The Common Grilling Mistake That's Sabotaging Your Cookout

There's nothing quite like a cookout that brings people together, its festive spirit giving a sense of community over delicious shared meals. Add ice-cold beers to the equation and you've really got yourself a party. But it's all fun and games until you make the grilling mistake that sabotages your cookout: overcrowding. 

Chowhound exclusively spoke with Robbie Shoults — celebrity chef, third-generation owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse, and owner of Marshall Mercantile and High Horse 1898 — to tell us all about it. Shoults advises cooking in smaller batches rather than attempting to speed up the process by placing everything together on the grill, as overcrowding can have the opposite effect — and even worse, you might not be able to achieve a beautiful sear that you'd want to get out of the process.

Shoults even mentions, "You can also create direct and indirect heat zones on your grill. Sear on the hot side and then move to the cooler side to finish," which will give you a streamlined system, a tip that instantly shifts your grilling skills from beginner to master. If you have a lot of ingredients to prepare, it's best to invest in another grill for faster cooking times. Another helpful BBQing tip from Shoults is to cook the meat before the veggies to give leafy greens added flavor, while keeping in mind to grill in batches.

Overcrowding can cause serious issues like flare-ups, especially when it comes to fatty ingredients. Not only can it compromise ingredients, but it also poses a safety risk to the one in charge of the grill. It's also possible to overcook your food, turning what was supposed to be a perfect meal into a questionable one, with an undesirable, burnt taste that's impossible to enjoy. Aside from the nasty flavor, it can also be harmful to your health by being harder to digest. 

Overcooking shifts the chemical makeup of ingredients, which makes it harder for your body to process them. This can result in minor but uncomfortable issues like bloating. However, consuming it often may cause heartburn-causing gastrointestinal irritation, too. Some sources even claim that it could cause cancer, but there are some conflicting findings that say this isn't the case. At the end of the day, it doesn't hurt to be careful. While less serious, overcooking destroys the nutrients your body needs from food, too. Sure, there are delicious ways to save your overcooked steak if you really have no choice, but it can be avoided.

Overcrowding can also cause the food to become spongy or rubbery, rather than perfectly charred, which totally negates the purpose of grilling. So, the next time you fire up the grill, be sure to keep in mind safety grilling tips to ensure an awesome cookout. Remember: safety first and serving time second, so don't overcrowd, folks!