Grilling Tips from Poppamies Marko

Welcome to the world of flavors. I’m Marko Suksi, product developer at Poppamies. On this site, you’ll find tips and ready-made recipes for classics and fresh new alternatives. For now, we’re focusing on the grilling season and the essential basics behind successful grilling.

If you’re hungry for more, follow the links to deeper articles on various topics. Our recipe bank includes options for open fire, grill, and smoker cooking – and even some creative detours. Feel free to use Poppamies products in any recipe and customize them to your own taste!

Smart Griller’s Heat Control

Let’s start with this: there are hardly any bad grillers, but there are a lot of impatient ones. Most grilling failures happen because of too much heat, nearly frozen meat, or an unfamiliar grill. In a rush, people often don’t test their grill properly, which leads to unpredictable heat control. Quick grilling often results in sausages that are “charred outside and frozen inside.”

Whether you’re grilling sausage or steak, you should set the right heat before starting. Choosing medium heat (around 140–170°C) is usually the safest option. Too much heat isn’t ideal, especially for meats like pork or chicken that need to cook through. On high heat, the surface dries out before the inside is done.

Medium heat is also a good choice for vegetables. When cooking longer or at the beginning of grilling, indirect heat is useful. That means placing the food to the side, not directly over the flame or coals. This turns your grill into an outdoor oven. The finishing touch can be done over direct heat.

If your grill or fire pit doesn’t have a thermometer, hold your hand about 10 cm above the grate. If you can keep it there for about 5 seconds before it gets uncomfortable, the heat is just right. If you can hold it longer, the heat is on the mild side.

Easy Preheating Tips

High heat is great for baking pizza or searing meat that will remain rare in the center, such as a beef steak. It also helps to brown and finish food.

Here’s a tip: temper the meat – preheat it slightly before grilling. Cold meat should generally be avoided on the grill, especially thick cuts.

Tempering is easy. Wrap the steak in plastic wrap or a heat-resistant resealable bag, place it in a large bowl, and pour in hot tap water (about 50°C, not scalding). Let it warm up for 10–15 minutes. Then grill it to your desired doneness – medium, for example. Since the inside is already warm, you won’t overcook it, and the result is the perfect steak. For a 2 cm thick steak, grilling directly on high heat takes only about 30 seconds per side.

You can also preheat without water by placing the meat in a grill preheated to low indirect heat (under 100°C) for about 15 minutes under the lid. Then, open the lid, crank up the heat, and grill the steak quickly over direct heat. You can even add smoke flavor during the preheat phase with wood chunks – it adds great depth of flavor!

Direct and Indirect Heat

These are the two main grilling methods – and both are essential.

Direct heat means the food is directly over the flame or coals. It’s the most common method in Finland. It’s ideal for steaks, fish, seafood, and other foods that cook quickly.

Direct heat usually ranges from just under 200°C upward. Charcoal grills can reach over 350°C – great for searing steak surfaces. However, such high heat should only be used for very short grilling times (seconds), otherwise food burns.

Indirect heat is best for juicy, large, or lean cuts and for smoking. The food is not placed directly over the flame. In a three-burner gas grill, for example, only one burner is on and the food is placed to the side. In a charcoal grill, the coals are pushed to one side.

Indirect grilling cooks more evenly and acts like an outdoor oven, typically at 100–175°C. American-style barbeque is traditionally made this way with low heat and smoke.

Most often, you’ll use a combination of both methods: start with indirect heat, then finish with a crispy crust over direct heat.

Sauces and Seasonings

When using barbeque sauces, keep a few practical things in mind. BBQ sauces are typically sweet and contain sugar, which burns at high heat. So it’s best to use them either at low temperatures (around 100–120°C) for long cooking or only at the end over high heat so the sugar caramelizes. You can dry rub the meat first with RUB seasoning. BBQ sauce also works perfectly on the plate as a dip or side. You’ll find Poppamies BBQ sauces in all well-stocked stores.

Poppamies also has a full range of RUB seasonings for dry rubbing and general seasoning. Use them on the grill, in the kitchen, or over an open fire. You can even mix them into sour cream for a dip – instructions are on the packets.

RUB seasoning is easy: apply a generous layer (about 50 g per kilo of meat) and let it marinate. For large cuts, season the day before. Steaks and pork tenderloins can absorb the salt during cooking when started on medium indirect heat and finished directly for crispiness.

– Poppamies Marko