The Temptations of Spring

It’s just my imagination, running away with me….

I have a garage full of grills, but I am still searching for true love…

The new Weber One Touch Gold- 26″ Kettle.  Approx. $300

This classic is significantly bigger than the standard 22.5″.  Very tempting indeed.  It might not seem like it’s that much bigger, but i think the added 150 sq. inch would be put to good use. Here is the grate comparison.

A few more chicken quarters, brats or burgers.  Most importantly though would be more room to bank the coals and to create multiple grilling zones.

As previously reported, here is another new Weber product vying for my affection (and pocketbook!!)

The  22″ Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Approx. $350.00

You have to see this R2D2 clone to really appreciate it.  I could easily do 50-75 lbs of pork butt or brisket!!!  The question becomes, why would I want to BBQ 50-75lbs of anything. I love BBQ, but don’t think my family could eat that in a week.  Still, this is a black beauty with a lot of horsepower.  Sometimes it’s good to be irrational.  Just check out the access to the firebox!  Can you imagine feeding pecan and cherry chunks onto hot coals…and seeing the smoke pour out.  It would be low, slow and furious!    Vin Diesel…eat your heart out.

The third beauty- the Weber Ranch.  Approx. $1000

This makes me want to adopt 20 kids.  Hard to justify for a family of five, but for 25…heck yes.  Cooking surface galore.  Can you say roast suckling pigs!   20 cornish hens! two-dozen racks of ribs! Pure grilling insanity.  It’s just my imagination…

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhh ooohhhhhhhhh.
Each day through my window I watch out as she sits outside,
I say to myself you’re such a lucky guy,
To have a grill like her,
Is truly a dream come true,
Out of all the fellas in the world,
She belongs to me.

But it was just my imagination
Running away with me,
It was just my imagination
Running away with me.

1000 apologies to one of the greatest musical groups of all-time, The Temptations!

Build a Better Burger Practice. #1

Here’s the first test:

I was trying for meat loaf theme.  Testing out texture and grillability.

• 3# Ground Chuck
• 1# Ground Sirloin
• 1/2 C cracker crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2T Lawry’s Salt
• 2T Soy Sauce

(this made about 14 burgers!!  We do leftovers….)

Garnishes:

• Swiss cheese
• American Cheese
• Dill Pickles
• Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise
• Lettuce, Tomatoe
• Onion bun

Results/Comments

• Blah
• Need more flavor
• Looks weird (this was not an issue until I shared the recipe)
• Very soft…(the meatloaf influence)
• Add shredded cheese to the burger

Action Plan

• Scrap any meatloaf theme
• Focus on different condiments/cheeses
• Find a new testing panel

Smokey Mountain Monster

I was at Rylee’s Hardware in downtown Grand Rapids this week and stumbled upon the new 22.5″ Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker.  This is a beast!  Here are a few specs:
22.5 inch smoker dimensions
• Height: 48.5 inches
• Width: 23 inches
• Depth: 24 inches

22.5 inch cooking area = 726 square inches

Weber’s bullet smokers are very highly regarded by BBQ enthusiasts. These units are well made and several rungs up on the grill-evolution ladder of self enlightenment. The Virtual Bullet website offers terrific support for the  individuals using the Weber bullet smokers.  

This unit was selling for approximately $359.00 *(MSRP is $499.00)

If I told you once, I told you a thousand times;  with grills, you get what you pay for! There are an abundance of “cheap” smokers on the market but more times than not, they end up making the barbecue journey frustrating (poor temperature control, inadequate access to firebox and inferior construction) instead of a joy.

This would be a great investment for anyone interesting in adding “low and slow” to their skill set or looking to upgrade to a better BBQ experience.

With a little care, probably looking at 10-15 years of moderate to heavy use.

* Amazon had the unit selling for $369.00 but support your local Weber dealer unless is the price is WAY out of whack!

Build a Better Burger

Here is my 2009 BBBHAG (Big, Barbecue & Burger-  Hairy Audacious Goal (Pronounced BBBBeee-Hag)

Create the 2009 Build a Better Burger Champion Entree!

While many of my family and friends train for marathons and triathlons, I too, will enter a grueling, 12 week training period:

• Create new recipes
• Grill
• Eat
• Revise
• Repeat

Here is the synoposis of the rules.  More details can be found on their website, but the timeline is all I need.

You can enter either online OR by mail between April 1, 2009 and July 29, 2009. Tennessee residents may enter only by mail. Early and late entries will not be considered. Each recipe must be submitted by an individual, not by a couple or a team. There is no limit on the number of recipes you may submit.

Do you have what it takes?

I will keep you updated as my rigorous training progresses.