Grilling Adventures

[JohnDB]

It's that time of year....
When a man's heart leans toward lighting a fire and making smoke and of course MEAT and veggies covered in carcinogens to provide smokey goodness.

Pork, chicken, and even beef with that mouth watering pink smoke ring and zesty marinades and caramelized glazes.....

Time to show off your skills....what have you placed on a BBQ altar lately?

AND

Let's see your grill in action. What do you like or not like about your grill?

 

[The Duke]

Not a damn thing. Next thing for me will probably be a shank ham. Boy, if you put a little smoke on a ham, not only does it add flavor, but it can make it last for months.

 

[Darkwind]

Just getting together with a few of the guys from the old country...

 

[JohnDB]

Not a damn thing. Next thing for me will probably be a shank ham. Boy, if you put a little smoke on a ham, not only does it add flavor, but it can make it last for months.

Which grill do you own?
A weber22? an OK Joe? Char? Or one of those BGEgg type grills?

 

[The Duke]

Which grill do you own?
A weber22? an OK Joe? Char? Or one of those BGEgg type grills?

None of those..it's a uh..New Braunsfeld. If I need to grill, I use the biggest cheap Weber.

I usually only smoke. I'll put smoke on stuff and then finish it off in the oven.

 

[JohnDB]

None of those..it's a uh..New Braunsfeld. If I need to grill, I use the biggest cheap Weber.

I usually only smoke. I'll put smoke on stuff and then finish it off in the oven.

Yeah....
CharGrill bought New Braunfeld....and copied the design....and just about killed the brand name. The metal is not as heavy Guage as it used to be and no sealing strips for the lid. Basically a really stripped down cheap copy of what you have.

If you ever have to replace it....you will want a Oklahoma Joe to add stuff onto to make it comparable. Just saying....

 

[The Duke]

Yeah....
CharGrill bought New Braunfeld....and copied the design....and just about killed the brand name. The metal is not as heavy Guage as it used to be and no sealing strips for the lid. Basically a really stripped down cheap copy of what you have.

If you ever have to replace it....you will want a Oklahoma Joe to add stuff onto to make it comparable. Just saying....

Hey! That's good stuff to know, thanks! My friend's been using this new big cast iron griddle thing, what are those called?

Blackstone. He likes it.

 

[TNHarley]

Hey! That's good stuff to know, thanks! My friend's been using this new big cast iron griddle thing, what are those called?

blackstone. And they are awesome.

 

[The Duke]

blackstone. And they are awesome.

I certainly haven't heard anything bad about 'em. Matter of fact I've used it once too, while he had his and wife's steaks and 3 other peoples' stuff on there at the same time. Plenty of room and it does a good job.

 

[TNHarley]

I certainly haven't heard anything bad about 'em. Matter of fact I've used it once too, while he had his and wife's steaks and 3 other peoples' stuff on there at the same time. Plenty of room and it does a good job.

It does.

 

[JohnDB]

Just as an FYI....
The steel in these griddles is A-10 and can be a variety of thicknesses. (⅛" or more) Usually cast iron is not used as the casting sand creates a heat resistant layer on the outside of the cast iron. And not a great smooth surface to cook on unless it's had significant grinding (like what most cast iron affectionados either have done or had done for them before the seasoning)

This A-10 steel is what most commercial griddles use except customarily it's in ¼"-½" thick so it retains its heat evenly especially when cold food is placed upon it. Also any edge is another separate piece of metal applied.

No doubt about it, the Blackstone product is a winner with most domestic use situations. (Most domestic situations do not call for feeding 30-60 people per hour for several hours consecutively)

The edge on a Blackstone is traditionally the cooking surface bent up to form a edge. Which is not the same as a commercial griddle which uses a piece of sheet metal attached to a lower frame. The biggest difference here is wind protection. On a windy day the heat is literally blown out from under the grill surface while cooling the griddle top. So....a wind screen/break of some sort is something that I highly recommend for windy days. If your yard is fenced with a board fence....no problem. Otherwise maybe the entrance to your garage will suffice or a sun/wind tent awning type deal might help you out with it.

 

[The Duke]

Just as an FYI....
The steel in these griddles is A-10 and can be a variety of thicknesses. (⅛" or more) Usually cast iron is not used as the casting sand creates a heat resistant layer on the outside of the cast iron. And not a great smooth surface to cook on unless it's had significant grinding (like what most cast iron affectionados either have done or had done for them before the seasoning)

This A-10 steel is what most commercial griddles use except customarily it's in ¼"-½" thick so it retains its heat evenly especially when cold food is placed upon it. Also any edge is another separate piece of metal applied.

No doubt about it, the Blackstone product is a winner with most domestic use situations. (Most domestic situations do not call for feeding 30-60 people per hour for several hours consecutively)

The edge on a Blackstone is traditionally the cooking surface bent up to form a edge. Which is not the same as a commercial griddle which uses a piece of sheet metal attached to a lower frame. The biggest difference here is wind protection. On a windy day the heat is literally blown out from under the grill surface while cooling the griddle top. So....a wind screen/break of some sort is something that I highly recommend for windy days. If your yard is fenced with a board fence....no problem. Otherwise maybe the entrance to your garage will suffice or a sun/wind tent awning type deal might help you out with it.

Damn dude! Do you sell grills and grill products and accessories? You seem to know a lot about 'em.

I wish I could say I'm smokin' a piglet tenderloin or 3 right now, but I ain't.

 

[JohnDB]

Damn dude! Do you sell grills and grill products and accessories? You seem to know a lot about 'em.

I wish I could say I'm smokin' a piglet tenderloin or 3 right now, but I ain't.

Nah,
Recovering professional Chef and former coffeshop bakery owner. I also am a trained commercial/industrial electrician.

I have hobbies....lol....I get focused on stuff and don't let go till I've got it mastered.

But I've been looking at a new home smoker grill....comparing products, prices, functions. I think I'm going to get a weber 22...one of the cheapest basic models and then trick it out to be my own. I've used a wide variety of various charcoal grills. Even huge ones that require a truck to pull around. (used 8 bags of charcoal to create a fire bed and then used firewood to get the fire hot enough to cook)

I once looked into getting one of these griddles for the bakery...(when I could have gotten a good deal on one) But I would have needed an exhaust hood with fire suppression system. Cost of the hood was $1,000/ft. Not to mention ongoing maintenance costs....too much $$$ for the bakery for one piece of equipment.

But I had to learn about the new griddles. And I've always enjoyed BBQ.

 

[The Duke]

Nah,
Recovering professional Chef and former coffeshop bakery owner. I also am a trained commercial/industrial electrician.

I have hobbies....lol....I get focused on stuff and don't let go till I've got it mastered.

But I've been looking at a new home smoker grill....comparing products, prices, functions. I think I'm going to get a weber 22...one of the cheapest basic models and then trick it out to be my own. I've used a wide variety of various charcoal grills. Even huge ones that require a truck to pull around. (used 8 bags of charcoal to create a fire bed and then used firewood to get the fire hot enough to cook)

I once looked into getting one of these griddles for the bakery...(when I could have gotten a good deal on one) But I would have needed an exhaust hood with fire suppression system. Cost of the hood was $1,000/ft. Not to mention ongoing maintenance costs....too much $$$ for the bakery for one piece of equipment.

But I had to learn about the new griddles. And I've always enjoyed BBQ.

You should meet Bubba, the guy with the cutting torch, ample 55 gal drums, and welder.

I guarantee he could fix ya right up!

 

[The Duke]

Nah,
Recovering professional Chef and former coffeshop bakery owner. I also am a trained commercial/industrial electrician.

I have hobbies....lol....I get focused on stuff and don't let go till I've got it mastered.

But I've been looking at a new home smoker grill....comparing products, prices, functions. I think I'm going to get a weber 22...one of the cheapest basic models and then trick it out to be my own. I've used a wide variety of various charcoal grills. Even huge ones that require a truck to pull around. (used 8 bags of charcoal to create a fire bed and then used firewood to get the fire hot enough to cook)

I once looked into getting one of these griddles for the bakery...(when I could have gotten a good deal on one) But I would have needed an exhaust hood with fire suppression system. Cost of the hood was $1,000/ft. Not to mention ongoing maintenance costs....too much $$$ for the bakery for one piece of equipment.

But I had to learn about the new griddles. And I've always enjoyed BBQ.

I do like my sideways smoker. O my, yeah, I got one of them upright things but, yeah, I should put that out by the curb.
It will never be used.
I understand sideways smokins, I don't that vertical stuff.
Water? Seriously? How is that like my Granpappy's smokehouse?
There wasn't any water or wood chips in my granpappy's smokehouse. There may have been a still though.

 

[JohnDB]

I do like my sideways smoker. O my, yeah, I got one of them upright things but, yeah, I should put that out by the curb.
It will never be used.
I understand sideways smokins, I don't that vertical stuff.
Water? Seriously? How is that like my Granpappy's smokehouse?
There wasn't any water or wood chips in my granpappy's smokehouse. There may have been a still though.

Now if you were near me....
I'd take that smoker and make it smoke.

I'd fill it with sausages I had made, ducks I cured, and of course all sorts of cured meats. Those things are the best for cured meats. They provide an excellent way to smoke cured meats like hams, chickens, seafood, turkeys, or even cheeses.
Beef Jerky like you had never had before....

Even home-made hot dogs. I ain't exactly shy when it comes to that sort of thing.

Sure, you can buy hot dogs....but the taste of one's you made yourself is over the top delicious. Not to mention that you know exactly what is in them. AND if you have a taste for the unique....those ginger-apple sausages are something you pay a real premium for in the grocery store in the gourmet section. A whole pork loin cured and smoked is also known as Canadian bacon....but I make my own unique cures and marinades. Also venison sausage, Jerky, and even salami.
sigh
It's great stuff when you have the right equipment.

 

[The Duke]

Now if you were near me....
I'd take that smoker and make it smoke.

I'd fill it with sausages I had made, ducks I cured, and of course all sorts of cured meats. Those things are the best for cured meats. They provide an excellent way to smoke cured meats like hams, chickens, seafood, turkeys, or even cheeses.
Beef Jerky like you had never had before....

Even home-made hot dogs. I ain't exactly shy when it comes to that sort of thing.

Sure, you can buy hot dogs....but the taste of one's you made yourself is over the top delicious. Not to mention that you know exactly what is in them. AND if you have a taste for the unique....those ginger-apple sausages are something you pay a real premium for in the grocery store in the gourmet section. A whole pork loin cured and smoked is also known as Canadian bacon....but I make my own unique cures and marinades. Also venison sausage, Jerky, and even salami.
sigh
It's great stuff when you have the right equipment.

Oooo..the last thing I smoked was 2 litle bitty piglet tenderloins.

Oh man, were they good! You could cut a hunk off and eat it like an apple.

I haven't seen any good pork sales in a long time.

I buy the sales, ya know?

 

[JohnDB]

Oooo..the last thing I smoked was 2 litle bitty piglet tenderloins.

Oh man, were they good! You could cut a hunk off and eat it like an apple.

I haven't seen any good pork sales in a long time.

I buy the sales, ya know?

Yeah....I get it. My wife is pestering me to grab butts even though they are $2/lb....I have a hard time with that. I usually grab them @$1.35 or less....because with the smoked hog jowls ($4-$6/lb and one pound added to 5lb of butt is usually about right) it starts getting really cheap to make kielbasa or breakfast sausages or whatever. (I have sausage stuffer and meat grinder)

But considering what a one pound pack of Jimmy Dean is running lately....maybe I should. I usually use the fresh sage growing on my deck in planters to spice things up. (Soooo much better than dried)

I found "Prague powder" and casings on Amazon for a good price years ago. I bought like a pound of the curing salt and its lasted me years. So a little of that, brown sugar and I'm good to go with curing almost any meat. (Brown sugar negates the carcinogens from the curing salts) the casings have never lasted me very long....I use them up often....at least they used to.
So I like curing and smoking meats and sausages....even meat snack sausages....kinda like Dean's or Old Wisconsin....but better spicy flavor and less greasy. I thought a little heat might make me eat them slower....nope....only sped things up.
I'd drape them over the top rack and let them almost hang to the bottom of that smoker. Try and get them as dehydrated as possible....then use a cold water rinse to make the casings stick better.

 

[The Duke]

Yeah....I get it. My wife is pestering me to grab butts even though they are $2/lb....I have a hard time with that. I usually grab them @$1.35 or less....because with the smoked hog jowls ($4-$6/lb and one pound added to 5lb of butt is usually about right) it starts getting really cheap to make kielbasa or breakfast sausages or whatever. (I have sausage stuffer and meat grinder)

But considering what a one pound pack of Jimmy Dean is running lately....maybe I should. I usually use the fresh sage growing on my deck in planters to spice things up. (Soooo much better than dried)

I found "Prague powder" and casings on Amazon for a good price years ago. I bought like a pound of the curing salt and its lasted me years. So a little of that, brown sugar and I'm good to go with curing almost any meat. (Brown sugar negates the carcinogens from the curing salts) the casings have never lasted me very long....I use them up often....at least they used to.
So I like curing and smoking meats and sausages....even meat snack sausages....kinda like Dean's or Old Wisconsin....but better spicy flavor and less greasy. I thought a little heat might make me eat them slower....nope....only sped things up.
I'd drape them over the top rack and let them almost hang to the bottom of that smoker. Try and get them as dehydrated as possible....then use a cold water rinse to make the casings stick better.

I'm cheap, lol!

Last thing I bought was uh..well besides the ground beef..Sirloin Tip Roast for $5.99 USDA choice.

It's not my favorite, but that's the price, and it eats.

I will say it's the leanest and juiciest cut. Some people might like that lean factor, not me.

I like some seared fat.

Since the Chinese took over Smithfield, pork prices have not been acceptable to me. Very rarely.

Lately they've been trying to sell shoulder picnics as Boston Butt. What's up with that?!

Not the Chinese, just all the stores. I guess Chinese are getting a lot of Boston Butt grown in America.

Oh! So the Sirloin Tip roast..

I put 1/2 hour of smoke on it, then let it cool, then broiled it Prime Rib style, it's a winning technique.

Not really any fat, but whatever. It was good! That was the tester, next I'll do a prime rib like that.

 

[JohnDB]

I'm cheap, lol!

Last thing I bought was uh..well besides the ground beef..Sirloin Tip Roast for $5.99 USDA choice.

It's not my favorite, but that's the price, and it eats.

I will say it's the leanest and juiciest cut. Some people might like that lean factor, not me.

I like some seared fat.

Since the Chinese took over Smithfield, pork prices have not been acceptable to me. Very rarely.

Lately they've been trying to sell shoulder picnics as Boston Butt. What's up with that?!

Not the Chinese, just all the stores. I guess Chinese are getting a lot of Boston Butt grown in America.

Pig feed prices and all meat prices are through the roof. Feed corn, rice, wheat, and oats are all almost double from pre-covid pricing. (Chocolate and coffee are there too)
Labor at the processing plants is also sky high. (What little they use) We are still feeling the fallout from the quarantines....will be for a few more years yet. Pork and poultry have dropped (by comparison) because they reproduce faster than cattle. Nothing is likely to be as cheap as it once was.
Beef prices aren't going to change for the better for a few more years yet. $5/lb for hamburger is gonna last for a minute or two. (Commodity trader during quarantines)

Argentina Beef is going to hit the market soon....it will be frozen and initially appear to be the same as USA beef....but the taste will let you know immediately its not the same. It's OK for kielbasa and etc....but steaks? Ummm....I'll pass. We are accustomed to grain fed beef....just saying.