Grilling and you-Charcoal, or Gas? What make?

[Ben]

I've got a ****** little gas-powered hibachi. I don't have much balcony space here at this building. (I miss my old apartment, but I couldn't afford the $600/month rent. It had a party deck from my room.)

I usually thaw the steaks, and let them sit in teriyaki for a few hours. Then I put them on the grill and just let it do its job. About 20-25 minutes and they're good.

[stormtripper]

I have to buy a new one this spring, that is going to be a very exciting day for me.... I think that I BBQ 6 out of 7 days a week in the late spring, summer and early fall. Nothing like a steak, potato, salad and beer (or 2) after work.....

[JesseVader08]

Spring 2004 was very exciting for me and my wife because we finally got to buy a new BBQ.  We'd been using a hand-me-down grill that could barely stand anymore and the heat was completely unpredictable.  We both love to BBQ, so decided to go all out and bought a Weber like shown on their website (the 2004 model doesn't have doors below).  I don't know about you guys but I've got absolutely no use for the side burner that comes on a lot of BBQ's.

Like Scott said, charcoal really produces great flavouring, but I really don't have the patience to wait, so I've been really pleased with our choice of natural gas.  It still cooks beautifully and we never have to worry about running out of fuel like with propane tanks.  I usually cook my meat frozen, simply because I don't often plan things ahead of time.  A little marinating with Bullseye BBQ sauce, whether it be for beef or chicken or pork, they've got a nice flavour to compliment the meat.

We had a gorgeous day today, -5^oC and sunny, grilled some pork chops on the patio.  Mmmm, mmm.  Me like meat. 

[Mikey D]

I usually thaw the steaks, and let them sit in teriyaki for a few hours. Then I put them on the grill and just let it do its job. About 20-25 minutes and they're good.

Woah, that's some really cooked steak.  Like it well well done, Ben?

[Famine]

I've got a ****** little gas-powered hibachi. I don't have much balcony space here at this building. (I miss my old apartment, but I couldn't afford the $600/month rent. It had a party deck from my room.)

I usually thaw the steaks, and let them sit in teriyaki for a few hours. Then I put them on the grill and just let it do its job. About 20-25 minutes and they're good.

Please tell me you dont actually cook ON the balcony?

God, at least 3 houses around here in the past year have burned down because of people doing that, and having a stray spark or coal go somewhere and burn down the whole damn building.

Kevin

[Paul]

ah a topic that is almost more divisive than one of the banned ones....

For the longest time the Lazy person that lives inside me (and makes all the decisions) said that Gas was the way to go...little to no clean up, starts up pretty quick (most of the time), suppossedly even cooking etc....

Then on one of those weekends with the boys we dug a pit, filled it with charcoal threw a grate over it and had the best steaks I'd ever had.  

Since that day(or actually the Monday after) it has been a small 18 inch circular Weber grill.  I have the Chimney stack charcoal starter, which is a must.  I don't get flavored brickettes because I don't trust them to flavor the meat, but I do soak wood chips (mesquite and hickory mostly) and get a little smoke action on occassion.

I think if done properly Charcoal will cook more evenly than Gas, doesn't inject that Natural Gas taste into it and the smoke infuses into the fatty portions of a Ribeye that makes it taste awesome.

The problem is...last summer my Dad bought one of those Smokers (the Cadillac of Bar B Que grills) it smokes, grills and all that...the first few things he did were simply awful (the dogs loved it though), but now after practice, a book and some tips from various "experts", he is able to cook stuff better than all but one of my favorite Steak Joints.   I've decided that I'll probably need to have a smoker some time soon.

As far as the side burners on the gas ones....I've never cooked anything on the one that was on my gas grill, it just seemed pointless to cook something on them when the range in the kitchen works just fine....

Chicken Breasts are done best if cooked while frozen for sure.  But why eat Chicken when there is red meat....

[Famine]

Now see, I used that side burner. We used to have one with 2 burners, and on the other side, a tray. Durring parties, when we cooked, it's nice to be out with the company, vs inside running back out every 10 minutes. Our current one doesnt use it, which is just as well, I suppose. It does come in handy of you boild your conr on the cob, vs grilling it, or want to do some onions and peppers, or kraut for your dogs.

Kevin

[Ben]

I usually thaw the steaks, and let them sit in teriyaki for a few hours. Then I put them on the grill and just let it do its job. About 20-25 minutes and they're good.

Woah, that's some really cooked steak.  Like it well well done, Ben?

No, it takes that long because my grill sucks. I usually shoot for medium well.

[Ben]

I've got a ****** little gas-powered hibachi. I don't have much balcony space here at this building. (I miss my old apartment, but I couldn't afford the $600/month rent. It had a party deck from my room.)

I usually thaw the steaks, and let them sit in teriyaki for a few hours. Then I put them on the grill and just let it do its job. About 20-25 minutes and they're good.

Please tell me you dont actually cook ON the balcony?

God, at least 3 houses around here in the past year have burned down because of people doing that, and having a stray spark or coal go somewhere and burn down the whole damn building.

Kevin

I used to cook on the balcony. But I really didn't like the fact that the grill took up so much space on it, so now I cook outside the garage. It's well enough away that I really don't think I'd risk burning that down.

[Paul]

Now see, I used that side burner. We used to have one with 2 burners, and on the other side, a tray. Durring parties, when we cooked, it's nice to be out with the company, vs inside running back out every 10 minutes. Our current one doesnt use it, which is just as well, I suppose. It does come in handy of you boild your conr on the cob, vs grilling it, or want to do some onions and peppers, or kraut for your dogs.

Kevin

I like the concept of the side burner, but usually when I grill steaks we have baked potato and salad and bread, so I just never had much use for one.  I could see it really coming in handy for Corn or other stuff.  And now that I have gone to Charcoal the option is not in my price-range.  But all this talk has confirmed that I am grilling out tonight...I'll have to watch Hockey on Tape...or Premier League Soccer since we don't have Live Hockey and Football season is over.

Speaking of, of the Grillers here, has anybody ever done the "Tailgate" thing before a pro or college game?  Now that I have gone to Charcoal, I've wanted to try it (I never done the tailgate thing, but the concept appeals to me, just not the hassle of driving up to the stadium EARLY to cook and eat)

[Famine]

Anyone try and do the Pizza on the grill deal? I cant bring myself to trust that type of deal. Pizza dough itself is droopy, and if I were to put it on bars...doesnt seem right to me.


Anyone?

Kevin

[Infamy Of Crete]

I perform sacrolige everytime I grill here in Texas. I use a WEBER Genesis With side burner 45,000 BTU of grilling pleasure. Of course my redneck friends all use smokers and they call me a Faux griller. 

[Jedi Idej]

I've only used charcoal yet can see the advantages of propane.

I really miss grilling. It's been so long ago I nearly burned down the campsite, but some people just refuse to forget. 

[Famine]

I just had bit of a scare with my grill. I almost lost a face. I was shoveling my driveway, and I got near my grill which I forgot to pull into the garage, because I was out late. I turned the gas on, turned the knobs to let it (the gas) into the grill, hit the sparker, and she lit, no problem. I decided to let it run a bit, so I could switch over to a new tank, and then I hear this burning, and I look inside and POW! the metal plate over the flames cracked and broke and flames shot up at me. It wasnt a pleasing experience. I now need to order a replacement for it. Yikes.

Kevin

[Famine]

So I decided to try and cook on the Grill tuesday night. One of my ribs and a hamburger burst into flame, and I had to move everything over to the right side of the grill on med/hi heat, and keep the other side on low for even cooking. It's time for replacement parts.

Kevin