Is there something you don't grill often but would like to master?

[jdefran]

Maybe I'm the only one, but I often contemplate about the things I don't cook..possibly due to the foods my wife doesn't 'like'.

Over Memorial Day weekend I managed a friend's kettle for a cookout of simply burgers and dogs. I approached the task with confidence but didn't feel comfortable per se; yes it is obvious when the burgers are not done and over done, but can I really gauge the doneness of each individual one? Unfortunately not 

I personally like a medium rare burger, but don't really know what temp/time to expect. Furthermore what type of setup, cooking method etc.

Feel free to share your feelings 

[Saugust]

I'm with you 100%. Unfortunately my trepidation manifests itself in the form of false bravado. We've had lots of lousy meals because I thought I knew what I was doing, but didn't.

However, in the grand scheme of things I've learned a lot through bad cooks. Mostly, I've learned to relax. Light the grill, throw the food on, close the lid, drink your beer. It's a simple game, really. We'll see how it turns out. As Crash Davis says, "Don't think, you can only hurt the ball club."

Or, get on WKC and let the guys around here do the thinking for you!

[addicted-to-smoke]

My earliest mistakes have been (can't say "were" because I still screw up) too little heat. This was an overreaction to years of not knowing about indirect cooking and cooking at too much heat.

Indirect cooking cures a lot of ills and basically makes you eventually get better about heat, or guides you along the journey.

jdefran you mentioned med. rare burgers, something that's often frowned upon for safety reasons. Just yesterday I read you can safely cook burgers med. rare if you do them low-and-slow. Still not quite sure what the difference is, med rare is still med. rare, but maybe it's not if the meat is allowed to more slowly build up to temp.

[1buckie]

My earliest mistakes have been (can't say "were" because I still screw up) too little heat. This was an overreaction to years of not knowing about indirect cooking and cooking at too much heat.

Indirect cooking cures a lot of ills and basically makes you eventually get better about heat, or guides you along the journey.

jdefran you mentioned med. rare burgers, something that's often frowned upon for safety reasons. Just yesterday I read you can safely cook burgers med. rare if you do them low-and-slow. Still not quite sure what the difference is, med rare is still med. rare, but maybe it's not if the meat is allowed to more slowly build up to temp.

Mine is sort of the exact opposite......cooking at too low of heat BECAUSE I've been cooking indirect at lower heats for so long & get scared when it goes over 350f !!!!

(Examples are the "Hyena Brisket" & numerous other strange attempts at actual grilling)

[1911Ron]

As silly as it sounds something as simple as cooking hamburgers and hot dogs evades me, either to done or go to long (not enough heat) when I want a quick meal.  Now skinless boneless chicken I can do fairly well more often than not so......

[1buckie]

As silly as it sounds something as simple as cooking hamburgers and hot dogs evades me, either to done or go to long (not enough heat) when I want a quick meal.  Now skinless boneless chicken I can do fairly well more often than not so......

Stub my toe EVERY time i grill......

[MINIgrillin]

Yes you can gauge every burger. You NEED to. You need a thermapen. You can probe every burger on the grill in no time. When you get to 160... Pull em.

Copy this link on your phone so you can have it with you.

http://www.thermoworks.com/pdf/chef_recommended_temps.pdf

[Marshallflyer]

I agree with MINIgrillin. Once I bit the bullet and bought a thermapen I can do burgers pretty well each time. Before I got it I usually over cooked them and made them dry out.

[mrbill]

for me, it's lobster. I love grilled lobster, and by love, I mean I LOVE it. but I'm afraid to try it myself. mainly due to cost. I don't make a lot of money(if you haven't figured it out from my av, I'm a cop), so buying lobster(even just a couple tails) is something I'd have to plan/save for. I'm afraid to spend the $$ to get it and then fuck it up because I don't know what I'm doing and can't afford to experiment with it.

[addicted-to-smoke]

for me, it's lobster. I love grilled lobster, and by love, I mean I LOVE it. but I'm afraid to try it myself. mainly due to cost. I don't make a lot of money(if you haven't figured it out from my av, I'm a cop), so buying lobster(even just a couple tails) is something I'd have to plan/save for. I'm afraid to spend the $$ to get it and then fuck it up because I don't know what I'm doing and can't afford to experiment with it.

I know what you mean. What's helped me is to break down what I've learned into chunks of knowledge I can sufficiently fake for similar foods, and then the courage comes easier once you can relate one type of meat to another, related one.

My first ribs had fine taste but I didn't understand how to make them the right tenderness. And so I waited until doing them again and things fell into place. I've done a few pork shoulders (Boston butts) but am still currently in the same situation there. On the other hand, one day I did 3 small, very thin pork steaks that were wonderful even though they too were part of some painful memories in the past. It just finally clicked.

@chuck s did some insane lobster tails not long ago. 3 bbq cookbooks were consulted and they mostly said the same thing, which always inspires confidence. That one was 1) some prep for the shells, 2) application of butter sauce, 3) grill. The grilling part I think he'll agree was the easiest, just a few minutes per side and remove. It wasn't a whole lobster but if lobster is what you crave, the tails are easy.

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/bbq-food-pics/lobster-tails-twice-cooked-potatoes-asparagus-naan/

[chuck s]

Yes you can gauge every burger. You NEED to. You need a thermapen. You can probe every burger on the grill in no time. When you get to 160... Pull em.

Good info and appreciate the link.   I have a similar "magnet" on my fridge I picked up somewhere. 

With all of these "well" burgers getting done lately I need to give it a go.  http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/bbq-food-pics/cheddar-bacon-portobello-mushroom-burgers/msg166424/#msg166424

Plan is to do a few "Just plain ole burgers" and then attack the wells.  Also the idea of smoked burgers have gotten my attention..... http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/bbq-food-pics/smoked-burgers/msg144586/#msg144586

My greatest failures have been whole birds!!  I have yet to do a whole chicken that didn't come out underdone - even when I temp it ..... I am soooo afraid of dry that it comes out with Dark meat bloody at the bone.   Frustrating.

[chuck s]

Thanks @addicted-to-smoke for the kind words but you were right.....

3 bbq cookbooks were consulted and they mostly said the same thing,

I find that to be the real key - Learn for the masters - that's why I LOVE this site....

addicted has been my inspiration - and this site my confidence

thanks to all I am having a blast with these kettles ...... Getting ready to do some traveling (Retired by the way) and do some real grillin' for family and friends when I see 'em (carry the JJ with me in the motor home)

[1buckie]

Yes you can gauge every burger. You NEED to. You need a thermapen. You can probe every burger on the grill in no time. When you get to 160... Pull em.

Good info and appreciate the link.   I have a similar "magnet" on my fridge I picked up somewhere. 

With all of these "well" burgers getting done lately I need to give it a go.  http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/bbq-food-pics/cheddar-bacon-portobello-mushroom-burgers/msg166424/#msg166424

Plan is to do a few "Just plain ole burgers" and then attack the wells.  Also the idea of smoked burgers have gotten my attention..... http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/bbq-food-pics/smoked-burgers/msg144586/#msg144586

My greatest failures have been whole birds!!  I have yet to do a whole chicken that didn't come out underdone - even when I temp it ..... I am soooo afraid of dry that it comes out with Dark meat bloody at the bone.   Frustrating.

 

@chuck s

Several things you can do about that......

Brine the bird, 3~4 hours can be good enough usually for whole (some people do more).....too much & it can get salty....
Great for moisture.....

Cook starting off breast down, then flip over 1/2 way thru your estimated time.....people do that with turkeys with great results all the time......should help some with chicken, even though I've not actually seen info on it......

Cook high enough heat so it gets done without 'the chance' to dry out.....moving thru the cook quickly usually has better (read crispier) skin, plus you get the heat down into the hard to reach armpits, etc. before the breast areas even knew what hit...............

Inject the areas (or all over) that tend to go dry, to start off with extra moisture to give you an unfair advantage against the dreaded dryout......

[chuck s]

Several things you can do about that......

Thanks @1buckie - I cut and pasted that info into my "things to know" folder.... I will try it and see how it goes .....
"I Think I Can.... I Think I Can..... I Think I Can"     

Or in the words of the great Yoda ... "Do or Do not.  There is no try."  

[Chuck]

@chuck s I had the same problem as you with whole birds when I was starting out. What's worked out best for me overall is to brine for 4-8 hours depending on how big the bird is to help keep the bird moist as Buckie said. I also learned to spatchcock the chicken and (optionally) remove the rib bones. I season it up and onto the 350 degree grill. I have a charcoal basket on the left and right sides of it splayed out. An hour fifteen to an hour thirty later I'm taking it off to rest before serving.

Using the above method I've found that cooking and getting the meat to about 10-15 degrees over the recommended temp gets an almost perfect bird each time.