From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Bar-B-Q
Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2001 17:29:01 -0400

James Turner wrote:

> F Y I
> I was thinking about getting a table top Bar-B-Q for camping this year
> and had seen an ad on TV for a portable Thermos Grill 2 Go.  They sell
> for $200 US and the ad said that it was USA only.  Today I got a flyer
> for the local Wal-Mart here in BC Canada,  and the price in the flyer
> was $188.93 canadian every day low price.  Now that is about $120 US.  I
> am going to 'Wally-World'  today and have a good look at one and if any
> of you are also thinking of one of these , the Wal-Mart item number is
> 1601627.
> JT

I know you probably want a gas grill but as a charter member of the
Society for the Prevention of Flavor Cruelty to Perfectly Innocent
Meat, I just gotta try and talk you out of it :-)

Before you buy, take a look at the Weber Lil' Smokey.  I think that
Weber makes the best grills out there.  The lil smokey is small
enough to fit in most RV storage areas and has the added benefit of
being air tight so that the coals can be extinguished after use and
used again.

Another alternative, the one we use on the road since I don't have
space for even the Lil Smokey, is the steam table pan grill.  Here's
a photo:

The grill is the replacement lava rock (not meat) grill that Home
Depot sells.  The pans are half length disposable steam table pans.
Sam's, some grocery stores and any restaurant wholesaler sell 'em.
About 50 cents each retail.

The bottom pan is empty.  The top pan has a layer of dirt, sand,
gravel, kitty litter, etc under the charcoal to insulate the
aluminum from the fire.  We use a chimney to start the fire but
liquid starter will work too if you can stand the taste.

For storage, the grill goes in a plastic garbage bag and the two
pans fit inside each other.  I get 4 or 5 uses out of a  pan before
it is too distorted to keep.

One thing I really like about this setup is that it cooks VERY
fast.  I like to cook grilled/braized meat rapidly. Keeps it tender
and juicy.  A steak comes off nicely charred on the outside while
retaining some pink on the inside.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Bar-B-Q
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 03:12:32 -0400

Mark wrote:
>
> Dot asks:
> >Will you explain "use a chimney to start the fire"?
> >
>
> 1) Take a 2-3 lb. coffee can, remove the top and bottom.
> 2) Remove the grate from the BBQ.
>
> 3) Fill the coffee can with charcoal, raise up a bit and let some out the
> bottom. Ideally, the can should sit about 2 layer off the bottom of the
> charcoal.  BTW, if the can is laying on it's side... you did it wrong.
>
> 4) Charcoal ligher fluid the bit sticking out the bottom, and maybe some in
> side the coffee can.
>
> 5) Light from the bottom.
>
> 6) Coals are ready to use in anywhere from 5-20 minutes.
> 7) Remove the can with a pair of tongs by lifting slowly straight up.
>
> The heat going up the coffee can (chimney) will start the coals going faster.

That's the idea except that for somewhere around $7-12 (more if you
buy a yuppie brand), one can buy a ready-made unit at most any
hardware store, home depot, etc.  At that price, even as an SMS
member, it's not worth making something.

John

From: John De Armond
Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.rv-travel
Subject: Re: Bar-B-Q
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 03:22:10 -0400

Jay Denebeim wrote:

> In article <3ACF869D.D39399AA@bellsouth.net>,
> Neon John  <johngdDONTYOUDARE@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> >I know you probably want a gas grill but as a charter member of the
> >Society for the Prevention of Flavor Cruelty to Perfectly Innocent
> >Meat, I just gotta try and talk you out of it :-)
>
> Oh?  Perhaps your resturant is worth going to then :-)  How deep does
> the smoke ring get into your briskette(sp)?

Well, I consider brisket to be only for those poor uninformed people
(all of the state of Texas, for instance) who have not yet
discovered REAL (pork) bar-b-que.

That said, about an inch.  More on the pork.  12-14 hours on a
hickory fired open pit does the trick.

>
> >Before you buy, take a look at the Weber Lil' Smokey.  I think that
> >Weber makes the best grills out there.  The lil smokey is small
> >enough to fit in most RV storage areas and has the added benefit of
> >being air tight so that the coals can be extinguished after use and
> >used again.
>
> Well, honestly, I do use gas when I'm on the road, mostly because
> charcoal is slower than gas to start.  With gas we can pull off to the
> side, light up, cook our burgers, and eat 'em, by which time the grill
> is cool enough to put away.  You can't do that with charcoal
> unfortunately.

Bet I can do the charcoal within 15 minutes of what it takes the gas
grill.  Besides, we're camping and not surfing a Daytimer, right?
The fire starting chimney starts the charcoal VERY rapidly,
especially if one uses a Starter Logg (waxed sawdust) instead of
paper.  I can cook faster than with gas and get that char that only
charcoal gives.  When it's over, the briquettes either go in the
fire pit (if I'm camping) or get hosed with a spray bottle filled
with water until cool and then into the garbage (if I'm traveling).

Good food is too important to me to rush :-0  Besides, it's very
relaxing to sit there and stare off into space while watching the
chimney gradually get red hot :-)

John