My GRILL ADVICE

Summertime is grillin' time and having just spent two months researching new grills, I have a few pointers for those of you in the market for a new one.

You get what you pay for...kind of. There are grills out there you can buy for less than a hundred bucks and grills you'd have to sell BOTH kidneys for. Basically, you can spend as much or as little as you want. If you want to buy a lower-priced grill, expect it to perform adequately and last a few years with normal usage. I've had great, cheap grills that (with proper cleaning and maintenance) have lasted for a LONG time. However, in the long run, these grills will begin to eat up your budget and patience with lots of repairs. They simply aren't built to last a LONG time. Rivets will fail, metals will corrode, things will fall apart and replacement parts will become obsolete. Will you get your investment back? If you grill a lot, HECK YEAH! However, remember this: a $179 24" grill is usually a lot more capable than a 36" for the same price. I learned that one the hard way. it ends up having the same heating power, but its all spread out and ineffective.

If you decide on a lower-priced grill, it will probably come with a worthless warranty, so pick one that has replacement parts available at your local home improvement store. The last thing you need is to have your grill go down and then have to wait three weeks while your parts slowly make their way via a slow boat from China. Look at replacement parts before you check out.

I don't have much to say about high-priced grills like Viking, Thermador and the kind you find in high-end kitchen appliance stores except they're expensive, and overall, better, but they SHOULD be...a thousand bucks up to ten thousand bucks had better get you a darn fine grill. If you are looking in this range, it had BETTER be built of the absolute best materials AND have a great warranty. Places like Display Appliance just off 26 on St. Andrews carry a lot of the really high-end grills. If you're looking to spend some ching, buy it from them, as they stand behind AND service everything they sell. (PS- I didn't buy my grill from them and I don't get anything for recommending them. They're just good...that's all.)

Once you've narrowed it down, BEWARE, all that glitters is not gold. Stainless steel beauties make up the majority of grills you'll see while shopping, but just because it's shiny SS, it doesn't mean it's a quality grill. You can put a dress on a pig, but it's still a pig...a pretty pig, but still a pig. ALSO, all stainless steel is not created equal. If you MUST have SS, look for the higher quality 304 SS, not the lower grade 400. How do you tell the difference? Well, most manufacturers will let you know if its 304 grade. Another way is to bring a refrigerator magnet--if it sticks, its 400. In addition to the grade of the SS, be sure to check the finish of it. It should be smooth and shiny. Trust me, once you've looked at a dozen grills, you'll begin to notice the differences in quality. Also remember that 'stainless' steel is anything but 'stainless'. It will rust, discolor, pit, and start to look like stir-fried crap unless you take care of it. Invest in a can of SS Cleaner and Polish and your grill will thank you. Three words: Clean. Maintain. Cover.

This season, I've seen a LOT more grills that are painted. I don't really know much about the quality of the paint on these, but would assume that well-known, expensive grill manufacturers are using high quality paint. Weber has always painted their grills and they hold up forever. I'm a bit skeptical of the flashy low-name brands that are painted this year. Trust me, they have to cut costs somewhere to make those big grills cost the same as a small Weber and I'm sure paint is somewhere they can do it. Don't be fooled by a cool paint job. I've sold some really crappy cars over the years that had a shiny new coat of paint covering a questionable body beneath.

Once you get accustomed to looking at pretty, shiny grills, you need to dig deeper. I found a lot of SS grills had cheap, flimsy, painted frames beneath their shiny coats, as well as cheap rivets holding everything together. Pressed sheet metal burners work fine, but don't expect them to last more than a couple seasons. These things will give out long before the pretty outside does, so be sure they're either solid or easily replaced. Like I said earlier, and you'll find this to be a recurring theme, proper care and maintenance of your grill will extend its life like you wouldn't believe.

Another thing I noticed when shopping for grills was the obsession with BTUs. Don't get me wrong, I love lots of power, too, but every grill uses its BTUs differently. I've had great little grills with low BTUs that put out way more heat than my last monstrous one with buckets of BTUs. Don't get wrapped up in the whole BTU race. It's better to have well-spaced burners with even coverage than a couple of monstrous ones that only heat 50% of your cooking space. The problem with buying a grill is that you dont get to "test drive" them. Most of the cheap companies are happy about this, since you'd probably drop them from consideration if you actually got to cook on them. The higher priced ones should be available to "test drive". Just my opinion, but you wouldn't buy a $2000 mountain bike without riding it, right? Grill manufacturers have a lot of nerve selling their products without giving consumers a chance to use them first. Sometimes, places like Display Appliance and the fireplace store on Broad River (can't remember their name, even though I bought my grill there) will have one or two models to try. The best way to test for burner evenness is to preheat the grill on medium, then cover the entire cooking space with cheap, white bread, in an orderly fashion. Then after a minute or so, remove them in the same order and lay them out in reverse on a cookie sheet. This will give you a snapshot of where the grill is hot and where it's not. Even heating is what you are looking for; not blazing hot spots and barely warm spots.

Another thing to consider is just how big of a grill do you need? I entertain a LOT and my grill is only around 26"x18", but has four burners. This gives me more than enough space, but more importantly the four burners give me EVEN heat over those 450 square inches of cooking space and THAT is even more important. There's nothing worse than extreme hot and cold spots. I've seen grills that measure 36" across and only have three burners-HUH? You could probably put your hand on the grill in between the burners and not worry about getting burned. BUT, they save money that way and if there's one thing I learned while researching grills, it's that they'll look for every way they can to save money. Bottom line: Buy a grill that fits your needs.

When it comes to the add-on doo-dads, there are a few I recommend. One is the infrared rotisserie burner and a motorized rotisserie that was made for your grill. Chickens and leg of lamb are simple and delicious using this thing. Also, be sure to get a smoker box. Usually, they're just a piece of heavy duty galvanized steel shaped into an open topped box that you put wet hickory or mesquite chips in. They are INVALUABLE to the taste of your grilled food, especially things that take a little longer and/or are roasted on your grill. To use them properly usually involves placing it directly on the heat diffuser, beneath the grill grate. Once they start to smolder, start grilling and close the lid to trap the tasty smoke in. Another great way to flavor your food is with cedar planks. However, don't waste your money on the kind you buy at specialty stores. Drop in at a "real" lumber yard and ask for a small stack of untreated cedar shingles. Soak them in water (you'll need to weigh them down) and use them over and over. Eventually they'll wear out and you won?t reap any flavor from them, but as cheap as they are, you won't care.

Lights are also good, but you can buy them separately. The last thing you want to do is burn your food because you can't see it. Get a GOOD grill brush (brass bristles) with a longer handle so you don't roast your hands, as well as a good cover (AND USE IT) and some stainless steel cleaner and polish. You'll find that even with your cover, your grill will still show the irony of "stainless" steel. Also get a spray bottle to fill with water for flare-ups and some good, spring-hinged tongs. A digital thermometer is also a good thing to have around, just remember to turn it off or you'll quickly kill the batteries. A terry-cloth washcloth that's rolled, tied and coated with canola oil is also a grill necessity, as it can be rubbed on the grates just prior to putting your food on to keep it from sticking.

So, you're probably wondering what kind of grill I finally bought and what my recommendations are. Well, I bought a Vermont Castings, but could have easily bought a Weber, too. It was really a coin toss at the end. There were lots of others I considered, but a lot of the ones I liked were just too expensive. The Vermont Castings grill came assembled and had options like the rotisserie, a built-in light, a side burner, a cover and light-up dials. It cost close to a grand, but is built like a tank and will last for a really long time based on the quality of the components they use to build their grills.

I've eaten food cooked on really expensive grills and you know what? It tastes the same. Actually, it all comes down to the cook, not the grill. I can cook a great meal over a Bunsen burner, so all I really looked for in a grill was quality construction and an even heating surface. I've been to homes with multi-thousand dollar grills owned by people who I don't think could cook a decent meal if their life depended on it. They should have used some of the money to get a few cooking lessons. I'd rather be able to cook than just have a fancy grill, but then again I've been accused of being crazy. But really... it's like the poseurs at the ski slope with the most expensive skis and outfits who can barely make it down the bunny hill.

Final thoughts: All that glitters is not gold. Check out every aspect of the grills you are considering. Once you decide on a grill, TAKE CARE OF IT. I can't stress that enough. Second, learn how to grill. Grilling isn't just cranking it up and throwing meat on. Every meat is different and cooking styles vary from dish to dish. That's why the burners are adjustable and don't simply have an ON/OFF setting. Buy Steven Raichlen's Barbecue Bible (or one of his other books) or the Cook's Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue and READ THEM. Weber has a good one, too. I learn something every time I pick one of them up. Think about it, a twenty dollar book can make you a better cook on an inexpensive grill than someone with no book and a seven thousand dollar grill. Trust me, I'd accept an invitation for dinner from you any day if you followed just a few pieces of advice from any of those.

Happy shopping. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

 August 31, 2007

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." Unknown

Two of the most important creatures in my life are our two dogs, Fozzy and Lily. When you don't have human children, your pets are your kids and you love them and spoil them rotten. Why? It's obvious; they give you unconditional love and spoiling them costs next to nothing. However, some people are indifferent or downright cruel and inhumane when it comes to their pets. Don't worry, I'm not going to get into Michael Vick-like horror stories of abuse and such. Sometimes it's the little things, like simple abandonment of a pet, whether literally or figuratively. Literally would refer to the USC students who get pets at the start of the school year and then leave them at the end when they head home (yes, this happens--just ask the shelters). These people ought to be banned from school and flogged at the fountain in Five Points. Figuratively, I would have to say the most common are the young couples who get pets as a substitute for kids, then once they have children, basically ignore and/or abandon their pets even while they continue to live in the same house or worse yet, tied up in the backyard. There's a special ring in hell for these people.

Then you have the morons who get pets, then don't neuter/spay them, don't get their shots, don't give them heartworm meds and basically just neglect them. Who raises these people? I'd like to smack them in the mouth with a carp. It takes a real jackass to mistreat an animal and apparently a lot of them get raised in this country based on the number of animals in our shelters.

So, what happens to all these loving pets? They end up in the pound. At worst, they're "put down" (the nice way of saying they're killed and disposed of like the trash you scraped off your plate last night...sorry, but a daily dose of reality is good for the soul). At best, they're adopted by loving families worthy of their affection. In the middle is the purgatory of being held in a cage in hopes of being adopted, wondering "What did I do to deserve this? I was learning not to chew stuff. I didn't pee on the rug anymore. I'm young. What? What did I do?"

Luckily, the Midlands has organizations that help care for these pets and keep them from being destroyed. Animal Mission, Project Pet, Pets Inc, Animal Protection League, CARE and many more work tirelessly to keep our furry pals safe, healthy, neutered/spayed and happy. However, it takes great people, adoptive families, time and money to accomplish all of this. The "money" part is where we come in. From now on, in addition to our other charitable works, we will be focusing our efforts on a different animal charity every quarter. How?

·         We'll choose a wine to serve by the glass and will donate a dollar for every glass sold

·         We'll feature some of the pets that are available for adoption in our e-mails and on our website

·         We'll hold special events that will help raise awareness and money

·         We'll reward you for helping out with food and wine

Our first animal charity will be CARE (which stands for Cullen's Archangel RescuE). CARE was named after Cullen the Greyhound, who was killed in a home invasion of its President's house in 2003 (Cullen's murderers were never caught). It is a non-profit with no facilities and an all-volunteer staff. They operate through a network of warm and wonderful people who foster the pets until adoption. They raise money for the veterinary care and spaying/neutering of the animals, but in reality most of the money spent on the actual fostering is borne by the foster parents. We'd like to help them out by relieving some of that burden and by also helping to raise money for the vet care of some of their pets. We also want to help these loving pets find safe and happy homes, so for our first FEATURED PET we proudly introduce you to Cleo, who graces the upper left corner of this e-mail.

Cleo was dumped in the country and was very skinny and starving for attention! Cleo is now healthy, up to date on vet care and filled out (maybe too filled out!). Cleo, aka Piglet, is a very happy girl; always smiling and wagging her tail. If she was a person, she'd be a Wal-Mart greeter. She is always the first to greet people at adoption days, and she loves to sit back and people watch.

NEWS! Cleo was adopted by a loving family in Georgia recently!! Altogether, over 8 pets have been adopted, close to $2000 raised and lots of medical needs met THANKS TO YOU!!

Cleo is currently working with her foster mom on basic obedience training. She will do anything to get petted and has already learned Sit and Down. She is housetrained and crate trained. She loves her crate and goes in there whenever she wants to take a nap. She even knows how to open it from the outside to let herself in. She uses her paws like hands to grab the door and pull it open!