I’m Dreaming of a Genesis E-320 in Dark Blue
It’s a cold and dreary day, so it’s a good day to fantasize about grilling out on a warm summer night. Looking at this big Weber catalog I just got in the mail makes me feel a little like Ralphie on A Christmas Story.
“I want a Genesis E-320 gas grill in dark blue with electronic crossover ignition system, porcelain-enameled shroud with a center-mounted thermometer and accent-colored, cast-aluminum end caps and 507 square inches of primary cooking space!”
“You’ll burn the filet, kid!”
That’s what Santa would probably say to me, because I’m not much of a grillmaster myself. I usually leave the perfectly juicy chicken breasts and exactly medium-rare steaks to my excellent grillmaster husband. But there have lately been a few occasions when I’d like to fire up the old grill myself and cook up some meat. When my mother worked at Copper Mountain ski resort, she used to (wo)man the grill for banquets and picnics and could grill 100 steaks at one time. I know I mentioned that in my first column, but that never ceases to amaze me.
In order to improve my own grill skills, I’m going to take a class at Hotel Roanoke on April 29 called “Thrill of the Grill.” After that, I hope to have learned enough cool tricks and tasty recipes to share with my readers.
I probably still won’t be good enough to justify spending $699 on that Weber Genesis E-320, or any of Weber-Stephen Products’ other 23 new grills out this season. But we shall see.
As long as we’re talking about grilling, what is your favorite thing to cook on the grill? I like a nice marinated pork tenderloin, with maybe some potatoes and veggies cooked in an aluminum pouch. I’ll have to give you guys the recipe for that pouch someday soon. I’m waiting for an actual warm summer day for that.
March 29, 2007 - 11:06 AM
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MY GOD. You’re lusting over a $700 grill and it’s a Weber? For that kind of green you could get a Kamado!
JS
OK, John S. is right. I checked out Kamados and now I’m lusting over a blue tile mosaic Kamado instead. But I don’t quite think I could do that for $700, John. Maybe a simpler model.
This is my favorite sentence on the Kamado Web site:
“CAUTION: The gas and gas/charcoal combination can reach excessive temperatures. Since 95% of Kamado owners are serious “party” people……….don’t forget to monitor the temperature of your Kamado!”
You don’t need a fancy $700 grill to turn out great grilled anything. One of the best grills I have owned is a $17 propane tabletop grill that I added a wood smoker box to. The other is a $30 Brinkman smoker/grill that also does extremely well for either hot temperature grilling or lower temperature smoking. Either way, save the other $650 and get some good quality meats with it!
By the way, my favorites are a very simple oil/vinegar/salt bbq chicken, medium ribeyes or sirloins, smoked whole turkey, or smoked beef brisket. Sweet corn in the husk with a little butter on the grill is hard to beat too.
I think John H. is saying that having skill is more important than having a fancy grill. Boy, is he right about that! John, I also really like the good old-fashioned charcoal grill for some meats. It’s even better if you own one of those charcoal starters– they make it so much easier to get a nice pile of coals. It amazes me how few people own a charcoal starter. Thanks for writing!!
The charcoal starter is an absolute must I will agree. I use the natural hardwood coal (basically charred wood only) and I think it does far better a job than charcoal briquets. I have one and use it every time, because I do not like using lighter fluid and having that flavor get into the food, plus the wood helps to add a nice light smoked flavor. If I’m looking for extra smoke flavor, I’ll soak hickory or mesquite chips in hot water for about 10 minutes before I grill, and throw some of the soaked chips on top of the coals. They put out quite a bit of smoke, but don’t flame up like dry chips would, so the smoke lasts longer and the meat doesn’t get charred by direct flame either. I’m also not one of the people that grills in summer only…about the only time I won’t is if it’s too windy or pouring rain, otherwise I’ll fire up the grill just about any time of year!
Nothing like grilling in the snow, eh? Thanks for the wonderful grilling tips.