L.A. Times Test Kitchen tips: Keeping the heat in the grill

As you find yourself using the grill this summer, here's a quick tip for holding the heat in the grill as you cook: Keep the lid closed.

A grill works a lot like an oven, building up heat as long as it is sealed. And just as you lose heat every time you open the oven door, you can lose heat every time you open the grill.

This may not be important when grilling quick-cooking items like fish or when you're simply searing, but can become an issue when cooking thicker, denser cuts of meat that require longer cooking times.

Make sure you've got a reliable grill thermometer on the outside of the grill so you can regulate the temperature, and check every once in a while to make sure you don't have any flare-ups (smoke rising from the sides of the grill are usually a dead giveaway). Otherwise, relax.

If you have any kitchen tips or questions you'd like me to explore, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

-- Noelle Carter
twitter/noellecarter

Photo: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times