If you plan on doing some outdoor grilling this holiday, be it charcoal or gas, we have some information that might surprise you. The owner of Tess’ Kitchen Store in Grass Valley, Steve Rosenthal, says, for best results you should not start cooking any meat, with the exception of hamburger, until it reaches room temperature. That can take one to two hours, depending on what you’re cooking…

click to listen to Steve Rosenthal

Rosenthal says hamburger does not need to be left on the counter at all. He also recommends salting the meat overnight. But before you start cooking, make sure the grill is properly cleaned. He says it’s easiest, and most effective, after it’s preheated. For charcoal grills, that can take as long as 45 minutes. But he says bacteria is not actually the concern…

click to listen to Steve Rosenthal

Rosenthal also says you should never use lighter fluid for charcoal. He says it can contaminate the flavor and gets onto other grill surfaces. He says all you need to use is newspaper, including with a chimney starter.