Indirect Cooking on a Gas Grill

by E. Sweeney

Overview

Indirect cooking provides cooks with a useful technique for using outdoor barbecues to prepare a wider range of meats and vegetables. In this technique, a barrier is placed between the food and the heat from the grill and the lid is closed to distribute heat around the food. Away from the flame, food can cook more slowly and marinate in a sauce or its own juices, which is ideal for large cuts of meat. Additionally, indirect cooking allows chefs to grill things that would normally be too small or delicate to be placed directly on the grill.
Setting Up

Gas grills tend to be easier to start and maintain than charcoal grills, and the technique for indirect grilling with gas is slightly different than that for a charcoal fire. If you have multiple burners, you will want to turn them all on "high," aside from the central burner. If you have a two-burner gas grill, turn one side on "high" and place the food on the other. This will allow the heat to distribute and slow-cook the food.

Preparing and Cooking Your Food

For proper indirect grilling, you'll need a drip pan or or foil roasting pan to separate the food from the grill's flame. Marinate and/or season your meat to taste. Place the meat on the pan and the pan onto your preheated grill. Close the top of the grill so that heat will stay inside, allowing your food to cook as if it were in an oven. For longer grilling times in a roasting pan, you may want to add water or chicken broth to the pan so the juices don't boil off.
Creative Ideas for Indirect Grilling

The indirect grilling method is a suitable way to cook large pieces of meat, such as pork roasts and whole poultry, that would cook unevenly using traditional grill methods. While this is the traditional way to grill indirectly, almost anything can be cooked on a grill if it's not placed directly on the heat. Try grilling pizza, fruits wrapped in foil or vegetables and herbs in a shallow roasting pan.

Overview