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Consolidated "Grilling" thread

Consolidated "Grilling" thread

Old Jun 29, 2006, 8:34 am
  #46  
 
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My tips, in no particular order...

Don't ever, ever, ever use lighter fluid. Best way to start charcoal is using a chimney starter (available for ~$15 at Home Depot), next best would probably be one of those electric starters.

For the more "normal" stuff (burgers, brats, etc), using the standard Kingsford charcoal briquettes is OK, but use lump hardwood charcoal for your real works of art. Speaking of charcoal, magiciansampras noted that you don't need to overload your grill with charcoal, and that's right - I've got a weber cookbook which recommends 50 briquettes for their 22.5" grills.

If you're using a BBQ sauce with sugar or corn syrup in it, hold off until the last 10 minutes of grilling, or else it'll burn on and not taste so good. Vinegar based mop sauces can (and should) be applied throughout cooking.

For steaks, you don't need anything fancy. Before grilling, I brush on some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, brush it again before I flip it.

Dip a folded paper towel in some kind of oil (vegetable, olive, etc) and use your tongs to oil the grill grate - food won't stick quite so much.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 8:47 am
  #47  
 
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Originally Posted by jfe
Grilled peaches and vanilla ice cream are absolutely wonderful
Particularly with just a touch of good quality balsamic vinegar.

Originally Posted by cblaisd
Triple-wrap one to six shucked corn-on-the-cob ears in aluminum foil with an ice cube or two.
Grill at the same time as the meat, turning the package ever few minutes.
For me, I omit the ice cube, add a bit of butter AND olive oil, and fresh herbs from my garden. Thyme, Lemon thyme, or basil all work very nicely. Plus a little salt & pepper.

Interesting twist on a good steak - marinate for a short time (10-15 minutes) in plastic bag with a few grinds of fresh pepper and a shot of your favorite scotch. Works rather nicely with salmon as well. I always salt the meet slightly with coarse kosher salt just a few minutes before putting on the grill - draws out some solvated protiens which crisp up nicely to form a good crust.

Love grilled zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus, radicchio, mushrooms coked right on the grill. Corn cooked directly on the grill can be cut off the cob to make a fantastic corn-chile-lime-tequila salsa (I use jalapenos). For eating off the cob, the above foil-wrap version or cooking right in soaked husks works great.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 9:16 am
  #48  
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Originally Posted by magiciansampras
Fish is best done in aluminum foil. It cooks better (more circulated heat) and there is *some* evidence to suggest that fish cooked on the grill directly results in carcinogens.
The carcinogens part also applies to beef as well. The charring it creates one carcinogen, while the other is formed by the meat being cooked at too high a temperature. NPR had suggestions on how to reduce it.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 9:28 am
  #49  
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Originally Posted by kipper
The carcinogens part also applies to beef as well. The charring it creates one carcinogen, while the other is formed by the meat being cooked at too high a temperature. NPR had suggestions on how to reduce it.
First they say "beginning of the grilling season". For me there is never an end. I've got pictures at the cabin of me digging a trail threw 3' of snow to get to the grill.

Its only bad when you cook it hot and long. Thus the further need for a searing unit! Cook it ultra hot for a very short period of time and then over low heat.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 9:31 am
  #50  
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Originally Posted by annerj
First they say "beginning of the grilling season". For me there is never an end. I've got pictures at the cabin of me digging a trail threw 3' of snow to get to the grill.

Its only bad when you cook it hot and long. Thus the further need for a searing unit! Cook it ultra hot for a very short period of time and then over low heat.
LOL, ours goes on at least through football season, so I understand. I was just providing a link to some information about it.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 9:36 am
  #51  
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My grilling season begins in May and ends in February.

March and April are just too windy, but if the day is nice enough
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 9:41 am
  #52  
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Originally Posted by kipper
LOL, ours goes on at least through football season, so I understand. I was just providing a link to some information about it.
At home my neighboors make fun of me. I'm on the grill in the rain, snow, sleet. It doesn't matter! In fact when you smoke something on the grill (on my old grill) it was nice when it was a little cold outside as it was easier to keep the temp around 200. I'm hoping this new one is easier to control at low heat.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 9:57 am
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One of my favorites in Beer in the Butt Chicken.

I also like to throw ears of corn that are still in the husks right on the grill. They come off very moist, and the smell reminds me of college.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 10:38 am
  #54  
 
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For grilling fish or chicken wings or veggies, you can use something like the BBQ Buddy Grill Top (at least that is the name here in Canada). It's a shallow medium weight foil pan with a "corrugated" bottom and lots of slits for heat to enter and liquids to drain. You could make your own with a doubled length of aluminum foil, use multiple folds to create the "corrugation" and a large knife to cut some slits.

Of course you can also buy the various grill top accessories made of "non-stick" metal (which always seem to stick for me) but then you have to clean and wash them and one of the attractions of grilling for me is no messy pans to clean!!!

Kebabs - I love kebabs on the grill, but my husband says it's a "girl thing." He figures men only want to cook big pieces of meat.

Still, I think chicken pieces marinated in different sauces are fabulous. Or prawns.

For chicken, I read recently to try marinating 1 lb of pieces in a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice plus 1 tsp salt for an hour, then marinate overnight in a Tikka or tandoori sauce (or add curry mix to yogurt and a small amount of oil). I would thread this onto skewers along with chunks of mango and serve with some mango chutney or a mango salsa.

Spicy prawns with fruit is also good. Marinate or coat with a cajun seasoning mix, for example.

Marinated pork on kebabs along with pineapple chunks, red and green peppers and maybe onion is also tasty.

I use bamboo skewers and soak them in water for at least 30 mins. I used to have metal skewers, but that clean-up thing annoyed me....
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 10:43 am
  #55  
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When I get back to my home in a few weeks I'll post a great pulled pork on the grill receipe.

It starts with an amazing dry rub, smoke on the grill, pull the pork then put it into a wet sause to cook for a while longer.

The dry rub is GREAT. The wet sause I'm still working on...have not quite prefected it (its good just not great).
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 10:43 am
  #56  
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I don't like mixing veggies, fruits or meat in kabobs

They have different cooking temperatures, I end up with a mix of burned and overcooked items.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 10:47 am
  #57  
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Originally Posted by annerj
At home my neighboors make fun of me. I'm on the grill in the rain, snow, sleet. It doesn't matter! In fact when you smoke something on the grill (on my old grill) it was nice when it was a little cold outside as it was easier to keep the temp around 200. I'm hoping this new one is easier to control at low heat.
Weather doesn't deter us from grilling. That said, our tailgates are down to a science, and are definitely extreme. We do home fries, eggs, including omelets, pancakes, and french toast for breakfast, depending on the day.
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 10:48 am
  #58  
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Originally Posted by jfe
I don't like mixing veggies, fruits or meat in kabobs

They have different cooking temperatures, I end up with a mix of burned and overcooked items.

Heck, just toss them on your searing unit and the veggies/fruits will burn into nothing and you'll be left with the important stuff....the meat!
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 10:49 am
  #59  
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Originally Posted by kipper
Weather doesn't deter us from grilling. That said, our tailgates are down to a science, and are definitely extreme. We do home fries, eggs, including omelets, pancakes, and french toast for breakfast, depending on the day.

^ ^
The grill I ordered has a griddle that fits over the middle two burners. Up to this point I have just used cast iron pans to do my egg/potatoe type cooking (this works very well)
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Old Jun 29, 2006, 10:53 am
  #60  
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Originally Posted by annerj
^ ^
The grill I ordered has a griddle that fits over the middle two burners. Up to this point I have just used cast iron pans to do my egg/potatoe type cooking (this works very well)
Let us know how the new grill is, my neighbor's doesn't heat too well.

Maybe it's defective (not sure if it's my neighbor or the grill )
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