A Great Grilling Aid: Aluminum Foil Slideshow

OK, we know you've been told that you can wrap just about anything in aluminum foil to cook on the grill, but here's even more of a reason to do it. Did you know that by keeping your food enclosed in foil you're not only avoiding a mess but maximizing the flavor and nutritional value of your food? See, it's not only easy to grill with aluminum foil, but it improves your food, too. 

Grilling whole onions can be a pain, but aluminum foil can help. When grilling round foods like onions, stuffed peppers, or apples, twist crumpled foil into donut-shaped rings to hold them steady on the grill.

A fatty burger equals deliciousness, but all of that grease left behind? Not so much. To help manage the grease cleanup, wrap the bottom tin located under your grill grate in aluminum foil before grilling, and if your grill doesn't have one, use an aluminum foil-wrapped baking sheet to catch the drippings.  

You may have heard about the importance of smoking your meats so many times that you're about to go out and spend a fortune on a smoker, but we're here to stop you. Aluminum foil can help you smoke your meats without buying an entire apparatus for the process. Simply soak wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes prior to smoking, drain, and place them in a pouch created from aluminum foil, leaving a hole in the top so that the smoke can escape. Then just place them on either the heat grates of your gas grill or the charcoal to get them smoking. With the grill lid closed, it's your own smoker at half the cost. One thing to note is to make sure to leave the pouch in a corner of the grill where it's not putting smoke directly on your food. 

We've all heard that excuse before: You know you need to let that steak rest, but sometimes you're so worried about it getting cold that you can't help but carve into it, right? That excuse is no more, because aluminum foil is the perfect warming tent for your steaks, chops, or grilled chicken. Loosely cover your meat with a few sheets while it rests and the foil will prevent any heat from escaping, leaving you without any excuses to not let it rest. 

For those of you who are firm believers in marinating in plastic bags, aluminum foil serves as a great twist tie when you don't have the real thing, or that nifty seal some bags come with. Just tear a thin strip of foil and wind it into a rope and twist around the bag to hold your precious, marinating cargo in place. 

Slow and low is the only way you'll get those juicy, tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs you crave at your summer cookout, and aluminum foil can help you get there. Before giving them a good char on the grill, cook them with indirect heat by wrapping them in aluminum foil and placing them on the grill at a low heat. 

Grilling at the beach? Foil works great for packing up your foods to bring to a destination cookout, but the real bonus is that unfolded foil makes an instant surface for clean, efficient eating on-the-go.

Whether you're too scared to use a grill brush or simply don't have one, aluminum foil can help you clean up after some serious grilling. Dip a sheet of foil in water and crumble it up into a ball to rub it along your grill grates. The aluminum oxidizes faster than most other metals, so it's a safe and effective tool for getting rid of dirt, debris, and rust on your grill. 

Whether freezing raw meats that you bought in advance or wrapping up leftovers, aluminum foil is one of the best ways to store your food because it has the lowest moisture-vapor transfer rate, which means it prevents your food from losing any moisture and vapor, keeping it fresh and delicious.