I use a smoker or charcoal more than gas grill these days but here are a few quick tips.
Indirect heat is your friend. Just like the chicken thighs, there are many things you want to sear and then cook on indirect heat. Even with charcoal, I position it so I can sear above coals and then move to the side. I just smoked tritip this weekend and seared it over charcoal at the end. Amazing.
With red meat, let it come to room temp before you cook and it will cook more evenly.
Zuchini is great grilled. Slice, coat in light olive oil and coarse salt.
My brother had an Instagram photo of whole crabs he had on his grill yesterday. He has a gas grill but I believe he did these on his charcoal type set up. They literally looked AMAZING. I could taste the hot crab and clarified butter just looking at the photo.
I love the salmon recipe that comes with the cedar planks. Basically you put a mix of ancho chili powder and brown sugar on the salmon filet. Char one side of the plank and then put the salmon on that side. Cook for 12 minutes or so with the lid on.
We like the flavor of real smoke and have a Weber grill.
My other favorite is the the eggplant recipe from the cover of * Plenty*. He uses half eggplants and cooks them in the oven. I do thick slices on the grill. (Usually 4 slices per eggplant.)
Chicken Thighs (boneless skinless) marinated in olive oil, balsamic, rosemary, and garlic (I just toss it all in a bag, and keep shaking)
Avocado halves basted with olive oil and sprinkled with pepper
Shitaki Mushrooms and Asparagus tossed (also in a bag) in olive oil, balsamic, Worcester Sauce (low sodium), and sprinkled with pepper (I use vegetable grilling grates which I spray with non-stick cooking spray.
I keep the vegetables, and any left over chicken and use them on salads for a day or two.
I use a charcoal grill, so I cannot help with specifics of gas grill timings and temperatures. I just take things off when they are done… I use a meat thermometer for meat.
Thanks for this tips, @doschicos and @Nrdsb4 . I actually do have a similar brush.
It is a relief to know I don’t have to take the grill racks off and wash them in the sink. Going to brave lighting the gas one of these days soon and rev it back up.
Does any one use an electric grill like the George Foreman? Our current temporary housing does not allow gas or charcoal grills, so we are going to buy an electric grill. I know it is not the same as gas, but my parents use one and the food comes out acceptable.
Until we can go back to our gas grill, anything wonderful for electric?
I’m loving using the gas grill! I know the food isn’t quite as good as with a charcoal grill, but it’s close.
Tonight I did the cedar plank salmon. They were perfect. I just used lemon, Lawry’s seasoning, and Trader Joe’s garlic blend. I think I’ll try different seasoning next time. @Mathmom’s recipe sounds interesting.
DH is very happy that I am enjoying my Mother’s Day present. His stomach is happy too.
@Nrdsb4 – it was very yummy. I love grilled vegetables and grilling in general, so I find that I eat a lot more vegetables and protein in the spring/ summer/ fall (… I now live in VA, so I can grill more than I could when I lived in NH, or upstate NY).
@snowball – I have a George Forman Grill, and I use it quite a bit in the winter to grill. When I lived in upstate NY used one end of fall, winter, and early spring. It is not the same as grilling on an outdoor grill, but I grill pretty much the same stuff the same way… I used a litte more olive oil to help with sticking, and because fats and oils drip off into the “drippings-catcher-thing” It is a little more annoying to clean, but not too bad. One of my favorite winter chicken recipes for the George Forman is chicken breast tenders marinated in lemon, olive oil, pepper and paprika. I cook them that way once or twice a week and will cut them up and toss them into mixed green salads, and along with fresh and grilled vegetables I grill on the George Forman.
@snowball There is a place for a George Forman and we use one but I wouldn’t really call it grilling. There are electric smokers. Do you have a balcony and would management allow that? It is using electricity as a heat source but it is heating wood chips for smoke.
A quick, easy cheat for cedar plank salomn is to coat with store bought teriyaki glaze. I reaaly like the combination of the cedar plank and the teriyaki.
Any seasoning will do for plankled salmon! I sprinkle some dried dill and Italian seasoning, put a few lemon slices on the top - and grill it on a pre-soaked plank (indirect heat).
You inspired me to make steaks for dinner tonight… Grilled asparagus and yellow squashes for the side dish. Yum.
This is one more reason I love CC: I discover new things here. Never heard of the Green Egg before opening up this thread. I learned about NYDJ here, and Instapot, CeVe creams…
Salmon filet with the skin on one side.
2 TB honey + 1 TB soy sauce [we use light] + red pepper flakes to your taste [we use 1/2 TSP for two].
Rub salmon on both sides with crushed garlic. Marinate with above about 15 minutes at room temperature.
Place salmon on oiled [critical!] grill with skin side up for maybe 5 minutes at medium high.
Flip salmon over and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes depending on taste.
Use spatula to scoop the salmon off the now-crispy/burnt skin [leave that behind to clean up later].
This is a “fish basket” recipe without the fish basket, and it produces tender, moist salon every time.
We eat it over pasta [linguine preferably, but anything works] with a capers/red onion/olive oil topping.
I ordered a product called “grill grates” and got them in the mail yesterday. They make beautiful sear marks on the meat, allegedly even out the heat on the grill, minimize flaming, and redistribute the juices as vapors back into the meat. I watched a bunch of product reviews of them on Youtube before I decided to purchase them, and they were universally praised. They get hotter than regular grates, so you have to account for that; the good thing is that you use less gas as a result of having to turn it down lower than you normally would. We cooked steaks on them last night and they were perfect. You can use them as replacement grates or just set them on top of your own. You can flip them upside down and use them as a griddle.
Do not forget that you can grill a pizza–even frozen on your grill. Just keep it low and steady.
We take a Whole Foods basic pizza and at the very end pile arugula on. Yes. Can pass the thick
balsamic on to drizzle as you eat.
ALSO! Tofu turns out crips and crunchy…do a good marinate first.
Tonight we had steaks that were seriously Sea salted and heavy on the cracked pepper.
H does green beans on the grill grates.
We had asparagus a few nights ago.
Last night we had tuna kabobs.
Do not forget you can take stale bread such as French–butter or oil it and grill it.
We rarely throw bread away.
A few years ago I only grilled for 9 months and did not turn my oven on.
I have never liked food prepared on gas grills. We have had our charcoal grill out more often this summer. I see they now have electric grills with really good reviews. If I can find a place to store it in the winter I may get one.
I agree that there’s nothing like a burger from a charcoal grill, but they tend to be more time consuming than gas grills. As a novice, I’m not ready to go there, but I get it.
Nowadays, however, there are all kinds of ways to get the smoky flavor into gas grilled food with boxes that go into the gas grill that you fill with wood chips, etc.
Do any of you have the newfangled pellet grill? I guess it’s new, but what would I know. Supposedly a great compromise between gas and charcoal.
BTW, grill grates can be placed onto charcoal grills as well. Really handy for higher fat meats that can cause flame ups.
