Some traditions you just don’t mess with. For many people, Memorial Day weekend launches the barbecue season, and without plenty of friends, food and the trusty barbecue grill, summer just wouldn’t be summer. Weekend warriors and back-yard gourmets need the right equipment and knowledge to use it. Those in the market for a new grill can spend less than $100 on a basic charcoal-burning model or thousands of dollars on equipment that’s state-of-the-art. Here’s a guide to basic and exotic grilling gear and some advice from experts.
Your choice of grill may be based on size, features and how much you care to spend, but the most basic question you’ll have to answer concerns the fuel you intend to use.
A burning question
The most popular options include charcoal and natural gas. Arguments abound: Gas cooks condemn the “chemicals” in charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid. Others insist on hardwood lump charcoal, which burns hotter and faster. Another camp avoids gas or charcoal, preferring instead a wood fire that burns down to embers.
“I’m not a fan of charcoal for taste,” said Koren Grieveson, sous chef at Chicago’s Blackbird restaurant. “I don’t care for food prepared that way. I’d recommend using wood if you can, since it gives food that smoky flavor.”
“Charcoal briquettes have too many binders, fillers, sand and tars,” said Pat O’Donnell, owner of Hearth and Home retail store in Mt. Prospect. “Hardwood charcoal is what restaurants typically use, and it’s 100 percent natural. We sell 20-pound bags of it for less than $10.”
Using gas saves money. On average each time you grill, it costs about $1 using a charcoal grill versus 65 cents for gas, according to Consumer Reports magazine tests. The charcoal costs include lighter fluid.
Grill choices
Gas grills also offer convenience: They heat up and cool down quickly, allowing working parents to still enjoy cooking outdoors on weeknights. Although they’ve grown steadily in popularity, gas grills did not outsell their charcoal counterparts until just two years ago.
A Consumer Reports’ article on grills last summer looked at medium-priced gas models only. Its five top-rated models were Weber’s Genesis 1000 ($480); Weber’s Spirit ($360); Ducane’s 1504HLPE ($570); Sunbeam’s Grillmaster HG850C ($450); and Kenmore’s model 15875 ($350).
Charcoal grills are for folks with time on their hands. The basic 22 1/2-inch Weber Bar-B-Kettle grill is “a staple,” O’Donnell said, adding you can buy one at a discount store for about $80.
“But there are products which are less mass-marketed like Hasty Bake and Cajun that are worth checking out,” O’Donnell said, though they may be pricier. Hasty Bake Charcoal Ovens cost from $600 to $2,300, and a Cajun Heavy Duty Cooker ranges from $500 to $2,000.
For charcoal models, look for grills large enough to feed your own regular crew plus guests from time to time, and consider whether portable cooking is important. You may wish to camp, fish or vacation with your grill. Weber’s Smokey Joe (about $30) is a nice backup to your regular grill.
O’Donnell said it’s not uncommon for customers to buy two grills to meet their cooking needs.
“Many people actually buy an infrared grill as their main cooking equipment and also a charcoal model for the weekends and their leisure time,” he said. “It’s nice to have a slow-cooking charcoal grill for making something like a brisket.”
Some modern grills, such as the charcoal-burning Weber Performer (about $400, with an easy-to-use Touch-N-Go gas ignition system), offer the best of both worlds.
“At home, I use a charcoal Weber grill with a gas ignition system, and burn mesquite charcoal that’s completely organic,” said Joe Decker, head chef at Wildfire in Chicago and Oak Brook. “The briquettes burn inside baskets I can position any way I want, whether under the food or toward the side for indirect cooking.”
Taking your temperature
Regardless of your fuel preference, Chicago-area chefs agree that when it comes to grilling, heat is what it’s all about.
“I think any grill can work, as long as you can get enough heat,” said Gary Gueits, general manager of Chicago’s Capital Grille.
“We use an all-wood fire, with no gas at all,” Grieveson said. “We actually feed the fire all through the night. We have the luxury of having a grill with a part that’s hot, another moderately hot, and a third that’s cooler. We cook tons of steaks and everything comes out perfect.”
O’Donnell believes greater heat equals greater flavor. “Your choice of grill depends on what people wanta grill that makes food taste good or one that merely cooks food,” O’Donnell said. “High heat creates spectacular flavor.”
Restaurant grills often reach 900 degrees. “Our grills are specially made. It would be very hard to duplicate the kind of heat our grill produces at home,” said Glenn Keefer, vice president of the Midwest region for Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurants. “But I use a gas grill at home. The key to a grill is how fast the heat recovers after you’ve opened it up.”
“The best home grill we’ve found,” retailer O’Donnell said, “is a brand known as a TEC gas grill made by the Thermal Engineering Co. with an infrared main burner that reaches 900 degrees.
“At that temperature, you’re instantly sealing the pores in the meat and holding in the moisture. The food doesn’t dry out, and even something more delicate like a chicken breast just comes out fabulous.” TEC grills range from $1,300 to $3,500.
Betty Hughes, director of consumer affairs for Weber-Stephens Products Co., disputes the need for smelter-temperature grills. “Most back-yard cooks can’t handle 900 degrees of heat,” Hughes said. “You need 600 degrees for broiling and 350 degrees for roasting, and most good gas grills will give you that.”
Look for features
Hughes said that regardless of the type of grill, it needs a cover for the cook to exploit all the advantages of grilling.
“You need direct and indirect cooking, and you can’t do that unless your grill has a lid,” Hughes said. “Open grills can’t cook with reflected heat, which is one of the advantages of cooking outside. With lids you can create the same conditions as a convection oven and not heat up your house in the summer.”
Hughes also recommends choosing grills “with as much basic cooking space as possible. A lot of warming racks and so forth get in the way for people who cook for a family or want to make a variety of things,” she said.
Gas grills typically offer more features than their charcoal counterparts. Smokers, side burners for sauteing and stir-frying, warming shelves, multiple cooking racks and more are available on many of today’s models. Consumers have to decide whether such bells and whistles will help the kind of cooking they do.
“Grills and features are a matter of individual taste. Some people like these side burners and like to be more creative, but to each his own,” said Gueits.
The Consumer Reports article suggested buyers look for gas models with three separate burners for more control in cooking, wide grilling bars that are closely spaced, and a good heat distribution system (metal bars, ceramic briquettes) to vaporize drippings.
Keefer of Ruth’s Chris Steak House suggests buying ceramic grates, which he believes retain heat better and help keep foods from sticking.
For charcoal grills, O’Donnell suggests a few key features worth having: Grills should be solid with a heavy casting and include cast-iron or stainless-steel grates, and the grates should be adjustable.
“You want an adjustable cooking surface you can raise and lower. And look for one with a flip top that allows you to see inside without lifting the lid,” O’Donnell said. “You lower the temperature when you open the lid, and while the grill heats up again, you’re dehydrating the food.”
Look for sturdy construction, not only on lids and handles, but also legs and wheels that support the grill. For charcoal models, check if they have a holder for the lid and opening grates at the bottom for removing ashes.
Some assembly required
Gas grills typically come unassembled and require a minimum of an hour to build. If you’re mechanically challenged, expect to spend even more time.
“Pick a grill from a quality manufacturer who will be there for you if you have problems,” Hughes said. “If you’re not very mechanical or afraid your grill won’t be set up right, having the retailer who sold it to you do the assembly is money well spent.”
Some stores offer grill assembly for an additional $25 to $50and may deliver it as well.
THE $10,000 GRILL
If you’re one of those folks looking for the best of everything, consider the $10,000 grill.
For that price, Dynamic Cooking Systems’ top-of-the-line gas model provides 43-by-19 inches of cooking space, stainless-steel construction, and burners that can create cooking temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees.
“The company started about seven years ago making high-end, restaurant-quality indoor stoves,” said Steve Greenwald, who handles public relations and marketing for the company. “Dynamic took some of their ideas and got into the outdoor grill business two years ago. The plant has been running double shifts for some time just to keep up with the demand.” The grills are available by special order at Williams-Sonoma stores.
Dynamic Cooking Systems grills come with ceramic bases for better heat reflection, iron grates that are channeled to help drain away fat, and a stainless-steel smoker tray with heating element. Side burners are optional.
Prices are $2,300 to $8,950. The higher-priced model comes with the features above, plus a heat circulating fan infrared rotisserie that Greenwald says can accommodate a 60-pound bird or roast, all on a stainless-steel cart.
Then, for those with plenty of room on the patio, an island can be created by adding extra working space on either side of the grill, bringing the price to a lofty $10,000.
GRILLING TIPS
To get the most out of grilling, follow these tips.
Chef Joe Decker of Wildfire suggests three pre-grilling steps:
Thoroughly clean the grate.Oil the grate before heating it.Allow grill to reach the temperature your recipe calls for before starting to cook.
Once you’ve completed your pre-grilling routine, you’re ready to cook.
Koren Grieveson, sous chef at Chicago’s Blackbird restaurant, says to season food completely before it hits the grill “because you’ll lose some seasoning, either because it will burn or drip off as the juices begin to run.”
And, she adds, “be sure to oil all meats and fish before grilling to prevent sticking to the grates.”
For charcoal grilling, Gary Gueits, general manager of Chicago’s Capital Grille, says to avoid using too much starting fluid in an effort to ignite coals more quickly. He also avoids the instant-lighting briquettes.
“People often use them when they’re in a rush. But starter fuels affect taste.”
Other tips:
Apply sweet sauces near the end of cooking to avoid burning.
Turn meats with tongs, not forks, to avoid loss of juices-which also can cause flare-ups.
Grease fires from sausages and burgers can be controlled by using the indirect method of cooking or, as Grieveson suggests, a water bath. Place a tin-foil pan of water beneath the grilling surface.
Fish is often too delicate to turn without breaking apart. “Put the fish on (the grill) just long enough to get grill marks and that grill taste on both sides, and then finish it by putting foil over the grates and then the fish on the foil,” Grieveson said.
GRILLING A GREAT STEAK
When it comes to steaks, most back-yard cooks try to re-create the experience from their favorite restaurant. But if your steak isn’t top-notch to start with, you can’t improve it on the grill.
“You can have a grill with plenty of heat, but you also need a great cut of meat,” says Glenn Keefer of Ruth’s Chris Steak House. “People go to the store and buy the leanest cut of meat they can find. It looks fresh, has great color, and later, it tastes like iron.”
Keefer offers this recipe for success:
– Buy prime grade beef with plenty of marbling (slight layers of fat within the meat) from a good butcher shop. Aged prime, if you can find it, is even better. Marbling means the meat will remain moist and tender as you cook it.
– If you buy frozen prime beef, defrost it or “break it down,” as Keefer says, for two or three days in the refrigerator. Never defrost using the microwave or warm water.
– Turn steaks as little as possible and use only tongs.
– Cook to desired doneness. Check with an instant-read thermometer for the following temperatures:
Medium-rare: 145 degrees
Medium: 160 degrees
Well-done: 170 degrees
– Cover steaks and let rest a few minutes before serving to allow them to achieve an even level of doneness.
GRILLED PORTERHOUSE WITH ARUGULA
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: About 14 minutes
Standing time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Chef Joe Decker of Wildfire says he frequently experiments with grilled dishes at home and at the restaurant. Here’s his recipe for home-grilled steak.
1 porterhouse steak, about 2 pounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 black peppercorns, crushed, see note
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt
1 bunch (3 ounces) arugula
Lemon wedges
1. Prepare grill for direct cooking. Rub steak on both sides with garlic and olive oil. Season with pepper, rosemary and salt to taste.
2. Grill steak to desired doneness, 7-8 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove from heat; cover and let rest.
3. Carve steak against grain. Place on bed of arugula and squeeze lemon wedges over entire dish.
Note: To crush pepper, place whole peppercorns on a paper towel on cutting board and crush them with a heavy pan. Don’t grind into powder.
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories …………. 390 Fat ………… 22 g Saturated fat .. 7 g
% calories from fat .. 51 Cholesterol .. 115 mg Sodium …… 120 mg
Carbohydrates …… 1.8 g Protein …….. 44 g Fiber …….. 0.5 g
GRILLED PEANUT-GARLIC CHICKEN
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours or overnight
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Developed in the Tribune test kitchen.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
1 piece (1/2-inch) ginger root, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1/3 cup each: sake, creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons each: peanut oil, soy sauce
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
1 to 2 teaspoons raw or brown sugar
Freshly ground pepper, chopped cilantro
1. Place chicken breasts in food storage plastic bag or in non-reactive baking pan. Set aside.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients except cilantro in medium bowl; mix until smooth. Pour over chicken; seal bag or cover pan. Marinate in refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Prepare grill for indirect cooking. Remove chicken from marinade. Grill chicken on oiled rack, turning once, until tender and no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories ………… 285 Fat ……….. 17 g Saturated fat .. 3 g
% calories from fat .. 52 Cholesterol .. 60 mg Sodium …… 490 mg
Carbohydrates ….. 5.4 g Protein ……. 26 g Fiber ……. 0.9 g
