunil
 
I have been grilling for a VERY long time. Some years ago, I was watching "America's Test Kitchen" and they started the grill and after it came up to heat (which pretty much burns off the bigger bits), cleaned the food grates, then liberally oiled them with a cooking oil. The method is to simply fold up a clean paper towel, dip in a small bowl of oil, then liberally wipe the grates. I tried it and was so pleased with the results, that years later, I am still using that method with excellent results. That is whether cooking at high heat indirect with the Vortex (chicken parts, etc), or direct with steaks, chops, etc.

I mostly cook over charcoal, but it worked well when using gas grills, also.

That is not the "only way" certainly, but it has worked for me for a very long time.

FWIW
Dale53
 
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