Bobby Flay's Top Tip For Grilled Meat That Tastes Restaurant Quality

If you've spent any significant amount of time watching shows on Food Network, you already know that chef, restaurateur, and TV personality Bobby Flay is the king of the grill. As the producer and host of shows like "Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction" and "Boy Meets Grill with Bobby Flay," the man knows his way around cooking over a flame. One of his go-to recommendations for grilling is very simple: only flip your meat once.

In a YouTube video, Bobby Flay shared some of his top grilling tips, and his number one piece of advice was to simply leave whatever you put on the grill alone. It's a hotly debated piece of advice, and some even say that flipping your steak only once for the best result is a myth. That said, most of us grill enthusiasts have been there, eagerly waiting for steaks or burgers to cook, wondering whether we should give it a few extra flips in hopes that it'll cook faster or more evenly. Flay recommends the hands-off approach. Leaving food alone — and letting the grill do its job — even snagged a spot on a Food Network article called "Bobby's 10 Commandments of Grilling." In an interview with Fox News, Flay reiterated this opinion. "When you put something on the grill just leave it alone," he said. "You have to let the grill do its job, and then [the food] will actually come away from the grill much easier." Flay certainly makes himself clear: once food is on the grill, step away and let the heat do its thing. 

If you've decided to give Bobby Flay's one-flip recommendation a go, it's important that you time your flip correctly so that your meat cooks evenly. Start with a hot grill (use the 4-4-4 grilling rule to make sure your temperature is spot on before you get started). Flay says you'll want to let your food –including meat, fish, poultry, or even vegetables, like Flay's perfectly grilled corn on the cob – sit on the grill for as long as possible without letting it char before you go in for the flip. According to Flay, the crust that forms creates textural contrast, and giving your food a single flip allows that deliciousness to form on both sides.

Even if you decide to flip food more than once, Flay recommends not touching food that you've placed on the grill for at least two minutes. Giving your food a few minutes on the heat can prevent it from sticking to the grill grates so it doesn't fall apart when it's time to serve.