We finally bought a grill. It's really Chris's fault. When we were talking the other day he worked me over on the benefits of charcoal over gas. I did some online research and unfortunately the majority of food snobs really prefer and recommend against gas. I figured with all the spare time we have now, getting home from work 10 minutes after leaving instead of hour and a half later, we had time to try charcoal instead.
I went with the Weber Preformer. The grill itself is very nice, it has a side table, the grates open to refuel, and it has a lid holder. However the real selling point was the 'gas assisted start' no need for chimney starters or charcoal pyramids. All I have to do is dump the charcoal in the bins and hit the start button. After that runs for five minutes, you turn it off and let charcoal burn down for 10 minutes and you are ready to cook.
So far I have made steaks, and a Beer Can Chicken.
Last night for dinner we had grilled lamb chops and portabella mushrooms. I learned its a good idea to trim the fat off the chops before cooking to avoid flare ups.
I'm having lots of fun cooking this way. I read a good quote from Chris Schlesinger on Slate "Remember, part of the thrill of grilling is its unpredictability—a good sense of humor is key." If you have 15 minutes I recommend reading the conversation.
8 comments:
Nice... I like the charcoal baskets and the assisted start. 'Makes it almost as fast as gas but has to taste better and be more compatible with smoker boxes/pouches. Tell me you beat $300 though...
Charcoal is the only way to go—and get hardwood, not brickettes...much better and a good, woody flavor.
I've used that grill a bit, and it really cooks!
I'm using hardwood and I'm having a tough time with heat. All the recipes say to use a chimney starter full of charcoal but I have no idea how much that is. . . I need someone to measure that out for me and give me a relevant number maybe someone like an engineer . . .
Just go to Target, look at the chimney starter, then go home and find a pitcher about the same size. Wait 'til Joanie isn't looking and fill it up. Bam. Now you know how much charcoal is a chimney full.
I favor charcoal over gas as well but love the idea of the gas starter for the charcoal.
If you have a simple receipe for the can chicken please forward it to me because the chicken looks delicious.
What unit of measurement would you like for the chimney volumne?
The engineers estimate slightly less than 1 gallon as the volume of a chimney starter. Good luck to you!
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