LABOR DAY BBQ GRILLING WITH OLIVE OIL

With Labor Day just around the corner, we all want to gather with friends and family for good time. Small gatherings are an ideal American way to spend your Labor Day weekend especially when there’s a pandemic to worry about. BBQs are ideal though since they are outdoors, it’s a safer way to connect with friends and family.

Once safety is covered, next important thing on the list is food! There’s no celebration without food, of course! To kick your festivities into gear, here’s a few tips on how to grill healthier with olive oil.

Grilling with Olive Oil Benefits

One of the common misconceptions about olive oil is that its smoke point is too low for cooking, therefore it’s not recommended for grilling or frying. While that may hold some truth for low quality olive oil, high-quality extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of 405 degrees F (207 C) and does not break down into harmful compounds at high temperatures.

You may have heard that grilling with other vegetable oils might be a better choice, but those oils recommended are always the refined ones, which can indeed reach very high smoke points. The more refined these other oils are, the higher their smoke point will be. That’s because the process of refining oils involves removing impurities and fatty acids(including the monounsaturated ones) using chemicals, and methods that include altering their temperature, which prevent these oils from smoking. Consuming refined oils is dangerous and should be avoided since they increase risks of heart attacks, strokes and can lead to a miserable life long term.

So why aren’t you grilling with olive oil? Opt to use a premium quality olive oil whenever possible as it is 100% unrefined, without any chemicals involved or temperature tweaks. Its smoke point is within the recommended grilling temperatures, it contains monounsaturated fatty acids that act as antioxidants and it gives so much better taste to our foods!

Tips on Grilling with Olive Oil

When BBQ grilling with olive oil, you should avoid aluminum foil at all costs since your food may absorb its tiny particles during heat and become harmful. Avoid your food sticking on the grill, by brushing extra virgin olive oil on it and give it some time before placing it on the grill. Another trick is to grill on top of other ingredients, like lemon slices for example.

To avoid flare-ups from excess fat or olive oil dripping into the coals, keep the lid open to avoid high rising temperatures, but be aware of windy conditions as well. Move your food around the grill and avoid flare-ups from flipping it, by having a ‘safe zone’ on your grill. That means always having a hot zone and a cool zone, by placing hot charcoals on one side and having a small section without any underneath.

Always keep your BBQ grill clean to avoid grease from meat fat and olive oil build ups as well as carbon build ups and do deep clean ups before storing your grill after long periods of use! With a gas grill , turn on high heat after finishing with a closed lid for about 15 minutes. If you use a charcoal BBQ grill, clean the grill grates with lemons by directly rubbing them on the grill grates and then use special grill brushes while they are still warm, to clean any excess build up. By the way, you should clean your grill grates with all types of BBQs.

So during this Labor Day prepare your favorite recipes by grilling with olive oil. It’s the healthiest oil and the tastiest way to barbeque!

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