Psst…Hey, Buddy…Got Any Grilling Tips?

Update (8.12.09):

Epicurious saves the day.  If you were looking for grilling tips, too, check it out!

Epicurious Guide to Grilling

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It should be so easy.

That’s what I kept thinking as I watched the chicken get more and more blackened. Well, one of the pieces of chicken. Curiously, the chicken on the other end of the grill was still pretty raw. What the…?!

Chicken on the Grill

I’ve said before that I consider myself a baker (that’s probably a mistake right there – why pigeonhole myself, right?). But, it’s true. I love to bake. I love looking through recipes for delicious desserts and then creating them as if they’re works of art and then, the best part of all, seeing the looks on the faces of friends and loved ones when they take that first bite. My success rate for my baked goods is pretty darn high.

Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake Drizzled with Fudge Sauce

But cooking?

Well, I feel like I get punched in the gut again…and again…and…

I mean, sure I can handle most anything with a recipe and it will turn out fairly close to the picture in the cookbook. That’s not a problem. Elaborate entrees? Usually not a problem for me, because that’s my strength – following a recipe so explicitly, so literally, that if the recipe is written well (and it’s a good recipe), odds are good that it’s going to taste the way it’s supposed to taste.

So that’s not the problem.

It’s cooking creatively . Cooking life a chef. Cooking like most people cook (I think?). Well, at least, the way my husband cooks. He can throw together a group of ingredients, do some amazing things with them, artfully toss it all onto a plate, and wow! Fantastic. Delectable. Rave reviews. Looks good, tastes even better.

It’s a gift. To my tastebuds. And my family’s palate.

But, try as I might, I can’t do it.

For example, tonight I tried to grill some chicken for dinner. Well, let me back up a little. We had four avocados in the fridge, and I have this great recipe for guacamole, so I thought, “This will be great. It’s a beautiful almost-summer day and the kids love guacamole. I’ll get my daughter to help me make some guac and we’ll go from there.”

Eager to help, my daughter chopped the onion, scooped out the flesh of the avocado and helped me pull it all together. I told her about my secret ingredient for fabulous guacamole. It was a great moment. When we finished, she handed me a tortilla chip and kept one for herself. Then we each scooped out a healthy portion of the guacamole. Our eyes widened as we delighted in the fresh, tangy flavors.

It was a recipe, see? Sure it was good, but I credit the recipe. It was a great recipe.

So there we were with a bowl of delicious guacamole. Okay…now what? What to make for dinner to go with this guacamole. Keep in mind, my goal is to get to a place where I can just whip something together. Without a recipe. So…now what?

I opened the fridge and saw a package of chicken. Okay, great. I can just throw that on the grill. Sounds simple, right?

Guys grill food all the time in summer. Heck, I know guys who talk about their grilling expertise like it’s been featured on Emeril…every week . You know what I’m talking about? These guys turn grilling into an art form. They have the tools with the really long handles and all sorts of special sauces. They often wear aprons with personalized embroidering. They can spend a good part of an evening talking to each other about the latest fabulous dish they made for their families. Pride spills out of them and their faces shine like Lite-Brite pegs . It’s quite nice to behold, really.

Okay, so I admit, I’m envious. There, I said it.

But here’s what I’m asking in return. If you’re one of those guys (or women) who can grill with finesse and loves to talk about it, please give me some tips. What’s the secret to successful grilling? Why does part of a gas grill heat food more than another part? How do you avoid getting the outside charred when the inside is still raw? I know how to deal with that in a saute pan but how do you do it on a grill?

I resorted to cutting up the chicken breasts (nearly burning my hands in the process) using tongs in my left hand and kitchen shears in my right hand. It was pretty amusing. When the chicken was finally cooked thoroughly, my kids made chicken tacos (to use that guacamole), I piled it on top of some wild rice with some guacamole on the side, and my hubby made a fajita with a tortilla, some rice, chicken, guacamole and salsa.

If you guessed that his looked (and probably tasted) the best, you’re right. Here it is:

I enjoyed the dinner, but only because the guacamole was so good. The chicken ended up dry but good enough.

So…tell me. How do I keep it juicy and flavorful? Pass on your best grilling tips, please!?

And then, if you’d like, I can share my secret for great guacamole…

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