Barbeques, Grills and Outdoor Eating

[kcmets]

Opened up the propane grill just now and found the floor under the burners
has decided to vanish. Haven't used it since spring. It's about 8-years-old and
nothing lasts forever. Maybe I can rebuild the floor, we have the technology. I've
been using the kettle grill for months with various charcoals and woods so if the
time comes to ditch the propane I'm not sure I'd bother to replace it and look to
get another charcoal companion or a smoker of some sorts.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

We went from the smallish Weber kettle to the big one (I think 18" to 22" surface) and discovered it made a huge difference, and also, we hardly ever use the smoker anymore (only once this year so far). Big enough to cook 2 things at once, create 2 zones easily, or take a big piece of meat. That's what she said. Also, the ash clean up is a million times easier. It's a totally better experience.

Best thing I've grilled this year--a total revelation--Greek Haloumi cheese as part of marinated veggie skewers. Haloumi in addition to being good cheese, sorta like a slightly harder mozzarella, absorbs flavor and can withstand a hot grill, getting seared but not like getting runny or sticky. A customer in the Greek supermarket where I bought it, saw me looking at the selection of brands and sizes and goes "I am from the Island! This is the best brand!" I forget the name of the brand. But he then put 10 or 12 good-sized chunks into his basket, and said, "You get the slice lamb! They have it right there!" pointing the deli counter. "You put a slice on on the lamb on the grill! Eat on a pita!! It's best sandwich ever!!!!"

Anyway I didn't get the lamb, cuz we had ground lamb, which we cooked, mixed with rice/peanuts/cinnamon/mint, wrapped in grape leaves, and cooked them on the grill too with the haloumi skewers. Made a tzaiki sauce. Great.

Grape leaf-- tedious prep, but also a cool thing to have, can wrap like anything in em and put em on a fire, it cooks inside., We did cod chunks last night.

[whippoorwill]

We had cod last night too!

Blackened with homemade pineapple salsa and some zatarans Caribbean rice mmm mmm

[kcmets]

We went from the smallish Weber kettle to the big one (I think 18" to 22" surface) and discovered it made a huge difference, and also, we hardly ever use the smoker anymore (only once this year so far). Big enough to cook 2 things at once, create 2 zones easily, or take a big piece of meat. That's what she said. Also, the ash clean up is a million times easier. It's a totally better experience.

I think my Weber is two feet. Now I have to go measure it. White guys measure
their grills, brothers just look at theirs and say that shit is big! I'd probably be in
camp rarely-use-my-smoker too so probably best not to go that route.

[kcmets]

23 inches, day late and one inch short.

Weber makes good stuff, kettle grill is about the same age as the rotting
big propane grill and still looks pretty good when it's cleaned up.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I guess my advice then is when you are ready, to replace the big kettle, but be sure to pay up for the "deluxe" version, with the the temp gage on the lid. And the "one touch" ash system.

Or, look at the green egg, but realize it's moving into a whole other price universe, and keep in mind it's easy to buy one that doesn't have the surface area of the big kettle.

I'm like, leave gas behind. Go charcoal. I wanna say it's better for the environment, even though you are literally burning trees.

[kcmets]

Propane is dead to me unless I can put a new floor in economically. And
what a pain the ass it is to dispose of the giant rotting mess.

Another Weber would be an addition, not a replacement. If I bought one of
those egg grills KB would kill me in my sleep. She may still anyway.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

By the way, telling that story above yesterday was still fresh for me in the Food Bazaar today ("feed your way of life") and I came home with some hoallumi cheese.

If the rain holds off, that'll be on the kettle in 3 hours.

[Frayed Knot]

My bro-in-law would marry his big green egg if it were socially acceptable.

[batmagadanleadoff]

We went from the smallish Weber kettle to the big one (I think 18" to 22" surface) and discovered it made a huge difference, and also, we hardly ever use the smoker anymore (only once this year so far). Big enough to cook 2 things at once, create 2 zones easily, or take a big piece of meat. That's what she said. Also, the ash clean up is a million times easier. It's a totally better experience.

Best thing I've grilled this year--a total revelation--Greek Haloumi cheese as part of marinated veggie skewers. Haloumi in addition to being good cheese, sorta like a slightly harder mozzarella, absorbs flavor and can withstand a hot grill, getting seared but not like getting runny or sticky. A customer in the Greek supermarket where I bought it, saw me looking at the selection of brands and sizes and goes "I am from the Island! This is the best brand!" I forget the name of the brand. But he then put 10 or 12 good-sized chunks into his basket, and said, "You get the slice lamb! They have it right there!" pointing the deli counter. "You put a slice on on the lamb on the grill! Eat on a pita!! It's best sandwich ever!!!!"

Anyway I didn't get the lamb, cuz we had ground lamb, which we cooked, mixed with rice/peanuts/cinnamon/mint, wrapped in grape leaves, and cooked them on the grill too with the haloumi skewers. Made a tzaiki sauce. Great.

Grape leaf-- tedious prep, but also a cool thing to have, can wrap like anything in em and put em on a fire, it cooks inside., We did cod chunks last night.

I read this post yesterday and it's been bouncing around in my head ever since.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Here are last night's skewers (also potatoes & fish in foil). The Greek guy in the store was right--try to get an authentic Greek Halloumi brand if you can, it was a little bit better than the one from Food Bazaar, and marinate (oil & vinegar, honey, mustard, herbs, etc) for longer than the ~90 minutes I did yesterday. But it was still good.

[MFS62]

This Spring I bought new stainless steel grates and flame covers for my gas grill. And, for one reason or another, I haven't used it yet.
But reading this thread is getting me hungry.
Later

[kcmets]

Dang, dems sum right purdy-looking eats!

I'm intrigued by this cheese. In addition to mainstream cheese, our Shop-Rite
has a good size specialty cheese department as well. I've never paid it much at-
tention but will have to see if they carry halloumi.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Do it! I did experience some searing that became charring and then melting, last night for some chunks that got too hot using the brand I did-- called Grillies, and marketed not as Greek cheese, but as grillable cheese--but still, it's a good way to get one to eat those vegetables.

[seawolf17]

We got a pellet grill/smoker from Z grills this year. Straight grilling takes a little longer than on a traditional grill, but I have zero complaints. Everything we've made has been perfect.

[TransMonk]

We have a Green Egg and it does indeed take everything to the next level.

I got my wife this thing for our anniversary last year as she makes her own pizza dough and bakes oven pizzas at least once a week.