Do you have anything I can grill?

[trof]

Just bought a new gas grill.
The old one was totally rusted out and unsafe.
(It's being recycled at a reclamation depot. )

Got it yesterday as a kind of anniversary present (43 years) to 'Us'.
Last night I took Miz t. out to dinner at a fairly 'upscale' restaurant in honor of the occasion.
(It was delightful.)

Tonight, I'm eating 'doggie bag' leftovers from last night's meal while Miz t. participates in a cancer "Walk for Life". (Why this takes place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. I have no idea.)

So...no grilling.

Tomorrow night we're invited to friends for a crawfish boil.

I WANT TO USE MY NEW GRILL!
Maybe I'll heat up the leftovers on it.


And DON'T GIVE ME ANY CRAP ABOUT CHARCOAL VS PROPANE!!!
I've heard it all.

[hlthe2b]

1. Some good Andouille sausages--both traditional pork and some chicken ones as well...

though you'd hardly get to heat up the grill for them.... They are good though, but I'll likely make red beans and rice with them.

[trof]

3. Speaking of red beans...

I bought a red bay tree (bush?) at a plant sale today.

The expert horticulturist there said Cajuns used the leaves in red beans.
Told us they'd cut a branch and hang it in the kitchen until it dried, then strip the leaves and put them in the beans.

Good enough for me.

[hlthe2b]

4. So is that where bay leaf comes from?

I have dried bay leaf among my spices that I use in soups. If so, that makes sense.

[Major Nikon]

5. Not exactly

The bay leaf you buy in the store comes from the bay laurel tree which is native to the Mediterranean region. Redbay is a tree that is native to the US. Both belong to the Laurel family, so they are similar in many respects and the dried leaves of both can be used interchangeably, but the flavor is different.

I haven't had any luck trying to grow a bay laurel in North Texas outdoors. I suspect a Redbay would do better if planted in the right location, but I haven't tried it.

[trof]

10. Yep. There are several varieties of bay tree.

Not all have aromatic leaves though.

[Moondog]

2. Grill something for lunch tomorrow. Then hit the boil in the evening.

[taterguy]

6. Charcoal grilling is vastly superior to propane

Just thought you should know.

[petronius]

7. Is this a trick question? You're a Southerner, right - I'd think you could

grill absolutely anything...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. Is this a 2-sided grill?

If so, you need to get some cedar planks and some tilapia and go NUTS.

You pre-heat both sides, turn one side down, put the plank on the cooler side, close the lid, and keep a squirt bottle of water handy (you have to soak the planks for several hours before using them but they will still develop little flames around the edges.

You can plank things other than fish, but cedar plank tilapis is what GOD eats when he uses his grill. It's THAT good.

[Kali]

9. can we argue about gas vs real wood?

you need to go get a couple rib eyes, some green chilis, and maybe some corn and potatoes - be sure to put some bacon grease on the spuds before you wrap them loosely in the foil.


nice bottle of red wine or a cold beer and you are set for one of my absolute favorite meals

[trof]

11. Foil wrapped potatos

This is something restaurants came up with many years ago so they could keep baked spuds hot for hours without them drying out. What you get is a steamed potato.

I like my au naturel, just oven baked (NOT microwaved) in their 'jackets' rubbed with some butter.
Nice crispy skins.

Wood vs Gas

Yes, the best steaks I've ever prepared were over hickory or pecan wood coals.
But it takes a long time and a fireplace or outdoor pit to get from wood to coals.
Charcoal is also time consuming and messy.
And you better hit those coals at just the right moment, not too soon, and not too late.
And I wouldn't burn charcoal in a screened porch.

Gas is quick, clean, and easy.
And I can cook bug-free, or on rainy days on the screened porch.
BTW - PROPANE, not natural gas. Propane burns hotter (I have no idea why.) and will give you a nice crusty sear. Natural gas grills are fine if you like your steaks baked.

[hlthe2b]

12. Yup... (re: charcoal takes time, messy, etc.)

Though I have to admit, my late Dad had a very explosive short cut. He would soak those briquettes in gasoline.

My sister and I stayed well clear of him and the grill on "Bar-B-Que" Sundays. (and no, he never had an accident doing so, fortunately)

[siligut]

13. I have some maple bacon and some big, juicy steaks . . .

And I ate them!

Happy grilling trof

[HeiressofBickworth]

14. I've got some pretty suspicious neighbors

who could do with a good questioning by an expert......

Oh, not that kind of grilling.....

kthxby