Jethro's World

OK, one last grilling post... for a day or two, anyway. :-)

I have always been a firm believer that with things like cooking, photography, golf, etc.; the talent and skill of the individual using the tools or equipment is more important than the actual equipment used. A great chef can make a gourmet meal on $10 fry pans, a talented photographer can take memorable photos with a basic point-and-shoot camera, and good golfers can make great shots with cheapo clubs. With that being said, having a better tool for a particular job can provide for that extra bit of control that helps make the desired outcome so much easier. Such is the case with my new grill.

Monday night we grilled Japanese Chicken Thighs with Rice and Grilled Veggies (from the latest Cooking for the Rushed cookbook). I soaked two handfuls of hickory wood chips, and then placed them in tuna cans on top of the 'Flavorizer Bars'. Then I followed Weber's instructions for cooking chicken thighs... I heated the grill up very hot (up to over 500 degrees), and then turned all three burners down to medium. Then I placed the thighs on the grill and closed the lid. Halfway through the cooking time, I flipped them... and was amazed by the perfect grill marks... then I just let them finish.

I think it may have been a combination of the marinade and the hickory smoke, but whatever it was; it made for some absolutely delicious chicken -- it tasted just like it had been cooked on a Traeger. It was so good, in fact, that I have been 'filleting' the leftovers and using them on sandwiches... yummy. Oh yeah, and I also had some red peppers, zucchini, and red onion going in a grill basket, and they also turned out perfect.

Then last night, it was time to try my hand at hamburgers. My old grill used to make a mess of hamburgers because it would flame up so much... in which case the 'Charbroil' name was most appropriate. I followed the same preparation and grilling procedures as with the chicken, flipping the burgers halfway through the cooking time. Once again, I was delighted to see some gorgeous grill marks -- and to see a lack of charring. In fact, when I flipped the burgers, the juice dripping off them barely made the burners flame up at all -- just momentarily.

The end result? Thick, juicy, uncharred, perfectly grilled, delicious hamburgers -- and it even did a fantastic job of toasting the buns, too. I had that old Charbroil for ten years and was never able to get results like this -- and I still don't know all the little idiosyncrasies of this grill! I'm most definitely looking forward to the coming grilling season...

Now, if we can just get some decent weather so I can wheel this thing around to the back yard...