Grills for Meal Prep
Masters of the grill unite, grilling is perfect for meal prep especially if you’re seeking heavier protein for gains at the gym. Grills are great for direct or indirect heat, using fire and smoke to create unique cooking strategies that can be harnessed for meal prep.
Not all grills are your typical backyard charcoal grill either. They come in a variety of styles that will suit your needs and ability. From large gas grill giants to electric presses and griddles, there’s an ensemble of options to choose from.
Charcoal Grill
Charcoal grills are a summer time standard throughout most of the US, found in nearly every backyard. They’re ideal for outdoor cooking where large fires are safer to use and cook larger pieces of meat that are unwieldy in most kitchens.
Normally, charcoal grills are known for parties, with flocks of dads holding a beer while taking turns to check and see if the meat is ready. While charming, they also hold immense appeal for meal prep.
Grilling meat over an open flame isn’t unique to summertime BBQ, it’s a technique used around the world and one that, when practiced, can open up a world of new recipes and ideas that will keep your meal prep from going stale. Some dishes like jerk chicken are best when cooked using an open flame.
Electric Grill
Using an electric grill is great when cooking outdoors is not an option. While they can’t reach the same temperatures as a real flame, they still offer the ability to cook foods in the same manner by providing high heats on an uneven surface.
Electric grills come with their own benefits though like letting cooks apply oil to the surface, making it easier to brown ingredients. Smokiness won’t be a problem either since electric grills don’t get as hot as traditional grills that use fire.
More so a matter of convenience and accessibility, electric grills are perfect meal prep companions for apartment dwellers and dormitories when outdoor grilling is unavailable. Don’t let limitations become burdens, meal prep works best when cooks adapt it.
Gas Grill
A true show stealer, gas grills are the cream of the crop when it comes to outdoor grilling. Because they don’t require wood or charcoal, gas grills can be fired up in seconds, speeding up your favorite BBQ for meal prep wonders.
Gas grills can do a lot more than just cooking meat. They’re great for prep work too. Mexican food on the menu? A gas grill is perfect for adding a quick char to your tomatillos and chili for a salsa verde with depth.
Despite all this, some will argue that gas grills taste worse than their charcoal counterparts. While this might be true, what really matters is what suits your abilities and meal prep needs best. Gas grills reduce time and space needed for outdoor grilling.
Griddle
Common among line chefs, griddles are hot, flat surfaces used for cooking a variety of ingredients at once. They are great for keeping all elements of a dish heated and ready for assembly at the same time, improving the final result.
Griddles are heavily associated with American diners and known for popular breakfast dishes like eggs, bacon, and hash browns. Fortunately, since we’re doing meal prep at home, there is a wide selection of griddles perfect for home cooks.
Not only are they versatile for cooking, grids are also exceptionally easy to clean since it is a single flat surface. Unless something has been terribly burned, clean up is fairly quick because of its shape.
Press
A press grill, or Panini press, is a set of grills that can be compressed together, causing pressure to influence cooking. This is especially common with sandwiches to create toasted flavors and texture.
While bread can be a challenge for meal prep, it can still be used to cook other ingredients like vegetables that might need a quick grill. Or even just to cap off a quickly made sandwich that needs some toasting.
Presses can be a lot of fun to cook with too, letting you grill skewers and steaks easily. They’re wildly convenient, especially if stove top cooking is not available. Press grills are also great for reheating certain foods if you want alternatives to using a microwave.
Smoker
Looking to do some real barbecue? Look no further than smokers. Using long-lasting flames and indirect heat, these grills cook food over long periods of time for incredible tenderness and flavor.
Originating from the Caribbean, smoking meat quickly became popular in the United States with states quickly proudly adopting their own styles and traditions. So, why wouldn’t you want to have it everyday for lunch?
Although most smokers are huge and expensive contraptions meant for professional kitchens, there are still a number of consumer friendly options available that will excite any home cook looking to expand their meal prep into brisket and burnt ends.