Behad, Heypee and all other grilling experts out there. When is a good time to put on the meat? I mean after you light the charcoal (gas is for wimps!), should I wait till the coals are grey and fire itself has died down? Or do you put on the meat when the fire is still burning? Do you cover the grill or do you leave it open while cooking?
I know. I was following up your "no gas" preference with a Hank Hill classic. Seriously, I always wait till the fire goes down and the coals are completely grayed over. I also cook with the lid down. Also, not sure if your grille will do it, but you might look into using mesquite wood instead of coals. Gives a great flavor to the meat. Depending on the meat you are cooking, I would avoid flipping the meat more than once. Make sure one side is done before you flipt it. Listen to Behad and HP over my advice though. I have only been grilling for 3 years or so. They know alot more than I do.
I have that round Weber grill everyone else has. I also love cooking when the fire is almost going out. Gives it that great smoky flavor. But then again I dont want smoke flavored shrimp or burgers.
Shrimp doesnt stay on long. Cooks really fast. I have a great marinade for shrimp that I use. If you are interested Ill grab my recipe box and post it. Its a combination of werstcher (sp.) sauce and honey mustard. I soak them in it overnight and then put them on a skew and cook them about a min per side. Best shrimp I have ever had.
Here is the best damn burger you can hope to make: 1 lb ground chuck 1 large egg 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce 1 Greenpepper chopped into small pieces 1 Garlic chopped into small small pieces Mix all ingredients and refrigerated for an hour Then grill that sucker and garnish with tomatoes, sauteed onions, pickles, and lettuce. Warm up the buns on the grill and then spread some Spicy Garlic or Hot sauce from BW3's. Dont forget some cheddar cheese. Damn just thinkin about it makes my mouth water.
If possible I would also try to get some sourdough buns. The ones like at Jack in the Box. Know where to get some?
Sorry, been watching a training film here at work. It depends on what you are cooking. A cut of meat that takes a long time to cook (briskets, ribs, pork loin) doesn't really matter when you put it on the fire, because it'll be there for hours and hours. But for grilling steaks or chicken or shrimp, I wait till my fire is about half to 2/3 gray, then I add my wood chips (pecan, pecan, and only pecan wood). By adding the meat at this time you get a good initial smoking from the PECAN wood, without over doing it. It is possible to oversmoke meat, so don't add any more PECAN wood after you start, except for cuts of meat that take a long time (see above). Then, you can add more PECAN wood near the middle and end to add to the smoky flavor. Just don't overdo it. Oh, did I mention you should use pecan wood?
I have no idea where to get them. I usually use the regular hamburger buns.That would make the burger even better though.
Cool. Thanks for the tips. Do wood chips really make the meat taste better? I'm an amateur and have never used any wood chips myself. I only make burgers, hot dogs, chicken, shrimp and steaks. Nothing like briskets or ribs. So I should always wait till the fire is 2/3 gray? And what the heck is 2/3 gray. Is that when the flames have died and you can only see the grey coals? I usually pile the charcoal in the center and pour on a boat load of charcoal starter. Then I wait about 10 minutes and get that sucker started. Then maybe wait another 30 minutes before I put on the meat.
Yeah I'm trying to make the best freakin burger this weekend. I love my burgers and so do my friends. But my brother says that they suck. So I want to show his ass!
To me, 2/3 gray is that 2/3's of the charcoal has grayed, and 1/3 is not. Usually, there is still flames going. That way, when you put the chips on the flames, wait a few minutes, then put the lid on, the flames go out and a bunch of smoke arises. This is the initial smoking. Smoking meat is different than grilling. Hot dogs, hamburgers, shrimps and such don't really benefit from smoking because they just aren't on the fire long enough. Steaks and chicken, however, are enhanced by a good PECAN wood smoke.
