‘Tis the season for cookouts and firing up the good ol’ grill! With Labor Day weekend and tailgating season right around the corner, we think honey is a fantastic staple to have in your culinary tool box!
There are multiple benefits of cooking with honey besides adding sweetness and flavor:
- Honey is a humectant which means it helps the meats retain moisture during the cooking process.
- Honey is an emulsifier meaning it helps fuse or hold ingredients together in marinades, glazes, sauces, and dips.
- Honey is a flavor enhancer and can balance and compliment other marinade and sauce go-tos like soy sauce and mustard.
For all of these reasons and more we think honey makes a fantastic addition to your favorite dishes and culinary masterpieces. However, cooking and grilling with honey can be a little tricky so here are a few tips to help you work with that liquid gold:
- Mix honey with another liquid to make an effective and flavorful marinade, brine, or sauce. If you just pour honey straight onto your meat when cooking or grilling it will burn quickly and char your meat before it is finished cooking. Mixing honey with another liquid will help it stick to the meat and handle the direct heat better. Honey often pairs well with citrus juices like lemon, lime, or orange as well as pineapple juice but even just mixing in some water can help.
- On its own, honey’s sticky and thicker consistency can make it difficult to brush or spread onto your meat. You want to thin out the honey a bit so it is easier to spread (no clumps) but you still want it thick enough to stick to the meat or food. Add liquid a little at a time to get the consistency just right for your marinade or sauce.
- Use indirect heat to more slowly caramelize the honey. Too much direct heat too fast can cause burning and charring before your meat is cooked through. Starting with your meat on a cooler spot with more indirect heat allows it to slowly caramelize locking in the flavor and keeping the meat moist and tender. You can move your meat to direct heat just before the meat is finished cooking, searing it for about one minute to give your meat that crispy and crunchy coating that tastes so good. Always use meat thermometers and make sure your meat is thoroughly cooked before eating.