Cool Ways To Use Foil At The Grill

As A Banana Leaf

In Mexico, Thailand, and other tropical countries, fish and other delicate foods are wrapped in banana leaves for grilling. Don’t have a banana leaf? Use the high tech version: a sheet of aluminum foil.

 
As A Shield For Skewers

When grilling kebabs and sates on bamboo skewers, prevent the exposed part of the skewer from burning by creating a bamboo skewer shield. Fold an 12 by 18 inch sheet of foil in 3 like a business letter. Slide the resulting shield under the skewers (or place on the grill and arrange the exposed part of the skewers on top. The foil prevents the wood from burning. It’s much more effective than soaking the skewers in cold water.

 
As A Grill Ring

Crumple a sheet of aluminum foil into a tube and roll it into a ring about 3 inches in diameter.  Place apples, onions, artichokes, and other round fruits or vegetables you wish to barbecue on this ring to hold them steady.  or smoke-roasted apples, for example, hollow the apple and fill it with brown sugar, butter, and graham cracker crumbs. Indirect grill or smoke-roast for 1 hour. The foil ring holds the apples upright.

 
To Keep Meat Moist & Tender

When smoking brisket and ribs, cook them unwrapped for the first half of cooking. (This allows them to absorb the smoke flavor.) Then wrap them in heavy duty foil for the second half of cooking. This seals in flavor and moistness and helps make the meat more tender.

As A Smoker Pouch

Want to smoke on a gas grill? Take 1 cup hickory, apple or other hardwood chips and soak in water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain well. Wrap in a 12 by 18 inch sheet of aluminum foil (fold it to form a flat pillow), pleating the edges to make a seal. Poke holes in the top of the resulting package with a fork or the point of a meat thermometer. Preheat your grill to high. Place the smoker pouch under the grill grate, directly over one of the burner tubes. In a few minutes, you’ll see smoke. Place the food to be smoked on top and cover the grill.

As A Grill Brush

Forget your grill brush? Crumple a sheet of foil into a ball, hold it at the end of tongs, and use it to clean your grill grate. 

As A Drip Pan

Press a double folded sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil over an inverted baking dish, crimping the edges, to make a rectangular drip pan.  Place it under the grate between the mounds of coals for indirect grilling. 

To Prevent Flare-Ups

When grilling chicken, bacon wrapped shrimp, and other fatty foods prone to flare-ups, make fold a large sheet of aluminum foil in three like a business letter. If you get flare-ups, pull the grilling meat on top of the foil.