Let's get this straight, ok? Don't press the burgers!!!
Most of us love nice juicy burgers, mouth water steaks, deliciously moist chicken and tender sweet pork. I know I do. It pains me to see a bored cook using his spatula like a automobile squishier to drive out the juices just to see the grill flare and smoke to show his/her prowess at the controls of the grill. Actually he/she is making a mess of the grill and will only be able to offer dried out meat to eat.
Duck, on the other hand needs to be cooked for long periods of time because it does not release it's fat easily. But for most folks, nice and easy should be the watch words.
Here are some helpful ways to manage the meat without loosing those wonderful juices:
Whole chicken: Use some sturdy tongs or a carving fork and insert them in the cavity of the chicken to rotate or move it around. There is usually no reason to "flip" it over and cook on the breast side so rotating is sufficient.
Chicken parts: Use the same tongs and grab the bones and not the meat. If this proves too difficult, use a steak hook to grab a tendon near the bone and with one quick flip turn it over. Do not pierce the center of the meat.
Steaks: This is easy. Use a medium or large steak hook to pierce a corner of the meat and gently flip it. You may also use some tongs and grab the sides. Do not grab it in the middle. If you decide to use a spatula, be careful not to scrape off any seasoning.
Ribs: Use either the small steak hook and grab the end bone and flip or use some tongs and grab the bones. Try not to mar the meat by using tongs to grab the middle.
Brisket: Use a couple of spatulas, or insulated gloves. These are so heavy that tongs don't really work.
Pork: This is a much more tender meat and as such steak hooks are impractical. Use tongs if the size is 2-3 pounds. If larger, use a couple of spatulas or insulated gloves. Be tender with it!
Sausage: This is easy. Use tongs. Spatulas offer too much of a balancing routine!
Burgers are easy: Use a spatula or combination spatula/tong and be careful not to scrape off the seasonings.
As you can see, we do not recommend using a carving fork to impale the meat allowing the juices flow freely. If you see that you are doing that, give some thought to another means of achieving your goals. Tough, dry meat is no treat!
