The 5 Links You Need to Read Before Heading Out to Grill

Each week, we’ll be sharing a comprehensive list of links to help you master a cooking technique. Culinary greatness, here you come.

Today: Impress everyone at the barbecue with your grilling skills. 

Grilling -- like going to the beach or chasing the ice cream truck -- is a quintessential summer activity that everyone enjoys. Whether you’re avoiding turning on the oven in a stifling apartment, or throwing a party on the back patio, come summer, grilled food is the way to go. 

But if you don’t know your way around a grill, you might be a bit hesitant. Gas vs. charcoal? Direct vs. indirect? Not to worry, we’ve rounded up five links to help. Fire up your grills, people -- but not without reading these first. 

• First things first: tools. These are the only three you’ll need.

• Next: the ever-crucial step of lighting the grill. You won’t even need lighter fluid! Merrill shows us how. 

• To ensure proper cooking for each type of food (read: to avoid serving chicken that’s raw on the inside and blackened on the outside), commit this heat zone infographic to memory. 

• When it comes to grilling, everyone has an opinion. Here are six nuggets of wisdom worth listening to. (And here are ten more, for good measure.)

• Last step: cleaning the grill. It's easy, we promise -- right this way. 

Now that you’ve mastered the grill, make any (or all) of these seven dishes to serve at your next cookout. (Your friends and family will love you for it.)

What are your tips for mastering the grill? Tell us in the comments!