How often do you grill?

[runwestierun]

I use my propane grill outside at least 5 times a week. I know I grill alot more than average, and I don't understand why people don't do it more. I will grill bacon for breakfast. I will quickly grill bread for hummus dipping. I will grill a haloumi appetizer. I will grill a veggie side dish for dinner, even if I am not grilling the entree (which of course I often do). Often, if meat needs searing before it goes into the crockpot, I'll do that on the grill. Right now I am deep into the last third of a grilling/braising experiment that has been so rewarding. I will rub some big cheap piece of meat with spices and leave it overnight in the fridge. I'll take it out in the morning, grill it for about an hour with some wood chips, put it in the Crockpot for about 10 hours on low, and then put it (carefully) back on the grill to get a bit of a bark. So delicious!
Grilled food tasted so good and there is so little clean up.

[goodhealthgourmet]

"I don't understand why people don't do it more."
~~~~~~~
- some people don't have grills
- some people who do have grills live in climates that really only allow for outdoor grilling during certain seasons
- some of us only have indoor/counter top grills AND lousy ventilation, so a "simple" grilled meal requires much planning and maneuvering of fans, windows, and smoke detectors.

[runwestierun]

So...how often do you grill?

[goodhealthgourmet]

LOL! i was just going to edit my response to add that. right now, honestly never, because i fall into the third category i mentioned above and it's more of a nuisance than it's worth. however, since i recently moved back to San Diego and now have a nice large deck, i need to buy an outdoor grill and change that!

[babbabooey]

hard when you live in manhattan and dont have a spot to grill, but i make it work with a forman grill. i use it at least twice a week.

[westaust]

I have grill, lives in Quebec with our usually harsh winters and yet grill all year long!

First started at the cottage where the grill was hooked up directly to the gas main, and now even on my condo balcony, i make sure to shovel the snow so that my grill can be accessed all year round!

I understand why people don't do it, but i do think grilled meat is almost better in winter, more contrast lol

[Harters]

I think I've used my barbeque once in the last two years. But then, here in the northern part of England, we don't often get the weather to cook or eat outside.

[Cherylptw]

I live in the South, we use our grills often, but I agree with you in that many don't grill simply because it's not summer. Now, granted, if it's 20 degrees, I'm not the one to go outside period. But, that said, I will go out & grill often; last time was two weeks ago I grilled leg of lamb and chicken..I use charcoal & wood chips, I like the flavor better

[roro1831]

On average 3 to 4 times per week. I just shoveled about a foot of snow out of the way to grill the other night, so the weather does not bother me, but it could if I had 3-4 feet and lived further north. But since the grill is on the deck about 8 feet from the door it doesn't stop my very often. Typically if I grill when it is very cold or snowing, it will be something that I can put on and not have to really pay attention to. I also do things that may typically be baked in the oven and for the most part do all the bacon on the grill as well.

[runwestierun]

I grilled a turkey one Thanksgiving on a weber charcoal grill in Minnesota when it was -35F. It took significantly longer than mormal, but it was still very good. I am with you, I can grill in pretty much any weather. Now I live in the Pacific Northwest and rain is the challenge. Mostly it just affects pulling food off the grill, and starting and wood or charcoal fires. It's worth it, though.

[Fuller]

"I don't understand why people don't do it more."

In the late spring/summer/early fall I will use our grill (it's officially not called a barbecue, regional terminology need not apply) 3 or 4 times a week. In the winter, it's easily less than that.

Grilling on a gas grill offers a far faster start up time than charcoal. FYI, I ONLY use charcoal. Point is, you may have the ability to turn on your outdoor water maker (one of the biggest by-products of natural gas and propane is pure, clean water) and get nearly instant heat and instant turn off, but for those of us who use the original cooking fuel - real hardwood charcoal or wood (none of that briquette stuff) - it takes a bit more time. It would be a waste to fill up my charcoal chimney, light it, get the grates set up, and simply grill some flat pita bread for a snack. Not to say it doesn't taste good, but when I do little things like that on the grill, it would have to be in conjunction with another grilled item.

So to say you don't understand why people don't do it more often, you're incorrectly assuming that all of us use the same water makers, I mean grills that you have.

[runwestierun]

Boy howdy I sure didn't mean to offend anyone by saying I didn't understand why people don't grill more. I guess I meant that I see people around me who own grills but don't use them in regular meal preparation. They will pull them out for the 4th of July or Memorial Day, otherwise they sit idle. And you are right, people have different tools/grills. I am lucky in that I have several and I should have mentioned that, but I guess I was afraid I would sound like a zealot.

I do find that for everyday cooking I use my propane grill the most because of the reasons you pointed out, it is so quick to start and heat. I have a traditional Weber kettle grill. In that I use either the hardwood Cowboy charcoal that I buy at Trader Joe's, or the big mesquite hardwood chunks that I buy by the 50# bag at the restaurant supply store, Cash and Carry. I also have a traditional barrel smoker with a chimney and a wood box on the side. I have that because my new husband, though well meaning, is a very poor aim when he is culling dead trees on our property and is regularly knocking over and breaking off my apple trees, so I have a surfeit of apple wood. I also have a 22" outdoor propane wok. So I do have alot of outdoor grill-type things. But I got them because I love to grill and cook outdoors. I love the process, the taste and the lack of cleanup. So I guess I was wondering not so much why people didn't do it, but why they didn't love the process and outcome enough to be driven to do it.

I love that you call grills water makers! I didn't know that the byproduct was water, thank you.

[GilaB]

I don't own a grill because I live in a large apartment building. I broil things occasionally (once a month, maybe?), and honestly don't find much difference between things broiled in my gas oven and things grilled in my parents' gas barbecue. As far as I can tell, they're the same things, just inverted and placed in different locations.

[tommy]

non-grilled food tastes pretty good as well.

a grill is a tool. i use it when i want to or need to, not just for the novelty.

[JerryMe]

In the summer, almost daily. It's too hot to cook anything indoors in the summer.

In the winter not so much. We also have a smoker that we use a couple of times a month in the nicer weather - spring or fall. It's too damn hot to do a 10 to 12 hour shift in the summer.

[JEN10]

I did some trout and bell peppers just last night. I probably grill 3- 4 times a month.

[Kelli2006]

I have a charcoal grill and Ive grilled twice this week, It might be strange to do in Ohio in the dead of winter but its a act of emotional rebellion to ward off cabin fever.

[vafarmwife]

Every Saturday night I grill steaks. It doesn't matter what the weather or the temperature.

[Rojellio]

I dont grill per se, I smoke.... and I do it all year long. The ancient and noble art of Barbacoa. About 90% of our meat is smoked. Much is saved in vac-pacs for later. Roast Beef, Chicken, Turkey, and home cured Canadian Bacon & Pastrami.

OK... I do it the easy way, with a Digital Thermo-controlled Pellet fired smoker/grill. I hardly ever cook anything at Grilling temp though. It burns too many pellets at 300F ++

If its too cold to be outside in Shorts & Crocs for 15 min at a time, which happens rerely in this part of Colorado... then I stay indoors and cook soup or something. Often with vac packed meat from a previous cook.

One of these days I will get tired of Pastrami, and get a Big Green Egg so I can sear steaks at 600-700F and also Tandoori Chicken. LOL My avatar is sliced Pastrami.

[Perilagu Khan]

I have a very nice smoker, but regrettably, hardly ever use it. There are two reasons. First, smoking meats simply sucks up an awful lot of free time that I just don't have. And grilling food is more trouble than its worth given that I've got an indoor Griddler by Cuisinart, which does the job just as well.

[ChrisKC]

I also only use charcoal. Not worth firing up to just grill some bread. In nicer weather, I will often grill 2-3 times a week. This weekend's looking good!

[pharmnerd]

Do it 2-3 times monthly on avg usually on weekends, but more during nice weather or when my preferred cuts are on sale. Relatively new to BBQ/grilling/smoking/etc., so trying to plow thru recipes on my Weber iPhone app and a couple books from Steve Raichlen (BBQ USA) and Weber (Grilling with Live Fire).

Have a fancy natural gas grill built into an outdoor kitchen, but find myself using my cheaper Weber charcoal kettle more often lately. Planning to slow-smoke a brisket this weekend, rain or shine.

[Rojellio]

Pharmnerd... Here is a PDF with BBQ reference & recipes that might be useful http://www.crankybuzzard.com/CrankyBuzzardBBQWorkbook001.pdf

The "Virtual Bullet" site has a lot of recipes, and weber specific info. http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ Including a good NY deli style Pastrami.

And of course a little site called "The Smoke Ring" has BBQ specific recipes, tips and cook pictures.

[pharmnerd]

Awesome. Links bookmarked. Thank you very much.

BTW, brisket going on 6hrs and counting even thru some rain. Almost done. Can't wait.

[shanagain]

We were gifted a Weber grill this year w/all the bells & whistles (yes, I have an incredible family) and we've been grilling - at minimum - twice a month as it's been pretty blustery here this winter. (We're in western TX - here it doesn't just get cold, the wind blows. And when it blows, it brings red clay dust. Not super appealing in your entree.)

My husband and I LOVE it, and have mentioned several times that the grill itself lends itself to more grilling. It just makes it so easy.

eta: Westie's for the win.

[greygarious]

NEVER. I prefer searing in cast iron to putting even a small amount of char into my food, and I do not like smoky taste. When I moved to a house I bought a small gas grill without even thinking much about it, because it was de rigeuer. I used it sporadically, regardless of season (it was on the roofed screen porch), but when it rusted I never replaced it.

[Will Owen]

Sometimes I'll go a long time - months! - without grilling, and then do a spate of it. Here in sunny (most days, not now!) SoCal I'll actually grill more this time of year than in summer or fall (both very hot), though since our range hood is permanently dead any operation likely to make smoke has to be done outside. Back in Nashville I had a big Weber on the front porch, and would frequently grill in mid-winter, of course always things that didn't require constant hovering. I once roasted two ducks in 20º weather; they were delicious, but I should have put newspaper down under the grill to catch the fat dripping off the edges of the lid. That was almost twenty years ago, and I'll bet there's still a grease ring on that concrete floor!

[jfood]

jfood grills about 75% when he is home.

[mcf]

I don't think I use my stove at all between, say, April and October. I marinate/smoke and grill meats and veggies during the nicer months almost exclusively. Most of our fair weather meals are big salads with grilled protein served over them, or a big platter of grilled veggies, salad and grilled meat or fish.