Essential Spring Grilling Guide: 3 grill-master strategies to step up your game

This is a chef’s best grilling advice.

Spring is here, and you know what that means—it’s grill time! If you’ve been dreaming about that flame-kissed flavor and sizzling sound of meat on a hot grill, now’s the time to break out the tongs.

Chef Todd Leonard rolled out a spring grilling guide to get you going on your first grill of the season.

For Chef Todd, beef is the star of the show—versatile, satisfying, and always crowd-pleasing. Beef offers rich, bold flavor and a variety of cuts that are perfect for the open flame—from well-marbled ribeyes to tender sirloins and juicy burgers. Its natural fat content enhances the taste and keeps the meat moist during cooking, especially over dry heat. Whether you’re searing steaks or slow-cooking brisket, beef holds up beautifully to the grill’s intensity and pairs well with a wide range of marinades, rubs, and finishing sauces.

Chef Todd’s Grilling Guide

Know Your Heat

Grilling = dry heat. That smoky flavor we all crave? It comes from the caramelization and char created by direct contact with the flame.

• Pick the right cut: Go for beef with good fat content. Ribeye, for example, doesn’t need much more than salt and pepper to shine.
• Fat = flavor + moisture. Leaner cuts? You’ll want to add moisture while cooking—think mops, bastes, and marinades.
• Size matters: Larger cuts need lower heat and longer cook times. Go low and slow to avoid burning the outside while keeping the inside raw.

The 3 Basics of Marinating

Want to add flavor without overpowering the natural taste of your meat? Keep these marinade essentials in mind:

1. Flavor: Think rubs, herbs, garlic, salt, pepper—don’t forget your favorite “pit seasoning!”
2. Acidity: Citrus juice, vinegar, wine, Worcestershire, hot sauce—this helps tenderize and punch up flavor.
3. Fat: Oils, butter, lard—these help carry flavor and keep meat moist.

Pro Tip: You can even use your marinade to baste—as long as it cooks thoroughly on the meat.

Don’t Forget the Finish

After the meat’s nearly done, it’s time for the final touch that locks in flavor and adds mouthwatering shine.

Here are some of Chef Todd’s favorite finishing moves:

• Butter rubs or compound butters for rich flavor
• Fresh olive oil marinades (just be sure they haven’t touched raw meat!)
• A bold blend of butter, lime juice, and Cholula hot sauce—Todd’s personal fave!
• Glazes like BBQ, teriyaki, or sweet & sour for extra kick
• Fruit juices (perfect on fish or white meats)

Chef Todd is opening a brand-new restaurant! Head over to @barwbeef on Instagram or visit barwbeef.com for all the juicy details. If you’re craving top-quality beef at home, you can browse and shop Bar W’s fresh cuts online, here.