Using your outdoor grill
May 7th, 2007
I love using my grill, even though it is not a big, shiny block of stainless steel that is built into my deck and has a side burner, a mini-fridge, and a serving bar attached to it. In fact, my outdoor grill is several years old, was the smallest and cheapest model I could get, has been repaired by me several times, and looks a little like something most people would not let their food get near.
What is so great about my outdoor grill? First of all, it is outdoors. Secondly, it is a grill. Meat cooked over flames is my husband’s favorite meal. Cooking vegetables over flames is pretty popular at our house, too. (The peas keep falling through the grate, though!)
Seriously, though – a grill is wonderful for several reasons:
First, meat really does taste better when grilled over a fire. Some meats should be grilled slowly over low heat, others are better if you sear them quickly over a hot fire. Once you get used to it, you will know the difference and realize you can cook almost any meat on your grill.
Also, there are fewer dishes when you grill outdoors. No frying pans, roasting pans, etc. to scrub. After my grill has cooled down, I give it a quick scrub and scrape with a stiff grill brush. This usually happens right before I light it for the next meal.
In the summertime, you can use your grill and avoid heating up your kitchen and raising your electric (if you have air conditioning) bill. This is a big bonus if you live in the South.
When grilling, you have a better chance of passing this chore onto your husband. There is some masculine satisfaction that men get from grilling food. It does not have the feminine image that cooking indoors has. It’s acceptable and even fun for them to be in charge of the grill.
Of course, your meat is lower in fat when you grill it as compared to frying in a pan or cooking it in the oven. The fat drips down on the coals, completely irretrievable, instead of into the pan and being soaked back up by the food.
Here are some foods I often grill:
Thick sliced bologna
Ham steaks
Pork Tenderloin
Chicken breast, tenderloins, or even whole chicken
Boneless Turkey
Burgers – of course
Smoked sausage
Bratwurst
Hot dogs or Knockwurst
Skewers with onions, peppers, and mushrooms
Asparagus, carefully
pineapple
So, I guess what I’m saying here is – Fire up that grill!
Entry Filed under: Mixed bag, Philosophy, Supper, Table talk
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