Posted on 07/21/2006 5:56:55 AM PDT by CT-Freeper
Did you ever notice that the gas grill is the man's domain? Even in homes where the man of the house has never prepared a single meal in the kitchen -- unless you count pulling a package of Pop Tarts out of the box -- as soon as it's decided that dinner will be cooked on the gas grill, the man of the house eagerly dons his "Born to Barbecue" apron and announces to no one in particular, "OK, let's do some grillin'!!"
Of course, there are some men who enjoy all forms of cooking and know their way around the kitchen quite well. And then there are normal guys: those who wouldn't know which room in the house actually is the kitchen except that when they first moved into the house and rolled the refrigerator right next to the reclining chair in the living room (a very good location if you ask me), their wives exclaimed, "The fridge goes in the kitchen! No, honey, that's the dining room. Over here. See the linoleum floor, the sink, the stove? That's right. Good boy. Here's a doggie treat. Now go out to the truck and bring in the sofa. No, honey, that's a closet door. The front door is over there. That's right. Good boy."
Men are usually in charge of the gas grill because it employs an element of nature that gets men very excited: bikinis. No wait, wrong element of nature. Gas grills utilize a different element of nature that gets men just as excited, if not more excited, than bikinis: fire.
Thousands of years ago it was men who first discovered fire. Women did not discover fire because they were back home deciding which corner of the cave was the best place to locate the refrigerator. Just like that famous Greek guy, Archimedes, who exclaimed, "Eureka!" when he discovered the bubble bath, the first guy to discover fire -- his name was Ooog -- also uttered a memorable word. Upon discovering fire, Ooog exclaimed, "Aaaiiieeee!!!" The fire Ooog discovered was a brush fire caused by lightning.
Ooog looked at it curiously, and then thought to himself, "I wonder if that is just as refreshing to jump into as a cool stream?" Moments later, a smoldering Ooog declared his historic pronouncement.
Soon after, it was men who discovered that food tastes a lot better when it's placed in fire for a while. The specific guy who first discovered this important fact -- his name was Mooog -- offered these historic words, "Not bad, but Ooog would taste even better with ketchup."
Gas grilles are pretty much the only way for modern men to be in touch with their primitive side these days. Face it, in our society we are not allowed to have fun with fire. If you even own a cigarette lighter the Smoking Nazis want to lock you up. It's now against the law to burn piles of leaves in the Fall. If you start a fire in the fireplace, someone is sure to say, "Fireplace soot is bad for little Leonard's asthma! Put that out at once or I'll call the Soot Nazis!" And I need not mention that in these "politically correct" times, it is no longer socially acceptable to entertain the neighborhood kids by breaking out Uncle Mike's World War II surplus flamethrower.
So modern men are basically flame-less these days -- except when it comes to the gas grill season. Then, thankfully, we are allowed to singe our eyebrows and arm hair to our heart's content.
Guys, in the immortal words of our pioneering forebears, please join me in a hearty, "Aaaiiieeee!!!"
Bill Dunn is a free-lance writer who resides in Torrington. He can be reached via his Web site at: www.boomertrek.com.
I got particularly annoyed when, in preparing for my daughter's wedding reception (which by the way was quite lavish and elegant), I told the consultant that we wanted everything to be vegetarian, and she responded "knowingly": "Men want meat. Especially beef." "I am a man," I told her; "I do not want meat. And I never eat beef." This was not the only reason, but her services were not employed. We found someone more...imaginative...and more liberal and free-thinking.
I just got my smoker on Wednesday. It converts into a grill.
I think I'll try some beef brisket with mesquite and applewood chips this weekend if the weather holds up
'La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.' - Auguste Escoffier
(Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
This is a thread where use of tin foil is good. Do we use tin foil because retro think or because that other metal is to hard to spell with out go to the kitchen.
You have probably passed our place, then.
I didn't drift the river last year, but I heard it was too low.
SD
Hope you enjoy it! I have one other suggestion. Lowe's doesn't carry this, but the manufacturer offers on their website a custom-fitted all-weather grill cover for this model for about twenty bucks. It's a good investment and will add years to the usable life of your grill!
Nice! I used hickory chips on the pork chops last night.
When are you going to make some eastern Carolina 'cue?
I've done it once on mine already, using a mix of hardwood charcoal and hickory chunks.
Should be better this year.
You near Leggett Road?
Yep, just down river from it.
mark
Anyone have suggestions for grilling fish? Might try to snag some local crappie this evening. (New to grilling - recently moved out of a large city in which I had no place to do it.)
lol. hmmm, never thought about that. aluminum foil used to be made of tin? now it's made of aluminum, but ppl still call it tin foil. is that the idea? it IS easier to spell.
Well, I'm already done eating by the time you put your food on. Then, if you get a bad batch of charcoal, you've ruined dinner.
I like charcoal grills when they work but you need good charred wood and too much patience.
Swordfish steaks are easy to grill and taste great. Fresh swordfish definitely tastes better than frozen. A nice big salmon fillet is good eatin' too. Tuna steaks are easy and good.
They sell good natural wood many places in Fairfax County, VA.
Good article. I enjoyed reading it, but I feel that nuthing cooks better than some Kingsford out on the old Webber.
'La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.' - Auguste Escoffier
(Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
What's the best way to keep it from sticking to the grill?
All I do is soak the chips and put them in a disposible tin bread tray (I use two of them) directly over the flame. The boston butts are not over the flame. You want to work it out to where its staggered as to when you have to replenish you chips.
I smoke all kinds of things like this on my gas grill although it can be pretty troublesome for faster cooking meats.
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