Help with Charbroil Cooking

Hey Folks,

I'm new to this Grilling thing, I'm trying to get a rhythm on my gas charbroil but it's not happening. My grilled Tilapia and Burgers keep sticking to the Grates. I add vegetable oil to the grates and the food but get the same results. Please help me I need to get it together ASAP.   

Get the grill as hot as you can before putting the food on it. And don't turn the burgers or fish too soon; let the first side grill a decent while before turning. Ideally you should only turn once. That takes some practice. Until you get it right, just figure to let the meat grill for about 3 minutes on the first side.

 For the most part I agree with Mosca. You did not mention the heat source so I can only generalize. Make sure that the grates are HOT HOT HOT!  Spray the grill with Pam or other nonstick spray. Pat dry the fish! This is important!! 
I like to oil the fish lightly and then add salt and pepper just before placing on the grill. This helps to build a great crust. Do not turn until the fish WANTS to be turned. If you have to work at getting it unstuck then you are turning it too soon. I think that 2-3 minutes is a good time to check to see if it will come up without sticking.

Good Luck!

David O.

Tilapia is the toughest fish to grill because they are thin, fragile, soft and break apart very easily. I've been grilling since the 60's and wouldn't even try to grill Tilapia. Firmer, denser, thicker fish like Salmon, Grouper are more adaptable to grilling. For Fish, I recommend a fish basket. Google "fish basket for grilling" and you'll see all kinds of them. Can get a non-stick one for about $13.
For Burgers, follow the recommendations above. For all other Meats, I marinate the meat first in  LIGHT Olive Oil and seasonings, (Your Choice) in a Zip Loc type bag. Take the meat to a HOT, PRE HEATED grill. Unzip the bag, lift the meat out of the bag allowing the excess marinade to drip back into the bag & then put the meat on the grill. Zip the bag up again and discard - no mess, no fuss. 
Here's my MAJOR NON-STICK Technique!! After about 30 seconds, I slide the meat around just a little bit on the grates to keep it from sticking. That action oils your grates so the meat doesn't stick. I use the 30 second technique for burgers also.  

I never do Tilipia on the grill direct, just not the right fish for it.  Instead I do it in foil if grilling.  This is a Thai style version:

Take 1 part light soy
dash maggi sauce
dash worsteshire sauce
1/2 part jasmine rice vinegar, any rice vinegar, or even white wine will do
Shredded ginger
julienned green onions
minced fresh garlic
If you like it spicy, julliene a chili also, but not necessary

Toss all of the above and lay it out in double thick al foil, place the whole tilipia or more than one on top wrap tight and cook indirect for probably about 10 minutes, you can peak inside to see if the fish flakes.

Just open on a platter and serve right out of the foil.

The same recipe works great if your stove top steaming fish also.

A indicated above try a firmer fish for direct grilling.

I agree that some fish are better done in foil which is how we do trout. We just loose wrap it though. RodBangkok's version sounds great!

We use a fish basket when grilling filets. We wrap the fish in sorrel leaves along with salt, pepper, lemon slices, (some times some onion, shallot, or chives), olive oil or butter, and herbs such as tarragon or chervil. If you cant find sorrel, lettuce or romaine leaves work well, but lack the lemony flavor of the sorrel. 

Cheers, John 

Talapia doesn't need to be turned, grill it till there is a brown crust on the down side, pull it, it will be perfectly cooked thru by tooth time. On burgers use a rounded nose spatula and slide it under the burger at about 1/4 of the way from each side of the burger to loosen, then go for the middle to flip, do the sliding in 1 quick motion...only do this twice rotating the burger 90 degrees

You can also use Cedar Planks if you continue to have difficulty with the fish sticking.

The cedar imparts a wonderful flavor.

All the other suggestions on this thread are good suggestions.