how is your summer grilling season coming along?

[Darth-Baiter]

mine is lack luster.  why?  we had four years straight with wildfires.  I feel so guilty lighting up my charcoal grill.  we all have trauma issues.  when we smell smoke, we all go into the back yard to sniff and note wind direction..then we as a neighborhood go on the internet to see if there is a fire.  haha.  I 

 

I am getting better, but I have the nose for smoke like a beagle.    I have not charcoal grilled as much as I have in the past.   I have chicken wings marinating and will charcoal grill them tonight. I'll tell my neighbors.  

 

I have a propane grill as well, and yea it works fine.  I do use it, but my first love is my Weber Kettle.   Fall is coming on fast. 

[gim]

I use my grill about twice/week in the summer months.  Its a propane Weber Spirit series.

 

I will say that WHAT I've been grilling is a little different than usual though because the cost of certain cuts of meat is too expensive.  More hot dogs and bratwursts than burgers and steaks this season.  Just last night I made some kabobs with chicken, sirloin, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and mushrooms on them.

 

I do agree that charcoal improves the taste, but I don't have time to dink around with charcoal, lighter fluid, and inconsistent heat anymore.  My time is more valuable than that.

[Deleted account]

Pretty good, the hotter it is the less we cook indoors, and it's been hot here.

[Darth-Baiter]

I hate charcoal lighter fluid.

 

the chimney starter is a game changer.  same time spent as with my propane grill.

 

20 minutes to heat up propane grill, 20 minutes to get briquettes lit up and ashy, and dump it.

2 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Pretty good, the hotter it is the less we cook indoors, and it's been hot here.

yup.  no house AC.  I do summer cooking outdoors.

[Jig Man]

I’ve been experimenting with grilling salmon and cod on cedar planks.  I have been pretty happy with the results.  I’ve also done some ahi tuna which has turned out great.

 

I use propane. I’m too impatient for charcoal.   I don’t want to wait for a fire to get going or have to deal with live coals after the food is done.

[Bird]

Only own charcoal grills and grill often, infact year around.

I take a deer every year and butcher a cow every other year so always a surplus of meat to grill.

A little secret at the end, take your meat off direct heat and throw a little apple wood on the coals....... fantastic.

[Darth-Baiter]

3 hours ago, Jig Man said:

I’ve been experimenting with grilling salmon and cod on cedar planks.  I have been pretty happy with the results.  I’ve also done some ahi tuna which has turned out great.

 

I use propane. I’m too impatient for charcoal.   I don’t want to wait for a fire to get going or have to deal with live coals after the food is done.

I want to do a meatloaf on a cedar plank in my Weber.  I think it would work beautifully.

[padlin]

I grill year round, mostly on the gasser right now but when I want to spend the time I go for the flavor of the Weber Kettle. Unfortunate with the heat this summer I've been opting for the gasser as it's right at the back door, compared to the smoker and the charcoal which is across the yard , meaning I'm out in the heat less. Still, we grill almost evey night.

 

Also have found good pork cuts hard to come by. I try to get fresh but this year previously frozen seems to be the norm. Yesterday there wasn't a single rack of ribs or butt in the store. Steaks and such are just too dang expensive for me to pull the trigger on. We don't eat steak but a couple times a year, when I do get it I go for Prime NY strips, $25 a lb last I looked.

5 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I want to do a meatloaf on a cedar plank in my Weber.  I think it would work beautifully.

 

Might go indirect after charring the plank. Meatloaf takes a while, won't be much left to the plank if you cook it direct.

[DitchPanda]

 I grill alot during fair weather month's... Sometimes every single night. This summer I've done the normal stuff chicken thighs, burgers, chops and steaks which are always great. My grill is a Phoenix propane grill...it has a heat shield over the entire burner chamber so it makes searing a little tricky but I prevents flare ups. I've had it 3 or 4 years I think I've had 1 fire...I cook bacon and like I said fatty burgers and chicken thighs all 3 are notorious fire starters and it handles them like a champ.

 By far the most satisfying thing I've cooked is a fajita rub marinated pork loin. Cooked it to 137 and pulled it ...rested and it got to 145...was perfectly cooked and juicy as could be. Sliced it thin and piled it into some grilled corn tortillas and topped it with homemade Pico de gallo. It was so good I ate it for 3 or 4 days at worknfor lunch.

 My other outdoor cooking apparatus is a small dorm fridge style electric smoker...master built I believe. The past several years I've worked on perfecting pulled pork and I've got it right where I want it. This year I've stepped up my baby back game and the last 2 racks I made were outstanding. Oh yeah and I made smoked Texas style ranch beans and they were outstanding.

[slonezp]

I grill almost daily year round

[roadwarrior]

Not daily, but two or three times a week.

[Way north bass guy]

Definitely a couple times a week here, and year round. I have no issues at all going out in the deck in the winter to grill, and often have to shovel a path through 2’ of snow to get there. No big deal, especially for some good steaks or burgers. 

[GTN-NY]

How do you grillers feel about griddles?

I have a grill but I can’t stand the flare ups so I bought a blackstone griddle. So far I like it but it takes a little getting used to

[TnRiver46]

My wife does almost all the grilling. I’m in charge of eating it all, sometimes a daunting challenge but I’m always up for it. She cooked chicken breast and zucchini on there last night 

[12poundbass]

We’re doing burger and bats. There was one night we splurged and did T-bones to the tune of $57. They turned out great on the pellet grill! We’ll wait for another time to do it again. 

[padlin]

9 hours ago, GTN-NY said:

How do you grillers feel about griddles?

I have a grill but I can’t stand the flare ups so I bought a blackstone griddle. So far I like it but it takes a little getting used to

I don't see much difference when comparing a griddle to a gas grill as gas doesn't impart any flavor, unlike wood or charcoal. I have a cast iron griddle I put on the gas grill as often as not, puts on a better sear and is nice for items that fall apart like fish. In my opinion it's not really grilling, it's frying outside, but it works.

 

I get flare ups on the charcoal kettle but not on the Weber gas grill so that's not my reason to use the griddle. I hear from folks that have Blackstones, they all like them.

[Tennessee Boy]

I cook on a Blackstone griddle a couple of times a week.  When I want to get serious I fire up the Weber Charcoal Kettle.  The best purchase I made this year was replacing the grate on the Weber with a cast iron one.  It holds heat much better and practically cleans itself.

[Deephaven]

I grill 1-2x per week year round. I have a lynx gas grill, but haven't used it in more than 2 years.  Charcoal heats up faster and is more consistent.  90% of my cooks is on a smoky Joe Jr.  It can be to 225f in 15 min and hold it for 12 hours or be at 700f in 20-25.  I use a half of a paper towel soaked in some really cheap olive oil as a starter.  Of course the other reason is taste.  Something about natural lump that makes everything taste way better.

[TnRiver46]

32 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

I grill 1-2x per week year round. I have a lynx gas grill, but haven't used it in more than 2 years.  Charcoal heats up faster and is more consistent.  90% of my cooks is on a smoky Joe Jr.  It can be to 225f in 15 min and hold it for 12 hours or be at 700f in 20-25.  I use a half of a paper towel soaked in some really cheap olive oil as a starter.  Of course the other reason is taste.  Something about natural lump that makes everything taste way better.

I have two of those smoky joe jr grills, you are right! Pretty sweet little grills! 

[LonnieP]

I grill year round. I have a Weber gas grill, Blackstone griddle and a WSM for smoking. 

[Spankey]

I grill year around. Prefer the smoker-griller but the gas grill is great and is convenient at times. I’m a yank up here in the north and purposely will grill on the coldest days of the year. We can see 13-17 deg. at times. 
 

Have you guys noticed (May just be my imagination) that the colder it is outside the better your grill performed. Grilling in the dead of winter is uplifting for me and it keeps my neighbors on the fence as to whether or not I’m crazy. I hope they think I’m crazy. 
 

Hope to get some bluegill or crappies of size next weekend. Will take the grand sons out again. Had them out on Tuesday and they had gotten some nice size one. Maybe the hottest day of the year and I didn’t feel like dealing with them. 
 

Will probably be chicken tonight. 

[padlin]

I've noticed it takes longer to cook in the winter. Every change of seasons, as in winter to summer or vise versa, takes a couple cooks to get it right again, no matter which grill I use. I do move the gas grill up on the deck, and the kettle to just off the deck for the winter. The closer the better when it's 10 out.

[Big Rick]

14 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

We’re doing burger and bats.

Don't you know COVID came from a bat sandwich??? Don't be eating bats!

[roadwarrior]

Well, in the South most people consider a gas grill an outdoor oven.

I grill and smoke with charcoal, white oak and hickory.  

 

[PourMyOwn]

5 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I have two of those smoky joe jr grills, you are right! Pretty sweet little grills! 

And they are a great place to put the charcoal chimney when you're lighting coal for the large kettle.

 

To the OP, pretty good so far this year. I've smoked a couple of top rounds into roast beef, my usual chicken things, pulled pork, a chuck roast on 3, and these ribs.