Posted 6/26/2010 12:09:00 PM by Douglas

Here's a good list of pointers for an idiot that's never grilled a steak before. Suspiciously absent how to start a fire, where to put the cooked steak when it's done, and how not to cut off your thumb with a steak knife. The Myths:

1. A steak is a steak is a steak.
2. You should bring a steak to room temperature before grilling.
3. Salt toughens steak. Don't apply it before grilling.
4. A barbecue fork is the proper tool for turning a steak.
5. Turn the steaks often while grilling.
6. The best way to check a steak for doneness is to cut into it with a knife.
7. Steak tastes best sizzling hot off the grill.

I don't agree with some of these (don't like a "steak crust") but most are fairly obvious. This is where they lose me:

Finally, for flavor, sheen, and succulence, don't forget to drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil, melted butter, or beef fat over your perfectly grilled steak before serving. Think of it as the varnish on your masterpiece.

That's fucking disgusting. I like mine on the medium-well side, so the thought of slathering it in grease I find rather repulsive. But I guess if you're going to waste your time and money on a gas grill, you gotta add some flavor from somewhere.

Labels: charcoal

Posted 7/04/2007 04:28:00 PM by Douglas

Haven't we settled the whole "gas v. charcoal" debate?

At home, however, McMurrey is a purist who uses only charcoal and wood grills to cook for friends and family.

"I'm a businessman, so I sell mostly gas-grill accessories," said McMurrey, the owner of Sugar Land-based thebarbecuestore.com. "You can get close to an authentic flavor, but nothing compares to charcoal or wood."

As backyard cooks gather around barbecue pits and grills this Independence Day, many will no doubt debate the merits of charcoal versus gas. For barbecue aficionados, there is little room for compromise.

Well, duh. There's NO point in using gas. Stay inside and spare yourself the mosquito bites!

"If you have a gas grill, just throw it in the garbage and go buy yourself a smoker," said Billy Evans, the head butcher at Perry's Meat Market in Friendswood.

Exactly. I'm sick of those that say "gas grilling is so quick." Guess what's even quicker? The Outback has call-ahead seating, and you don't have to do the dishes. If you're gonna do it, do it right. And don't dump naptha on pressed sawdust.

Get some real charcoal. And you're gonna need one of these, too.

Labels: charcoal

Posted 5/04/2005 05:20:00 PM by Douglas

If anyone doesn't already know the answer to the age-old charcoal or gas question, don't bother reading this article. Chances are, you're too dumb to read, anyway. Here's the main idea:

Our grill expert said our choice came down to a matter of taste versus ease.

I've heard this many times before. Gas grills are a lot more convenient than charcoal. Guess what? McDonald's and The Outback are even more convenient than firing up any grill. So if you're looking for easy, then why bother? If you wanna do it up right, why do it half-assed?

But the flavor! Especially when using lump charcoal instead of the admittedly inferior briquettes that are such a mish-mash of ingredients, they amount to a pile of tar-laden coal, starch, Borax and sawdust burning beneath your burgers.

Briquettes are for people that don't know any better. Lump charcoal all the way, baby!

Labels: charcoal