The 3 Underrated Foods to Add to Your Grill This Summer, According to Chef Jet Tila

If you’re a lover of cooking competition shows, Jet Tila has definitely made an appearance on your television screen. He’s been on Guy’s Grocery Games, Iron Chef America, Tournament of Champions, Beat Bobby Flay and various other Food Network shows. And the chef and restaurateur knows how to throw it down in his own kitchen—or should we say, kitchens.

Tila recently partnered with RTA Outdoor Living and Coyote and helped design a brand-new kitchen space in his backyard alongside his wife, Ali Tila. So, in this exclusive Q&A with EatingWell, we asked him all about outdoor entertaining and his top grilling tips. Read on to find out what underrated ingredients Tila thinks you should add to your grill this summer—and on the flip side, the ingredient he never uses in his cooking.

EatingWell: What’s your top piece of advice for first-time grillers?

Tila: Take it one protein or dish at a time. Start with a 1-inch steak or a chicken breast pounded into 1-inch thickness. Salt, pepper and olive oil are always the perfect starting point. Buy a cheap probe thermometer to nail it every time. From there, you can go up in size of protein or complexity of dish.

EatingWell: What’s one ingredient you wish people would grill with more often?

Tila: Oyster mushrooms, baby corn and stone fruit are all really great on the grill and underappreciated.

EatingWell: Is there any ingredient you won’t cook with?

Tila: I hate whipped cream, so you won't see it in any of my dishes, indoors or outdoors.

EatingWell: We’ve seen everything from raw onion to steel brushes for cleaning grills. What’s your go-to cleaning method?

Tila: Everyone needs a cheap wire brush. Once your grill is hot before you cook, give it an aggressive brushing. Use the brush to brush away debris or if you're fancy, take some tongs and paper towels, wet with a high-temperature oil and you're good to go.

EatingWell: Do you have any tips for keeping bugs away while cooking outdoors?

Tila: For flies, I like to have a low-power fan running around the area where you're storing food. It could be overhead or just a cheap battery fan blowing over the food. If you want to get some citronella candles, that can work too. Another option is food covers, but they can be expensive.

EatingWell: Can you tell me all about your new outdoor kitchen?

Tila: My wife designed an outdoor kitchen with three critical pieces of equipment: a dual-fuel pizza oven, a gas grill with infrared burner and a power burner. Our goal was to be able to cook any meal outdoors that we can cook indoors. We quickly learned that we actually had more fire power outdoors than we do indoors.

EatingWell: What part of the outdoor kitchen excites you most?

Tila: In Southern California we are outdoors so much of the year that it is really great to have a kitchen and entertaining space. We find ourselves outdoors more when having a home base that isn't just great for cooking but also entertaining. We placed two refrigerators, an elevated bar and a bunch of barstools around so people could gather around the island either relaxing while swimming or watching the chef at work.

EatingWell: Do you already know what you’re going to make for July 4? If so, what’s on the menu?

Tila: Fourth of July will be a combo of burgers and dogs for the kids, salmon for the wife and tomahawks for anyone who wants them.

EatingWell: What does eating well mean to you?

Tila: Eating well has many different meanings to different ages and times in my life, but at this phase, just being surrounded by the people I love and being able to cook and feed them is eating well.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.