However, for those of us who enjoy this delicious crustacean, it is certainly worth paying attention to where the lobster is sourced from, how it’s prepared, what it’s served with, and, as we’ll discuss today, what’s the best wine with lobster. Pairing wine with seafood, in general, is an exciting endeavor in and of itself.

With the many flavors of the ocean at our disposal, there-in lies a seemingly endless array of possibilities to choose from when it comes to wine pairings. This is one reason why I particularly enjoy seafood: the sheer quantity of edible options literally floating around is astounding!

Types of Lobster – Quick Look

Before we dive into pairing wine with lobster, however, let’s take a quick look at the creature itself. While I could spend a great deal of time discussing the variety of lobsters found across our planet, I’ll instead categorize them all into two groups: Clawed lobsters and Spiny lobsters.

Clawed Lobster

I’d venture to say what most people think of when the word lobster is brought to their minds is a Clawed lobster – a lobster with two large claws at the forefront of the body. These are the lobsters you are most likely to see on display in a tank of water while at a seafood market or a high-end steakhouse.

Spiny Lobster

Spiny lobsters, on the other hand, are quite different from Clawed lobsters even though their bodies have many resemblances to each other. The notable difference in appearance between the two is that Spiny lobsters lack claws at the head of the body, instead having large antennae that give it its “spiny” characteristic. Both types are edible, and both are delicious!

Best White Wine With Lobster

When it comes to pairing wine with lobster, it’s best to locate a wine that compliments the inherent delicate, sweet flavors found in the lobster meat. While the actual flavor profile of the lobster can vary depending on its preparation it’s a general rule-of-thumb that crisp, delicate, and fresh wines are best paired with this dish.

Chardonnay

This green-skinned varietal, which originated in Burgundy, France is incredibly diverse, not only in terms of where it can be grown but also regarding its flavor profile and what food it can be paired with.

Chardonnay as a wine can range from being rich, buttery, and oaky with notes of vanilla, all the way to being completely unoaked, steely, and crisp with notes of citrus and fruit.

With this wide range of flavor profiles, one can easily imagine the sheer scope of food pairing options available to it.

Generally speaking, California produces a fair amount of Chardonnay that lean towards the more full-bodied, rich, buttery side of the flavor spectrum, while Burgundy produces a host of selections that lean in the opposite direction: more crisp and elegant with plenty of citrus and minerality.

However, California and Burgundy produce plenty of both styles. What’s great about this spectrum differentiation between the two regions is that lobster, in its wide array of preparation methods, can easily pair with wines from either camp.

Lobster that is served in rich, buttery sauces can be complimented by an oaky, equally rich Chardonnay from Napa Valley.

On the other hand, Lobster that has been boiled or baked can go well with a young white Burgundy from Chablis, which can offer up more of a lean, mineral-laden profile. Since there is plenty of diversity to be enjoyed when it comes to both Chardonnay and lobster, the options to explore when pairing both together are bountiful.

Chardonnay Suggestions with Lobster:

• William Fevre, Chablis, Champs Royaux
• Alexana, Terroir Selection Chardonnay
• Sandhi, Bentrock Chardonnay

William Fevre Chablis Champs Royaux

Check Price on Wine.com

Sauvignon Blanc

Like Chardonnay, this varietal is green-skinned and originates from France. While Chardonnay originates from Burgundy, Sauvignon Blanc hails from Bordeaux. Grown across the world this varietal produces an incredibly food-friendly wine that is crisp, dry, and quite refreshing to drink – especially on a hot summer day!

Tropical fruits, white flowers, lush green grass, fresh bell peppers are just a few of the many notes one can smell and taste in Sauvignon Blanc. With this diversity comes a host of food pairing options, and that’s where lobster comes in.

When I envision pairing Sauvignon Blanc with lobster, I picture a succulent broiled lobster that’s been basted with a thin glaze of clarified butter and sprinkled with fresh lemon juice. Simple, delicate, flavorful but not overly robust, this is the kind of food Sauvignon Blanc can truly shine with.

Both the lobster and the wine compliment each other in their restrained expressiveness; one is not dominant to the other. The fresh and zesty citrus notes often found in Sauvignon Blanc can mingle well with the lobster’s sweet meat, savory glaze, and citrus sprinkling.

Sauvignon Blanc Suggestions with Lobster:

• Henri Bourgeois Sancerre, Les Baronnes Blanc
• Cade Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
• Arkenstone ‘NVD’ Sauvignon Blanc

Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Les Baronnes Blanc

Check Price on Wine.com

Riesling

Wine can be a divisive experience in some regards, namely because people have unique palates and their own personal preferences on what they like and don’t like. However, few varietals are so misunderstood and so divisive as Riesling, in my opinion.

Generally regarded as nothing more than a sweet, nectar-like wine that ought not garner a price tag exceeding $15/bottle, Riesling is not taken seriously by millions of wine-drinkers, especially when it comes to pairing it with food.

I’m here to convince wine-drinkers to reconsider. Riesling is a varietal that requires an intimate and oftentimes lengthy courtship in order to understand it – this process is worth every minute, every bottle, every sip.

When it comes to food pairings, Riesling is an absolute powerhouse as it can be paired with sweet dishes, spicy dishes and seafood, as well as garden-driven cuisine.

It has the power to be chalky and full of minerality; yet, it can also be a sweet, borderline viscous wine. It’s a wine that can be amazing when consumed young and ethereal after numerous decades of aging.

When it comes to Riesling I think of broiled lobster as I do with Sauvignon Blanc, and this is mainly due to the lobster meat’s natural sweetness. This sweetness can pair quite nicely with Riesling’s acidity, sweetness, and overall floral & citrus notes.

However, Riesling’s usefulness when lobster is on the menu doesn’t stop there, nor does lobster have to remain within the confines of being broiled or baked when Riesling is being served.

Consider this: Asian cuisine is well-known for its heavy utilization of exotic spices, and that even goes for lobster dishes. A sweet Riesling that has a fair amount of zing from its acidity can not only stand up to spicy dishes; it can be an outright stunner!

The heat of a spicy dish is beautifully counteracted by the Riesling’s sweet, refreshing, and tantalizing flavor profile, all of which comes together for a union that’s sure to impress.

Riesling Suggestions with Lobster:

• Domaine Wachau Federspiel Terrassen Riesling
• Schloss Vollrads Riesling Kabinett
• S.A. Prum, Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese Riesling

Domane Wachau Federspiel Terrassen Riesling

Check Price on Wine.com

Best Red Wine With Lobster

However, don’t let this generalization limit you to just white wines! Yes, believe it or not there are some great red wines that are equally suited to being paired with lobster. Whether white or red, let’s dive in and see what friends lobster has in the world of wine.

Pinot Noir

The final varietal I’d like to discuss is Pinot Noir. However, I will preface this by saying that I’d like to limit this discussion to just one region: Burgundy

This famous wine-growing region in France is known for producing some of the finest wines in the world (and some of the most expensive), which goes for both red and white wine. Alas, Burgundy as a region (and France as a country) can offer wines ranging from a few dollars per bottle to tens-of-thousands of dollars per bottle and everything in between.

The options are wonderful, and the quality is remarkably consistent across the price spectrum. Burgundy as a region is well-known for producing Pinot Noir as its dominant red varietal and Chardonnay as its dominant white varietal.

Wine in Burgundy is classified according to the geographic location of where the fruit is sourced from. This classification system generally denotes overall quality, as well.

For the purposes of our discussion, I’ll be limiting us to only Regional and Village wines. Regional-level wines are made from grapes that are sourced from all over Burgundy.

For these wines you will see the word “Bourgogne” on the label, which is French for “Burgundy.” Stepping up one notch on the classification ladder are Village-level wines, which are made from grapes that are sourced from a more select area of Burgundy.

The wine label for a village-level wine will have the name of the actual village (or commune) on it, such as Chablis, Pouilly-Fuissé, Moulin-à-Vent, and Nuits-St-Georges, to name a few.

Pinot Noir Suggestions with Lobster:

• Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Bourgogne Rouge, Grand Chaillots
• Joseph Drouhin Cote de Beaune
• Louis Jadot Pommard

Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Bourgogne Rouge Grand Chaillots

Check Price on Wine.com

Pinot Noir, in general, is a food-friendly varietal and can be enjoyed with a multitude of cuisines from all over the world.

From the ripe, fruit-forward Pinot Noirs found throughout California’s winegrowing regions to the more earthy, savory Pinot Noirs found in Burgundy, the ability to create an experience at the dinner table that is centered around this varietal is quite easy to do.

When it comes to pairing lobster with a Bourgogne Rouge (a regional red wine from Burgundy) the preparation of the lobster ought to be considered, just as it must be for the prior varietals we discussed. Lobster Thermidor comes to mind when thinking about a pairing with Burgundian Pinot Noir.

Rich, savory and very flavorful, Lobster Thermidor is a French dish that comprises cooked lobster, brandy, egg yolks, and oftentimes a cheese, all of which is combined to form a creamy mixture that is then poured inside of the lobster’s shell and cooked in the oven.

A great deal of Pinot Noir from Burgundy exhibits an overall flavor profile that is full enough in body to withstand the richness of Lobster Thermidor without overpowering the senses.

Burgundy Pinot can oftentimes exude notes of bright red cherries, sweet tobacco leaves, crushed gravel, iron, and even clove and menthol. This spectrum of smell and taste ensures for a flavorful yet balanced approach to enjoying a luxurious dish like Lobster Thermidor.

Best Wine With Lobster – Wrap Up

Lobster is a delicacy, and it ought to be treated as such. We pay careful attention to how the lobster is caught, how it’s stored (whether alive or not), how it’s prepared, and how it’s ultimately served and enjoyed.

From the time it’s caught to the time it’s consumed; a lot goes into getting a lobster to the dinner plate. The same can also be said of wine when it comes to getting it into your glass.

Pairing these two labor-intensive delicacies with one another is truly a heavenly match and can evoke emotional responses ranging from excitement and exhilaration all the way to serious, inner contemplation at just how amazing the two are for each other.

While lobster can oftentimes be viewed as a serious dish that ought to be reserved for special occasions, try and have some fun with this pairing – let’s call it experimenting in style! And whether it causes a smile from ear-to-ear, or just a satisfied mmmmm, enjoy the experience, enjoy the journey, and happy sipping!

Looking for more wine suggestions?  Check out these posts next:

• Best Wine With Steak
• Best Wine With Salmon

The post Best Wine with Lobster – Our Pairing Suggestions & Guide appeared first on Own The Grill.

These BBQ canopies are specifically designed to go over grills, and provide both shelter and ventilation so that you can grill safely under the surface.

In this article, we’ve done the research and compiled our top picks for the best grill gazebo on the market.  We’ll review each of our choices, then offer a few buying tips to keep in mind when you compare different grill gazebos.

What is a Grill Gazebo?

If you’ve never heard of a grill gazebo before, they’re basically your traditional outdoor canopy with a few upgrades specifically designed for use over a grill.

Most are designed with a dual tiered roof to allow for maximum airflow and extra ventilation.  The idea here is to make sure smoke from your grill or smoker has a path to escape instead of damaging your canopy’s fabric.

The best grill gazebo is ideal for grilling and smoking both in rainy and sunny weather.  When it’s sunny out, the canopy will shield sunlight and UV rays from pounding down onto you while you grill.  It definitely can cool the temperature of your outdoor cooking station by a significant amount.

BBQ canopies are also ideal for grilling in the rain or using smokers in the rain, electric or otherwise.  A proper grill gazebo will do a fine job of keeping rain off of your grill and your food while you cook.

In addition to all of that, they can provide a great aesthetic and presence to your patio or outdoor cookout!

Best Grill Gazebo Reviews

Mastercanopy Grill Gazebo

MASTERCANOPY Double Tiered Outdoor BBQ Canopy

Check Price on Amazon

For our top choice for the best grill gazebo, it’s hard to look past the Mastercanopy Grill Gazebo, which is a great option for both rainy and sunny weather.

The powder coated steel frame is rust proof, and 6 poles are used to support the top gazebo shelf giving it plenty of structure and stability.  The canopy is also vented and double tiered, which is a critical design element for use over a grill.

Not only does the vented and double tiered top allow for grill smoke to escape, the ventilation also helps to provide stability in windy conditions.  The grill top fabric is UV treated, water resistant, fire retardant, and does a great job of repelling light to medium rain.

Another design feature that comes in handy is the inclusion of two shelves that can be used to place beverages or food on.  One of the shelves also comes with 8 accessory hooks where you can organize and store your grill accessories.

The footprint of this grill gazebo is 8′ x 5′, so it’s large enough to cover almost every type of grill, but it’s also a manageable size to transport and store while not in use.

It’s also offered in a few different colors, depending on your taste!

• Khaki
• Brown
• Burgundy
• Khaki with brown stitching
• Brown with khaki stitching

Coen Double Tiered Grill Gazebo 

Coen Soft Top Brown Double Tiered Canopy

Check Price on Amazon

The Coen Grill Gazebo is fantastic from an all around quality perspective – but it comes with a downside.  The price is pretty high relative to the other choices on this list.

Even though the price is high, this gazebo still offers great bang for your buck.  It just might be more ideal for experienced pit masters or those who are going to use their BBQ canopy on a more consistent basis.

Every component of the Coen Gazebo is heavy duty and built to withstand even the most adverse weather conditions.  In particular, the roof and drapery is a significant upgrade over the other models on this list.  It’s made out of polyester outdoor performance fabric that does a fantastic job of blocking sunlight and even heavy rain.

The powder coated steel frame is thick, rust resistant, and comes with a few great features built in to help make life easier for you as the pit master.

It’s designed with multiple hooks and baskets for easy access tool storage, and two large area shelves are built into either side of the frame.  You can easily prepare your meal, serve buffet style, or just place your drinks on these shelves.

The extra area footprint and open design makes this the best grill gazebo for entertaining large groups of guests, rain or shine!

Kozyard Outdoor 10’x13′ Grill Pergola

Kozyard Outdoor 10'x13' Extra Large BBQ Grill Pergola

Check Price on Amazon

If you’re in need of a larger solution, the Kozyard Morgan Extra Large Grill Pergola is an ideal choice for your patio.  It’s designed to be a more permanent solution in your outdoor cooking area at home, and is not ideal for on the go grilling.

But, if you’re looking for the best grill gazebo for use at home, this is undoubtedly a great option to look at.

With a footprint of 10′ x 13′, you’ve got a more than generous amount of space to work with underneath the pergola cover.  In fact, you’ll likely be able to fit your grill, a table, and 4 chairs all beneath the same cover.

The canopy fabric blocks UV rays and is fire resistant.  The material is versatile and can easily be folded and stretched without damaging the fabric.

Since the general design of this canopy is so open, you really don’t need to worry too much about smoke damaging your cover.  It’s got great natural airflow and ventilation while blocking sunlight and rain over your grill set up.

This is also one of the best grill gazebos purely based on aesthetics – the rustic design looks great on just about any patio.

Sojag Outdoor Dakota Hardtop Gazebo

Sojag Hardtop Gazebo Outdoor Sun Shelter

Check Price on Amazon

The Sojag Outdoor Dakota Steel Hardtop Gazebo is another premium choice that’s meant to be a permanent addition to your outdoor patio.

This product takes the term “heavy-duty” to the next level.  As far as durability goes, you aren’t going to find a better choice.  You could grill under this thing in snow and sleet, let alone a little rain.  It goes without saying that this thing does not move at all in the wind.

If you’re in need of a true all season grill gazebo, you’d be hard pressed to find something that will better suit your needs.

The entire gazebo is made of galvanized steel – including galvanized steel roof panels.  It’s a strong and beautiful design, and makes a statement in your backyard.  There’s also a protective powder coated finish on all of the poles and roof panels – which eliminates the risk of rust and corrosion building up over time.

The tiered roof and open design provide maximum air flow and ventilation, ensuring that smoke has plenty of paths to escape your cooking area.

It also comes with two built in extra large side shelves that provide ample space to help prepare or serve your food.

Gazebos for Patios 8’x 5′ BBQ Grill Gazebo

Gazebos for Patios 8' x 5' BBQ Canopy

Check Price on Amazon

If you’re on a budget, the Gazebos for Patios BBQ Grill Gazebo gets our top budget choice.  It’s the most price friendly option we could find out there while also maintaining an appropriate level of quality.

With 8′ x 5′ dimensions, it offers a reasonable amount of space to work under.  It also has a double vented roof that’s made of an oxford fabric with UV protection for use under the sunlight.

The downside of this grill gazebo is that it’s really only good for use in sunny conditions or light rain.  Compared to the other products on this best grill gazebo list, the Gazebos for Patios can’t handle very much rain.  Anything more than light rain will likely result in water dripping through to you and your grill.

Aside from that, this is a solid BBQ canopy, is easy to set up, and comes with two shelves built in for organization space while you cook and serve your food.

Things To Look For When Comparing

While many of the gazebos on this list might seem similar, there are a few nuances that differentiate each of them.  Here are some things to pay attention to when looking for the best grill gazebo.

Portable vs Permanent

Are you looking for a gazebo to take with you on the go to tailgates or on camping trips?  Or are you looking for a more permanent covering in your patio at home?

The answer to those questions can make a huge difference in which product is best for you.  Some grill gazebos are suitable for both on the go use and daily use at home, but some are better suited for one or the other.

Generally speaking, the more permanent at home gazebos are a little more expensive – but also much more durable.  That’s just something to take into consideration.

Roof Quality

The material used to construct the roof of your gazebo is probably the most important thing you should pay attention to.  If you live in a cold weather climate, you’ll want something more durable that can handle heavy rain and snow.

On the other hand, if you live in a more moderate climate where it doesn’t rain quite as much, you can probably get away with a cheaper, lighter fabric on your roof.

Not all grill gazebo roofs are created equal, and if your primary purpose for purchasing one is to be able to consistently grill in the rain, just make sure that the roof is rated to handle the rain levels you plan to grill in.

Footprint

Obviously, you should measure out how much space you’d like to be covered by your BBQ canopy.  Bigger grills and smokers will require a bigger canopy to be fully covered.

Also think about if you hope to be able fit chairs and tables under your canopy.  If you do, just make sure to measure out the space needed and get a canopy that’s big enough for your needs.

The standard grill gazebo size is 8′ x 5′ which is plenty of space to adequately cover most grills.  Sizes go up from there depending on the manufacturer.

Extras

Picture the sort of cookouts you plan to have with your grill gazebo – what do they look like?  Do you have a need for storage space and other organization features.

Things like accessory hooks and tool storage might be a must for some but take it or leave it for others.  Some BBQ canopies come with lots of storage features and some come with none.

The other extra we like to look at is shelf space.  Shelf space can come in really handy in a few different scenarios.  It’s ideal to have lots of space to aid while you prepare your food, and it’s also ideal for serving food buffet style too.

Final Thoughts

I hope this post has helped to point you in the right direction in your search for the best grill gazebo!  These contraptions are great compliments to any outdoor patio or grilling set up, and can be extremely valuable during rainy days or the scorching hot summer.

Which one did you end up with?  We’d love to hear about it in the comments section below!

The post Best Grill Gazebo – Shelter Your Grill or Smoker With a Proper BBQ Canopy appeared first on Own The Grill.

Amongst other things, they are especially known for being one of the top producers of American Wagyu Beef.  And if you’re the type to frequent top end restaurants, don’t be surprised if you come across their products for sale at some of the highest rated steakhouses in the country.

Snake River Farms also employs a farm to table model, where you can buy many of their products online and have them delivered directly to your doorstep.

We’ve known Snake River Farms by reputation for a while and decided that it was time to see what the hype was all about – so we initially ordered one of their Gold Grade American Wagyu Traditional Ribeye steaks and fired up the grill.

Spoiler alert, the results were excellent – and nowadays we order Snake River Farms three to four times per year for special occasions.

In this Snake River Farms review we’ll go over everything you need to know about the company, the products they offer, and share details on what you can expect from the experience of ordering from them online.

About Snake River Farms

Snake River Farms and their sister operation, Double R Ranch, are family owned and operated ranches that have dedicated themselves to being one of the highest quality beef and pork producers in the United States.

The ranch was founded in 1968, and part of what makes their operation unique is that they place a tremendous amount of focus on every single step of the animal’s lifecycle.  This attention to detail and animal nutrition forward approach is what allows them to provide the best products possible to your doorstep.

Sustainability and Animal Well Being

I also love this about Snake River Farms – they are totally committed to sustainability and the well-being of their animals.  Here are just a few of many practices they have implemented to ensure a high level of sustainability:

• The majority of their cattle feed is sourced from suppliers within 150 miles of their feed yard locations
• Water reclamation projects reduce water use by up to 40%
• Cattle waste is composted and recycled into fertilizer for use by local farmers
• Low stress animal handling techniques
• Cattle are checked daily for health
• Fresh, high quality feed is replenished twice a day and fresh water is available around the clock for all cattle

What Makes the Meat So Good?

To understand what makes the quality of Snake River Farms beef so good, you need to have a little bit of background on Wagyu beef and Berkshire hogs.

Snake River Farms Beef

How Their Meat Is Different

Wagyu is a Japanese breed of cattle that are especially known for their incredible flavor and tenderness.  In particular these cattle are laden with intra-muscular fat cells, which melt and render during the cooking process to flavor the beef and keep it tender.

This intra-muscular fat is commonly referred to as “marbling” – and Wagyu beef is the best of the best when it comes marbling.

A New Frontier

In the 1970’s, Wagyu cattle began to be imported to the USA and bred, leading to a boom in the availability of quality American Wagyu beef stateside.

Wagyu is so good in fact that it’s graded on a completely different system than most beef in the USA.  In the states, the Department of Agriculture has a grading system for beef that consists of Choice (safe to eat but average quality), Select (good quality), or Prime (the best quality).

Most of the Wagyu you’ll find at restaurants and at Snake River Farms would grade well above beef that is Prime rated by the USDA.  Wagyu is graded via a precise Japanese grading system that incorporates scores for the beef’s marbling, color, fat color, texture, and firmness.

Snake River Farms initially imported Japanese Wagyu (before it was made illegal in Japan), and bred them with Angus beef to create a new breed of American Waygu – which yield unbelievably high quality beef.  You can read more about the differences between Wagyu and Angus beef right here if you want to learn more about this topic.

Snake River Farms Pork

While their beef gets most of the glory, Snake River Farms pork is top notch quality too.  Specifically, they have a wide offering of Kurobuta pork – which comes from Berkshire hogs.

Kurobuta is considered to be the Wagyu equivalent for pork, and Snake River Farms is one of only a few brands that offers pork from 100% pure breed Berkshire hogs.  The meat from these hogs are known to be extra tender and juicy with a touch of sweetness to them.

What to Expect Ordering Online From Snake River Farms

My experience with Snake River Farms was the first time I’ve ordered beef online before – so I didn’t know what quite to expect.

After all, beef and pork are perishable goods.  So at the least I was intrigued to see how they would handle delivering high quality perishables through the mail.  Here’s a rundown of how it works when you order from Snake River Farms.

Placing Your Order

Snake River Farms has a clean, aesthetically pleasing website that’s easy and intuitive to browse around.  The user experience is really nice and what you’d expect of a quality online shopping experience in this day and age.

After you’ve selected your beef or pork, you’re directed to a traditional checkout experience.  Enter your address, enter your billing info, and then it’s time to coordinate your delivery date.

Since they’re shipping perishables, a little bit of planning has to go into the logistics process.  Essentially, they ship your meat frozen and vacuum sealed in a cooler full of dry ice to ensure that it remains safely stored.

At the time of this writing, Snake River Farms can deliver on Wednesday through Saturday.  Simply pick the day of the week you want your food delivered, and you’re good to go.  It’s very important though to ensure that you’ll be home and available to receive delivery of your shipment – so be sure to mark your delivery date down in your calendar.

Receiving Your Meat

As mentioned above, your meat is vacuum sealed and delivered in a cooler that’s full of dry ice.

Here’s what their box and packaging looks like.  The shipment even came with a reusable cooler!

Be careful when you unpack the food as dry ice is so cold that it can actually burn your skin if you touch it directly.  Dry ice is used to ensure that the meat stays properly cold and frozen during delivery.

You can stick the package in the freezer or move it straight to the fridge if you’re planning to cook it soon.  A frozen steak takes about 24 hours to thaw after you place it in the fridge, so it’s best to schedule your delivery at least a day ahead of the date you plan to cook it.

Inspecting the Beef

Now for the fun part!  Any time you hear “Wagyu” or are paying this kind of coin for a cut of meat, you want to be dazzled by the quality of the cut.

I was impressed to say the least with my Wagyu ribeye.  It came with a healthy amount of white, translucent fat, beautiful marbling, and a vibrant red hue.  It also had a really nice firmness and texture to it.

The page I ordered off of said that the steak would be 1.5″ thick and on average 1.2 pounds (so about 19 ounces).  The steak I got came right in at 1.5″ thick and 18.5 ounces… close enough!

Perhaps the coolest part of the steak I got was the massive ribeye cap section – which is rare to find at a local grocer or butcher and contains some of the most legendarily tender and tasty beef you can find.

The Results

Snake River Farms Gold Grade Ribeye

I wanted to go for a maximum sear on the outside of this steak, so I opted for a flat top cooking surface instead of a traditional grill grate.

So I put a little bit of oil in a cast iron skillet to sear each side for about 4 minutes, then I finished it off in the oven until the center reached an internal temperature of 125°F (measured with a probe thermometer) for medium-rare doneness.

The great thing about cooking in a pan or skillet is that your steak ends up with an incredible, consistent crust on the entire outside.

After that, I let the steak rest for a little less than 10 minutes, then it was time to slice and dig in.

It was unbelievably good.

Part of making great food at home is knowing how to cook, for sure.  But this experience was a reminder to me that the quality of your ingredients are often the most important factor when it comes to making a delicious dinner.

You can check out the exact Wagyu Ribeye cut that I ordered right here:

Snake River Farms American Wagyu Gold Grade Ribeye

Snake River Farms' top of the line ribeye steak is hand cut to 1.5" thick.

Check Price on Snake River Farms

Snake River Farms Tenderloin Roast

For the holiday season I decided to treat the family to a beef Wellington on Christmas Eve. Even though I only needed the center cut section of the tenderloin for my recipe, I went ahead and ordered a whole tenderloin.

I was glad that I did! The tenderloin was huge, weighing in at almost 6 pounds.

I had a lot of fun butchering the beef too – the center section of meet I needed was only about 1.5 to 2 pounds, so that left a lot of other meat to work with.

All in all, I ended up with a 2 pound center cut section for my beef Wellington, plus two thick filets, five petit filets, and about 1.5 pounds of cubed and bite sized meat pieces that ended up going in a Mongolian beef dish later.

All of the meals we made with the Snake River Farms tenderloin were unbelievable – the meat was unbelievably tender and packed with beefy flavor.

Here are a couple of photos from our Christmas Eve feast:

And here’s a link to the same tenderloin we ordered:

Snake River Farms American Wagyu Tenderloin Roast - Gold Grade

The Snake River Farms Gold Grade tenderloin roast is an elegant and luxurious cut that is beautiful roasted whole or cut into filet mignon steaks or smaller roasts.

Check Price on Snake River Farms

What’s on the Menu at Snake River Farms?

They are probably most known for their American Wagyu beef steak cuts, but Snake River Farms actually has a fairly extensive menu to order from.

Beef:

• Various Steaks
• Various Roasts
• Wagyu Brisket
• Burgers and Hot Dogs (yes, Wagyu!)
• Wagyu Beef Short Ribs
• Specialty Cuts (Picanha, Tri Tip, Bavette, etc.)

Pork:

• Pork Chops
• Kurobuta Pork Ribs (Baby back, spare ribs, etc.)
• Kurobuta Pork Roasts
• Bacon

Additionally, they have a wide selection of gift packs that provide you with a sample of multiple types of meat.

Snake River Farms Pros and Cons

Overall, my personal experience with Snake River Farms was a great one, and I’ll definitely be back in the future for more.  Here’s a quick list of the upsides and downsides of ordering with Snake River Farms.

Pros

• The quality of their meat is undeniably good.  Whether you’re in the mood for American Wagyu beef or Kurobuta pork, they are definitely at the top of the list of quality American purveyors of these types of meat.
• They use sustainable ranching practices and have systems in place to ensure animal well being.  While this may not be the biggest deal to some, it’s certainly a big consideration for me to make sure that I’m supporting sustainable producers.
• Their shopping experience is simple and effective.  Ordering Michelin star restaurant quality beef and pork is made super easy on their website.
• The shipping process is straightforward too.  All you have to do is pick a date and they’ll deliver your meat, properly and safely packaged.
• Snake River Farms has great customer service.  If you have any questions, concerns, or issues with your order, their customer service team is easy to get ahold of and very helpful.

Cons

• The price of many of their cuts of meat are very expensive, especially compared to what you’d find locally.  Of course, the quality of Snake River Farms meat is some of the best in the USA – so many think it’s justified.  There’s no doubt though that it’s not exactly the price range that most people can afford to eat on a regular basis.  For me, I view Snake River Farms beef as a “treat yourself” kind of experience.
• There are limited options for fresh meat.  This one makes sense, as there’s only so much you can do when you’re shipping farm to table.  But if you swear by fresh meat – the options are a little more limited and you’ll have to pay $50 in overnight shipping to deliver any fresh, not frozen beef or pork.

Snake River Farms Review – Final Thoughts

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to try Snake River Farms out, I’d say they are definitely worth ordering from at least once.  It’s expensive, and maybe not realistic to order multiple meals from them per week.

But if you are looking for a glorious steak to celebrate a birthday or accomplishment – you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to order beef from.  You can find everything from ground beef for burgers to massive tomahawk steaks on their menu.

At the end of the day, there’s a reason you’ll see the Snake River Farms name appearing on the menus of some of the finest steakhouses in the USA.  It’s not by accident – their beef and pork are in the conversation for the best of the best when it comes to American beef and pork.

Have you tried Snake River Farms before?  What did you order?  And how did you like it?  I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments section below.

The post Snake River Farms Review: American Wagyu Delivered to Your Doorstep appeared first on Own The Grill.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try out the Slow and Low Collection from Certified Piedmontese, which featured some pretty spectacular cuts of beef.

What you may not know is that Piedmontese is actually a specific breed of cattle that are known for being particularly healthy and tender relative to many other breeds.  Not only that, but Certified Piedmontese raises their animals with responsible and resource friendly methods to ensure sustainability into the future.

You might come across their product at various restaurants and steakhouses across the country, but they actually have a ranch to table business too, which I was fortunate enough to get to experience.

In this article, I’ve compiled my thoughts for a review of Certified Piedmontese.  I’ll share a little bit about their story and then everything from receiving beef through the mail to putting it on the smoker for some delicious BBQ.

About Certified Piedmontese

A Special Breed

Before we get into the company itself, it’s helpful to have a quick primer on the Piedmontese breed of cattle.

The breed originated in a region of northwest Italy called Piedmont, which borders France and Switzerland and also sits at the foot of the Alps.

These cattle featured a particularly dense muscular makeup compared to regular cattle, and featured less marbling than your traditional cattle too.  For those of you who really know your beef, that might be a red flag – after all, fat marbling is what typically gives beef it’s flavor and tenderness as it renders while you cook it.

But the other unique thing about the Piedmontese breed of cattle is that their muscle fibers remain incredibly tender relative to your typical cattle.  That means the end results of your food remain delicious and tender even without a high amount of fat marbling.

From a nutritional perspective, this beef has fewer calories, less fat, and higher protein on a per ounce basis compared to other types of beef, making it a great choice if you’re looking to incorporate some healthier meat into your diet without sacrificing flavor.

Certified Piedmontese Great Plains Beef

Shop Certified Piedmontese

The CP Ranch

The Certified Piedmontese operation is a ranch to table operation that ultimately allows you to experience this special breed of cattle by delivering beef right to your doorstep.

They utilize a wide variety of standards, such as tagging technology, DNA testing, and third-party auditing to constantly ensure that the beef they produce is of the highest quality.

The animals themselves are raised on ranches in the Midwest, many of which are in Nebraska.  The cattle are grass fed and a local aquifer is used to help sustain the feeding and raising of the cattle.  They also don’t use any growth hormones, antibiotics, or any other unnatural additives in the raising of their animals.

What Does Certified Piedmontese Offer?

The short answer?  Just about any beef cut you can imagine, you can get from the Certified Piedmontese website.

For the Grill

If you’re more of the grilling type, they have a wide variety of steaks, ground beef, and other cuts that you can throw on the grill for a delicious dinner.  Some of the highlights are:

• Filet mignon
• Boneless ribeye
• T-Bone
• Tomahawk ribeye
• NY strip
• Chuck eye
• Skirt steak
• Picanha
• Bavette steak
• Flank steak
• Much more

You get the idea.  No matter which cut of beef you fancy on the grill, odds are you’ll be able to find it on the CP website.

For the Smoker

On the other hand, if you are more of the type to low and slow cook some BBQ on your smoker, they also offer the following cuts:

• Competition Brisket (they expertly pre-trim it for you)
• Rib roast
• Tri-tip
• Chuck roast
• Sirloin roast
• Beef Ribs
• Much more

Gift Boxes

Typically when I’ve gone through the trouble of ordering beef online, I like to get my money’s worth and load up all at once.  Certified Piedmontese makes this easy too with their offering of assorted gift boxes.

Essentially, they offer themed packages that are loaded with delicious cuts of beef so that you can order once and try out a bunch of different types of meat.  For the steak lover, they have various gift boxes that feature a handful of different types of steak.

For the BBQ lover, they have gift boxes that come with different tasty cuts that you can throw on the smoker for a good old fashioned cookout.

The great thing about the gift boxes too is that they come in a bunch of different sizes.  So if you have a huge budget, you can load up on a big time amount of beef all at once (see the Presidential Freezer Filler).  On the other hand, there are some budget friendly sampler gift boxes that get you some great product at a lower price.

Certified Piedmontese Beef – My Experience

I was fortunate enough to get to experience the Slow and Low gift box, which came with some of my absolute favorite cuts.  My box came with:

• 1 Chuck roast (48 oz)
• 1 Tri-Tip roast (32 oz)
• 1 Competition cut brisket (144 oz)
• 1 Meaty beef back ribs (64 oz)
• 1 Picanha (32 oz)

To say that I was excited to get these cuts on the grill and smoker was an understatement.

All of the beef came in a neatly packaged box, which arrived on my doorstep.  Inside the box was a sealed styrofoam cooler, and inside the cooler was a glorious pile of beef that I couldn’t wait to get into.  There was a small pack of dry ice in the cooler which kept the beef frozen while it traveled.

The beef was vacuum sealed and completely frozen when it arrived to my doorstep.  From there, I simply transferred the beef over to my freezer until it was time to thaw it out before the cook.

Inspecting the Beef

Right off the bat, I noticed that the deep red hue of the meat.  Maybe the lower amount of fat marbling content had something to do with the red popping in the meat.  Either way, the vibrance of the beef was something that I found to be pretty unique about the beef I got from Certified Piedmontese.

And what they say on their website about the fat marbling is true.  There is noticeably less fat running throughout the muscle fibers on all of the cuts I got compared to other breeds of cattle that I have bought in the past (like Angus and especially Wagyu).

Being a brisket guy, one of the first things my eyes were drawn to naturally was the competition cut packer brisket.  Not only was it a beautiful cut of beef, but you could definitely tell that it was expertly trimmed.  The flat section was squared off and there was just a perfect, uniform trim around the rest of the brisket.

As much as I love the whole process of cooking a brisket, it was really nice to be able to just pull this bad boy out of the packaging, throw a simple rub on it, and have it be ready to go right on the smoker.

How Did it Taste?

At the end of the day, taste often is the turning point as to whether or not something is worth ordering.

I’ve already been able to get into some of the beef from my slow and low box, and the short story is that it is really, really good.  Especially considering how much healthier it is than other more common breeds of cattle.

Here are some of the results from grilling and smoking the various meats I got from Certified Piedmontese:

Competition Brisket – the best part about the brisket, other than the taste, was that the cut came pre trimmed.  It was so nice to just be able to pull the beef out of the package, season it, then place it on the smoker.  The results were spectacular.

Before:

After:

Meaty Beef Back Ribs – these were super solid.  They took about 6 hours to finish on the smoker and came out with a really nice bark, wonderful beefy flavor, and incredible tenderness.

Picanha – we did picanha skewers on the grill – and boy were they tasty.  I was very impressed with how tender this cut of beef was even after not spending a particularly long time on the grill.

Tri-tip – similar to the picanha, the tri-tip was really tasty and incredibly tender.

The Beef Club

Last but not least, CP offers a Beef Club – which is essentially a subscription based model where you can have hand picked beef sent to you monthly or quarterly, depending on your preference.

It’s a great option if you know you’re sold on their product and don’t want to have to worry about getting online to constantly set up orders.  They also do a great job of mixing up the product they send to you from time to time – so you can expect to get some classics regularly but also some new cuts to try out with each delivery.

Final Thoughts on Certified Piedmontese

If you were on the fence about trying out Certified Piedmontese, I hope this article helped you figure out whether or not you want to give it a go.  For me, I love the uniqueness and flavor of their product and plan to incorporate CP beef into my BBQ rotation for the future.

At the end of the day, they offer some very healthy, tasty beef, and they also make things super convenient by shipping straight to your doorstep.

Have you tried their products out before?  What do you think?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.

The post Certified Piedmontese Review – Healthy Beef Delivered to Your Doorstep appeared first on Own The Grill.

We’ve created a list of the best meats to smoke, but “best” doesn’t necessarily mean easy, although there is definitely some overlap between the two lists.

Some cuts of meat can also be much more expensive than others and you wouldn’t want to ruin a good cut. So, always follow the best meat smoking tips and choose the right methods to ensure that you are smoking the meat in the best way possible.

Whole Chicken

A whole chicken is one of the easiest meats to smoke. It is also cheap, so you won’t feel too bad if you happen to make a mistake and it doesn’t turn out the way that you wanted. Salt and pepper are enough to season it unless you are feeling creative.

You can also purchase a chicken rub or create your own. Most people find the best success smoking whole chicken for 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature is about 164 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you don’t want to get into a whole chicken, smoking chicken thighs is pretty easy to do as well.

Pulled Pork

Pulled pork is the best meat to smoke if you are completely new.  Even if you aren’t a beginner, it’s a bona fide classic that’s worth going back to for BBQ night.  It is well-marbled which means it is very forgiving when it comes to smoking. It is also much cheaper than other kinds of meat which makes it great for experimenting and trying for the first time.

Pulled pork or Boston butt with the bone still in it will usually give a better texture and can naturally infuse flavor much better. You can use any kind of wood for smoking pulled pork because it tastes good with all kinds of flavors. Most people still stick with a neutral one though to make the process easier.

Smoke it for about 4-5 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Then wrap it and put it back in the smoker for 4-5 hours. To get the best texture that isn’t too stringy, smoke it until the temperature is about 199 degrees Fahrenheit.

Almost any kind of rub works for pulled pork so you can use something that’s already in your cabinet for the most cost-effective method. Some people choose sweet rubs for a more delicate taste. If you like spice, you can also use paprika or chili powder.

Pork Ribs

There are many types of ribs out there, but pork ribs are the easiest option for smoking. Pork ribs can also use a sweet rub like pulled pork, so you don’t need to buy additional seasonings. Most people find the best method for smoking pork ribs is to smoke it, wrap it, and then smoke it again.

Smoke it first for 3-4 hours and try not to open the lid to avoid temperature spiking. It should be smoked at a temperature of about 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Afterward, wrap it in foil and put it back in the smoker for 1-2 hours.

Then, unwrap it and put sauce on the ribs. Put it back in the smoker for another hour or so to finish it up.

Beef Brisket

When you think of legendary BBQ, briskets and ribs might be the first things to pop into your mind. Briskets are not the easiest meat to smoke, but beginners can still give it a try if they remember a few things.

The hardest part of brisket is the amount of time it takes – and other than a few general “good-to-knows”, there isn’t some magic bullet for making a good backyard brisket.

Beef brisket will often take longer to cook than you may have planned, so always start earlier than you think you need to. This is especially important if you have guests or need to have everything done by a certain time.

Always use a water pan and a proper brisket rub. The brisket will need to be smoked for 10-16 hours at about 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beef Cheeks

Beef checks are great for low and slow-smoking. Always start on the low setting and let it cook for about 30 minutes. This will infuse that smoky flavor that beef cheeks benefit the most from. After 30 minutes, turn the temperature up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Smoke it at a high temperature for 2-3 hours. Then, braise them in a baking tray for another 2-3 hours in broth or liquid. The internal temperature should be about 205 degrees Fahrenheit when you take it off the grill.

Chicken Breast

Chicken breasts are fairly easy to smoke, but they can dry very easily. A brining method is recommended because it will keep the meat very moist. Any kind of rub will work for seasoning, so make sure to use one to add extra flavor.

Carefully watch the temperature to make sure it doesn’t get dried out quickly.

Sausage

Any kind of sausage is great for beginners to try smoking meat. This includes bratwurst. They are also cheaper than other kinds of meat and sold just about everywhere. It can also add a smoky flavor to many dishes.

Remember that any kind of sausage will need time to cool off. Don’t serve them right after they are done cooking to avoid burning your mouth.

Lamb Shoulder

Lamb is also great meat for beginners to smoke, but a less common one. Lamb is an excellent choice and is great if you are tired of other meat varieties. The main reason it is so great for smoking is that it is a dense meat that allows the connective tissue to break down easily.

This makes the meat extra tender and keeps the moisture locked in.

Lamb Leg

If you are feeling like having even more lamb, try to smoke the leg of the lamb as well. If your local market has the shank end and the upper sirloin end, choose the fatty sirloin for smoking. The fat will melt away slowly while being smoked and will make the meat extra tender.

Most lamb legs will need to be smoked for at least 3-4 hours.

Whole Turkey

Much like whole chicken, the whole turkey is also great for smoking. It has very lean meat and cooks much quicker than other meats you might have smoked in the past. Turkey also absorbs flavors very easily, so it makes a great smoky flavored meal.

Tips for Smoking Meat

Now that you know the best kinds of meat to smoke for beginners, let’s review some basic tips to make sure the smoking process is easy. Following these tips can make sure there is less mess and less wasted time.

Use a Water Tray for Meats That Cook for a Long Time

As the temperature of meat rises, it will begin to lose moisture. Most moisture is lost through the surface, so trying to keep it wet will ensure that your meat stays juicy. Place a tray of water in the smoker.

It will keep the smoker more humid and lessen the effects of evaporative cooling. The added humidity will keep the meat more tender and will also decrease your cooking times.

Always Keep the Lid Closed

I know, I know.  It’s tempting to open the lid and admire your work.

The problem with that is opening the lid can cause the temperature in the smoker to change very quickly, even if the lid is only open for a few seconds. This could add time to your cooking and make your meat take much longer to be done.

Try and only open the lid when you absolutely have to and when you are actively cooking.

Start Low and Slow

The whole point of smoking is to gradually cook the meat. No meat can be smoked quickly and still achieve the same quality of results. Slow cooking time will also allow the tissues and collagen to break down properly in the meat. The slower it breaks down, the moister and tender the meat will be.

Pushing the meat to be done faster will waste the quality of the meat, so make sure to only smoke it at the advised temperature.

Always Start Earlier Than You Think

You can’t rush outstanding smoked meat.   Giving yourself extra time to smoke the meat will make sure it stays cooked low and slow. Make sure to invest in a warming tray or insulated box in case your meat gets done before the company arrives.

Cooking faster if you’re not on schedule could ruin the meat for everyone. So, always give yourself ample time when smoking meat.

Pay Attention to Your Smoke

Some people think that more smoke will make the meat more flavorful, but sometimes it is actually the exact opposite. More smoke can make the meat taste bitter which is less than ideal.

Pellets may cause less smoke and that’s okay. Don’t let the amount of smoke affect your cooking too much and never try to add more smoke. Most professional meat smokers say that the best smoke is a thin-blue stream. This will make the meat smoky and not bitter.

Final Thoughts

Smoking meat is a great way to feed people for a family get-together or event. It can also make a great meal and let you showcase your grilling skills. It also makes the meat much more tender and juicier than traditional grilling.

Always start with one of the meats on this list and follow the tips to ensure you have the best quality smoked meat possible. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try all the choices.

The post Our List of the Top 10 Easiest Meats to Smoke appeared first on Own The Grill.

Every fire pit should have a quality furniture set to help your guests enjoy their visit. There are a ton of options, making it hard to choose. You will not want to pick the first random set of chairs that you find on sale, as they might not last you very long.

If you want to check out the best cooking fire pit, you’ll really understand why chilling next to the fire is one of the greatest things ever. 

Best Fire Pit Chairs – Our Top Picks

Polywood Adirondack Chairs

Polywood Classic Folding Adirondack

Check Price on Amazon

These chairs come in just about every color imaginable – meaning you can easily use them with any decorating theme you already have. The first Adirondack chair was created in 1903 by Thomas Lee. He wanted a durable chair that was still comfortable to sit on, which led to this design.

Since then, many companies have entered the scene with variations in color and materials used. Polywood uses a proprietary material, which is very durable. It requires little maintenance, so you can expect it to last you much longer than wood would. The chair will only need to be lightly cleaned here and there.

As an added benefit, the brand says that the chair uses a fade-resistant material. That way, you can be certain that the color you decide on will stay forever.

Pros

• Comfortable, recognizable design
• UV color protection
• Made from recycled materials

Cons

• Don’t fold without disassembly
• A bit pricey

Achla Designs Curved Backless Bench

Achla Designs Curved Backless Bench

Check Price on Amazon

Bench seating is comfortable and helps everyone feel connected to one another around the fire. This option is curved, allowing you to better place them around your pit. Bench seats are becoming more and more popular, so you will want to take advantage of this new trend.

The curved shape of the bench lets it fit around any round fire pit comfortable. However, if you have a square pit, you might want to use straight benches. That way, your space will feel a bit more balanced.

The benches are backless, making them feel more open. They work perfectly for your gatherings because of this feature.

Pros

• Easy to space evenly
• Keeps everyone close to the fire
• Keeps people from feeling crowded
• Creates a matching theme and balance

Cons

• Sold individually
• Likely need assembled

Lakeland Mills Log Lounge Chair

Lakeland Mills Cedar Log Lounge Chair

Check Price on Amazon

These rustic chairs look perfect beside a fire. They are comfortable and have a unique design. Plus, the price is fair for the high-quality that you get with your order. The shape of the chair is why it got a high ranking, however.

The design of the Lakeland Mills Lounge Chair makes this chair very comfortable to relax in. That way, you and your guests can spend a nice evening outside. We also appreciated the natural color and texture of the wood material, which was chosen for its benefits.

The wood, which is cedar, repels insects and is resistant to outdoor conditions. You can feel confident that this purchase would last you a very long time.

The biggest downside to this item is that you need to stain it yourself, so it comes in pieces. However, assembling and staining the chair could be a nice weekend project outside. The chair looks complicated, but many users said that it was easy enough to assemble with the given directions, so you do not have to feel overwhelmed.

Pros

• Great price
• Comfortable
• Made from a durable, resistant wood

Cons

• Needs to be stained and assembled before use

Giantex 4 Folding Chairs

Giantex Set of 4 Folding Outdoor Chairs

Check Price on Amazon

If you need to provide a lot of seating, this 4 pack of chairs can be helpful. To put it into perspective, you get 4 for a similar price to the log lounge chair we discussed above- which would be a good value for the price.

Plus, these chairs can fold easily, which makes them easier to store or move around the yard. If you enjoy camping, you could take them with you- without sacrificing much of your needed car space.

The chairs are pretty comfortable, according to users. Since they are easy to move, your guests can place them as far or as close to the fire pit as they want- allowing them to be more comfortable.

The chairs are made from an elastic material that is durable and breathable. The brand says that you can sit in them comfortably for a long time, since that material adjusts to the shape of your body. Overall, the chairs are convenient and cozy.

You will probably not want to leave them outside all of the time, just take them out when you need them. Users had some issues with pieces rusting.

Pros

• Great value
• Easy to transport and store
• Made from breathable and stretchy elastic

Cons

• Bolts may rust if left outside too long

GCI Outdoor Fire Pit Rocker

GCI Outdoor Low Rocking Chair & Camping Chair

Check Price on Amazon

You can get one of these fire pit rockers for a great price. They are portable and fold easily. Even if you are not a fan of the design, these chairs are very convenient and comfortable to have around any fire pit.

While the chair is very light, the steel frame allows it to hold up to 250 pounds, which is good for many people. The best parts? It can rock gently and comes with a cup holder. Users mentioned that it was very relaxing to sit in and made their time by the fire more enjoyable and comfortable.

It also has plenty more uses. You can take it with you on a trip, for camping, or for hanging out on the beach. It would also be great for fishing and more.

Pros

• Cup holder
• Rocking feature
• Lightweight and easy to fold up

Cons

• Low to the ground
• Material is prone to tears

Keter Rio 3 Piece Resin Wicker Furniture Set

Keter Resin Wicker Patio Furniture Set

Check Price on Amazon

This furniture set includes 2 resin wicker chairs. The material they are made from is durable and looks like woven rattan. You also get a matching table with your order. We appreciated the small table, since it would be perfect for setting snacks and drinks on while at your fire. Plus, it looks nice on your patio or other areas of your yard.

The set only comes in one color, which the brand calls “whiskey brown”. It is a pleasant, dark, and neutral color- which would match just about anything you already own. Users said that the chairs felt stable on the ground and they loved the design.

However, you will need to put in a little bit of time to maintain your new furniture set. The company recommends that you clean the chairs with some water to remove dirt. Then you use a gentle detergent and rinse the material off well. Finally, make sure to dry them with a towel.

That process can be time consuming, but it will need to be done if you want to keep your new chairs and table looking nice.

Pros

• Comfortable
• Easy to build
• Durable and stable design

Cons

• Need to be cleaned
• Require time consuming maintenance

Lifetime Faux Wood Adirondack Chair

Lifetime Faux Wood Adirondack Chair

Check Price on Amazon

These chairs seem to go on sale often, so you may be able to score a solid deal. They also come in a wide range of colors! Overall, they are pretty comfortable and made from the same material as our number 1 pick.

This material is known as Polywood. It resembles real wood but is more resistant to water, making it perfect for outdoor use. The material will also resist color fade, as it has UV resistance. Plus, it will not chip like paint.

However, we could not rank this option higher. The chair is very difficult to build. If you want to try it, we recommend that you read the instructions thoroughly a few times. It could also be worth looking up a video guide online.

That being said, this chair requires no maintenance. Simply rinse it with water if you feel it needs cleaned. It is worth noting that it is a bit pricey when not on sale and is very heavy, weighing 300 pounds.

Pros

• Comes in many different colors
• Made of Polywood
• Easy to clean
• Comfortable

Cons

• Frustrating to assemble

Lakeland Mills Cedar Log Loveseat

Lakeland Mills 4-Foot Cedar Log Love Seat

Check Price on Amazon

If you decide to order the brand’s log lounge chair, you could organize a rustic set. The log loveseat is also made from cedar, which is highly resistant to insects. Users enjoyed the curved shape of the arms, which made sitting on it more comfortable.

The bench is a bit heavy, weighing about 60 pounds. The pieces are not assembled and need to be stained before you use them outside. The process does not take too long, but can be complicated if you have never done a project like this before. The company does have an online tutorial that you can follow, which helps a lot.

It is worth noting that users said it changes color in the rain. You will want to keep it dry as much as you can, if you do not want that to happen. Overall, we think the design is pleasant and the chair is pretty affordable. It would be fun to sit next to your guests and cook over the fire.

Pros

• Made from insect repelling cedar
• Offers online tutorials
• Comfortable
• Pleasant design

Cons

• Needs to be kept dry

Patio Sense Coconino Wicker Chair

Patio Sense Coconino Wicker Lounge Chair, Mocha All Weather Wicker, Beige Cushion, Adirondack Style Armchair

Check Price

The Patio Sense chair is perfect for any type of weather and has a fun, stylish design. The chair is pretty low maintenance to clean and is made from a stainless steel frame. That keeps it light, yet durable.

These chairs are great for sitting around a fire pit, but also look great on your patio or deck. They are easy to move around as you need to and are not too hard to assemble. However, users mentioned that the bolts have a tendency to rust. You will want to keep them dry when you can.

We appreciate that the brand gives you the option to buy the chairs individually or in a set with a table.

Pros

• Comfortable
• Lightweight
• Easy to put together

Cons

• Bolts tend to rust

HAPPYGRILL 2 Piece Adirondack Armchair

These little armchairs look great in any setting. They can hold up to 350 pounds and are made from durable acacia wood- which is already stained for you. The materials should help to keep the chair water and insect resistant.

They come in a set of two. That way, you can get a better value- especially if you are going to need a few more for your guests. They are nice for sitting around a fire pit and look great on patios.

However, users have mentioned that they are not the best quality available. Some chairs have scratches or other marks on them.

Pros

• Comes in a set of two
• Made from acacia
• Already stained

Cons

• May come with defects
• Could be a better quality

Fire Pit Chairs Buyer’s Guide

If you are considering buying the best chairs for your fire pit, you will want to think about a few different things first. By doing so, you can be confident that you got the right product for you and your loved ones to use around the fire.

This general guide should help you out, so be sure to stick around!

Comfort

You should always consider comfort first. Especially if you are going to be spending a lot of time sitting in these chairs with your guests. Their design and patterns will not matter when they are too uncomfortable to sit on.

You will probably want a chair that comes with some cushions. If they do not, it would be a good idea to add a few of your own.

Function

Next, you want to be sure that the chair suits the functions you need it to. Will it be primarily a fire pit chair or will you also want to use it for camping or other activities? Will the chair sit on your deck or patio most of the time?

You probably want to ensure the chair is great for hanging out around a fire (or portable propane fire pit) at night, but also good for sitting outside and relaxing on your own.

You might also consider a chair that has more than one purpose in mind. Maybe the chair folds back for lounging or it has a cup holder for your drinks.

Maintenance

Outdoor chairs need to be able to withstand damage from the elements. If they are in the sun for long periods, you also want to be sure that they will not fade. It helps if you have an awning or porch over your outdoor furniture, if you plan on leaving them outside 100% of the time.

Some chairs will need to be cleaned more often than others. You will want to look into how much time it takes to wash them. Usually, you will want to get a chair that is simple to clean.

Storage and Transportation

Many people also like their chairs to be easy to move around and store. Often, they will go with you on various outdoor trips, so it is helpful if they are lightweight and can fold up.

However, if you do not plan on taking your fire pit chairs anywhere, you can always opt for the heavier models. Just remember- you need to be able to carry it to the backyard and set it up.

Overall Quality

You will want to check out reviews online to determine if the chairs are a good enough quality. They should be able to last you many years, especially if you are paying good money for them.

Design

The design will also be up to your preferences. You can choose the size and shape, plus what colors you want. You will want to pick a style that matches your space, so you can create a nice layout for your visitors.

Overall, you will want to find a comfortable chair that suits your needs. There are plenty on this list that you can choose from, so we are confident that you can find a nice option for your yard here.

What Else to Consider

Before you buy your chairs, make sure that you consider how you are going to arrange the furniture. It helps if you look up the measurements of the items. You will want to take this additional step to ensure that you have enough space available for your new fire pit chairs.

You will also want to arrange the furniture to create a space where conversations can happen. That means that you want people to be able to face one another without furniture being between them.

If you want, you can also use a mixture of different types of furniture at your fire pit. You could have a few arm chairs and maybe a backless bench and some small tables. That way, people have more options for where they can sit. People tend to move around at gatherings, so you want to give them the choice of where to sit when you can.

Finally, you will want to consider the weather your area experiences the most often. Will your guests be uncomfortable on a hard chair or will it be too cold? You will likely want to add some cushions to your outdoor chairs.

FAQs

People ask a lot of questions about fire pit chairs online. We gathered all of the most common ones here. If you do not see yours, do not hesitate to reach out to us.

What are the best chairs for a fire pit?

The best chairs for a fire pit fit around it well, without taking up too much space. You will not want your guests climbing over each other just to get around. We recommend that you choose comfortable chairs that will not make your space feel crowded.

Curved, outdoor benches are our favorite option. They offer plenty of sitting space and keep everyone close on a cold night. You can put a couple around your pit for a nice, balanced affect.

How big should the seating area be around a fire pit?

In general, you want to have 7 feet of open space around it. That way, people can move around with ease and no one has to get too close to the fire. It also gives your guests the choice to move closer or further away- so they can stay warm or cool.

Are Adirondack chairs comfortable?

Plenty of people think so. The brand designs them with a slanted shape, making them perfect for reclining in. You can make them more comfortable by using cushions, pillows, and maybe some throw blankets with them.

The Adirondack design has been very popular for many, many years. If they were not comfortable, they would probably have stopped being one of the top choices for outdoor chairs a long time ago.

Where should you put a fire pit in your yard?

Fire pits need to be a safe distance away from your house and your neighbors’ houses. You will want to make sure that they are also far away from fences, branches, and other structures that would catch fire easily. It may be a good idea to look into the guidelines for your local area.

Best Fire Pit Chairs – Final Thoughts

Those were our top picks for the best fire pit chairs. Our overall favorite was the fire pit bench seats. They give you plenty of sitting space and look nice around your fire. Plus, you will get to be close with your family and friends as you enjoy the cozy fire.

When determining what type of chair you want to buy, there are plenty of different options available to you. You will want to think about the comfort, design, function, and how easy it is to move the chair. Many people prefer lighter ones, since they also want to bring them camping or on other trips.

If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to us. We always enjoy hearing from our readers.

The post Best Fire Pit Chairs: Our Top Choices Reviewed and Rated appeared first on Own The Grill.

So if you’ve experienced a little bit of sticker shock when you saw the prices of a few drop-in grills you were checking out, you aren’t alone.

But there are actually a few reasonable explanations as to why built-in grills are so expensive – and we’ve created this resource to help go over the reasons why.

Hopefully the answer to “why are built-in grills so expensive?” this will shed some light on your research process and help you decide which grill is the best fit for your needs.

6 Reasons Why Built-In Grills Are So Expensive

A built-in grill is essentially a permanent fixture – many times you’re going to pay somebody to come install and hook up your grill, and there’s no turning back once you’ve cut into your outdoor kitchen counters to install your grill.

This concept underscores the reasons why built-in grills are so expensive.  Any time we are talking about installing something permanently, the last thing you want is an appliance that is poorly made and not built to last.  Instead, you want something that’s built to perform at a high level for a really long time.

Craftsmanship and Precision

The first reason that drop-in grill are so expensive is that generally speaking, they are designed with a very high level of craftsmanship and precision.  These grills need to be able to work perfectly in a built-in configuration, unlike freestanding grills that can be placed anywhere outdoors on a flat surface.

The stakes are much higher, from a design perspective, when the product needs to:

• Fit into a countertop configuration with minimal clearing space
• Hook up to a gas connection
• Be easy for any professional to install
• Retain heat consistently
• Have a sophisticated grease management system
• Reliably cook food
• Be easy to use

You can start to see how it would require some smart engineers and designers to put together a high end grill that isn’t going to disappoint once it’s permanently installed.  These grills aren’t some generic design with a private label brand slapped on top of them.

Premium Construction Materials

Earlier, we brought up the concept that these grills are designed to be permanent fixtures in an outdoor kitchen.  As such, it would be kind of disastrous if you were to install one just to have the entire thing turn into a pile of rust after a couple of years.

So with that in mind, built-in grills are expensive because they are built with the highest quality materials.  Very often the chasis (aka the outer shell) of the grill is forged of a high end stainless steel with a polished or perhaps a chrome finish.

The shell of the grill is visually the first part of the grill you look at, but the quality of all of the other parts in a built-in grill need to be top quality as well.

Burners and grates particularly come to mind here.  The burners obviously are the source of heat for the grill – they need to be reliable in terms of heat output and be able to withstand heat, smoke, and drippings that will inevitably come into contact with the burners.

The grates also need to perform and last a long time.  Most built-in grill grates are either high quality stainless steel or porcelain enameled.

Heating Power

Most built-in grill burners are more powerful than your average grill burner, by a pretty wide margin.  It’s not uncommon to see burners on a high end grill that are 2-4x more powerful than your run of the mill grill.

This means a few different things.  First, built-in grills are generally better at reaching scorching hot temperatures – which is ideal for searing a perfect steak.

Second, more powerful burners means less preheating time, so these grills will ignite and get up to temperature in no time.

Finally, since the burners don’t have to struggle to reach hot temperatures, these grills are much more consistent than your average freestanding grill – especially when the heat is turned up.

Liners & Insulated Jackets

Built-in grills are, well, built-in to a countertop. In many scenarios, the surface or materials of the cabinet that houses a built-in grill are combustible materials.

When this happens, it’s crucial for the grill to sit in some sort of liner, or an insulated jacket as they’re known in the industry. It’s an important safety feature that shouldn’t be skipped.

And you guessed it, most grill brands that make built-in grills make a matching insulated jacket – which is undoubtedly made of similar high quality materials. This adds to the cost of a built-in set up.

Many Are Made In the USA

All things equal, products designed and manufactured stateside are going to be of a higher quality – but also more expensive to make.

This point kind of goes hand in hand with some of the points we’ve already made above – since quality materials and design fidelity are SO important for a built-in appliance, companies are reluctant to outsource manufacturing overseas.

In stark contrast, almost 100% of the cheaper freestanding type grills are manufactured overseas.  Even your household names like Weber, Traeger, and many more are not made in the USA.

Extra Features

Many built-in grills are loaded with “extra” features that don’t come standard on a regular grill.

Since a well designed, high quality built grill is already going to be kind of pricey, the clientele most of these manufacturers are going after don’t necessarily mind paying a few hundred extra bucks for things like included infrared burners, rotisserie kits, griddle cooking surfaces, and the like.

Final Thoughts

There’s our quick rundown to answer the question “why are built-in grills so expensive?”.

While there are a handful of specific reasons to point to, it ultimately comes down to the fact that these grills are permanently installed into an outdoor kitchen or BBQ island – and you simply don’t want to end up with a product that is going to erode in quality after a year or two of use.

If you’re looking for a bargain built-in, check out our Cal Flame grill review next – the Cal Flame brand offers some of the most affordable built-ins on the market at the moment.

The post Why Are Built-In Grills So Expensive? appeared first on Own The Grill.

The beauty of getting a BBQ gift for someone is that there are a ton of options available to you, from getting a premium grill set, to personalized grilling aprons or a series of meat spices and oils to bring a ton of new flavors and options to your grill. There are tons of grilling accessories to choose from, so you will never be short of gifts to buy.

There are gift ideas to suit almost any budget and some excellent ideas for even the most well-equipped BBQ fanatic.

We have put together this list of some of our favorite BBQ gift ideas to help you find the perfect present for your favorite grilling enthusiast.

Best BBQ and Grilling Gift Ideas

Personalized BBQ Tool Set

If you want to give your friend or loved one something special this summer, why not consider giving them a personalized grill set?

You can allow your imagination to run wild here, getting their beloved grilling equipment named, or go for something a little more fun and quirky. You could even get individual grilling tools and personalize them, or a specific premium grilling tool as a crowning jewel of any grill set.

BBQ Cookbooks

There is a range of awesome BBQ cooking books out there, from famous and well-regarded chefs all over the world, taking inspiration from various regional and national cuisines. You could also look for smoker cookbooks to introduce the avid barbecue fan to a new style of bbq cuisine or help provide them with inspiration for their next day of grilling.

Great BBQ Cookbook

Smoker Cookbook: The Ultimate Smoking Meat Cookbook

Check Price on Amazon

Premium Meats

It’s never been easier to pick up world class beef online. Whether your loved one loves steaks or BBQ brisket, there are companies out there that will deliver out of this world beef to your doorstep.

One of our favorites is Snake River Farms, an American Wagyu ranch that produces some spectacular, albeit pricey steaks, roasts, and more.

There are other great choices for different price points too. Holy Grail Steak lets you order some of the world’s rarest Japanese Wagyu – and places like Porter Road will send you incredible USDA prime beef to your doorstep.

Snake River Farms American Wagyu Gold Grade Ribeye

Snake River Farms' top of the line ribeye steak is hand cut to 1.5" thick.

Check Price on Snake River Farms

Grilling Tools Starter Kit

With this stainless steel grilling kit, they will never have to worry about buying another one again thanks to how well stainless steel handles grease and heat.

The set includes everything they need to cook any delicious barbecue dish, including a grill pan, tongs, spatula, skewers, and a thermometer. It even comes with a recipe book so they can follow along with step-by-step instructions.

Cast Iron Skillet

A proper cast iron skillet will last you years if cared for properly, so it makes sense to invest in something sturdy that won’t break the bank.

Not only are cast irons great to have in the kitchen, but they can be used in conjunction with smokers and most grills. One of our absolute favorites is smoked mac and cheese – which is made in the kitchen on a cast iron skillet then transferred to the BBQ so it can absorb delicious smokey flavor.

Backcountry Iron Smooth Cast Iron Skillet (12 Inch)

Check Price on Amazon

Premium Thermometer

A high end wireless thermometer is an excellent choice for both grilling and smoking BBQ. These probe thermometers allow you to monitor your cook from afar and ensure perfect results every time.

While there are plenty of choices out there, we particularly love the Meater thermometer – which gives a reading for both your food’s internal temperature and your grill’s ambient temperature at the same time.

Top Wireless Thermometer

MEATER Plus | Smart Meat Thermometer with Bluetooth | 165ft Wireless Range | for The Oven, Grill, Kitchen, BBQ, Smoker, Rotisserie

With 165 feet of range and a dual sensor probe, it doesn't get much easier or more accurate than the Meater Plus.

Check Price on Walmart Check Price on Amazon

Grill Brush

If you don’t want to go for a full on tool set an prefer to keep things simple, a good old fashioned grill brush is a great gift that will get plenty of use.

The best grill brushes will keep your grill clean and shiny, so it looks great and lasts longer, preventing rust of old grease from affecting the quality of your food.

A scraper is useful for scraping off excess fat from meat before serving also, allowing you to ensure you get all of the juiciness but avoid the worst of the fat and grease.

Top Grill Brush

GRILLART Grill Brush and Scraper

Check Price on Amazon

Portable Grill

If your loved one already has a grill set up for the back patio, a portable grill could be a great gift.

The best portable grills can cook food just as well as some of their larger counterparts – and they’re light enough to take on the go for a camping trip or a tailgate.

Best of all, there are portable options for just about any price point. A basic yet quality portable charcoal grill can be well under $100 – and higher end gas and pellet fueled options can be closer to the $500 price point.

Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill

Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Weber

BBQ Apron

A barbecue apron is a great gift idea as it is something that is really practical, but also something that you can personalize to make it even more thoughtful or humorous.

It will help to reduce the chance of burns or spills ruining clothing, which is important when grilling or BBQing as there can be a lot of grease and fat spitting up at the griller.

Steak Branding Iron

A branding iron will allow your grilling fanatic to put the perfect final touch on every steak they make, allowing them to literally create their own steak ‘brand’ or simply impress guests with the level of effort that has gone into preparing their steak.

This is a really fun and thoughtful idea, and you can even find branding irons that allow you to customize the lettering. Alternatively, you could get one made specifically, although this may be a little more expensive.

BBQ Themed Socks

If you’ve got a barbecue lover in your life, then this is the perfect stocking filler. There are some very funny designs out there to choose from, and you can also get them personalized to add a little extra humor and fun.

Jim Beam Bourbon Barrel Cooking Pellets

If the person you are buying a grilling gift for owns a pellet smoker, then a bag of fun flavored pellets is a great choice that will definitely get put to use.

Even if your loved one doesn’t own a pellet grill, wood pellets are a great way to add a smokey flavor to a gas or even charcoal grill. They can be used directly on a charcoal fire or in conjunction with a pellet smoker tube.

One of our favorites is the Jim Beam Bourbon Barrel bag of pellets, but there are many flavors to be found – so there should be something suited for everyone.

BBQ/Grill Caddy

This gift will not only help out at any barbecue they host but it will also look great in their kitchen too! It has space for several different-sized plates, as well as cups, bowls, and spoons so it’s perfect for entertaining friends and family and making it easier to serve up your delicious food or collect the dishes after dinner.

Gourmet BBQ Rubs

A great gift idea for any barbecue lover is a selection of BBQ Rubs. This will include curated spice blends that are used to flavor those tasty foods that go on the grill or smoker.

Whether your pit master prefers to sear a steak or smoke a brisket low and slow, there is a rub package out there that will have you covered.

Premium Herbs & Oils

On a similar note, you could consider creating a grilling themed basket of premium herbs, spices, and oils.

Many pit masters prefer to craft their own BBQ rubs instead of going the store bought route. If that’s the case, pick up some gourmet sea salts, peppers, and olive oils. They will be put to good use and can produce some impeccable homemade spice mixtures.

Bullet Smoker

If you really want to make an impression, you could take a look at picking up a bullet smoker.

The reason we think bullet smokers make such great gifts is because they produce unbelievably good food for how they are priced.

Plus, they’re versatile. They are relatively easy to take on the go and you can smoke a brisket, prepare a Thanksgiving turkey, hang sausages, and more on these bad boys.

Not to mention, many are designed to double as a grill. All around, bullet smokers are one of our favorite smoker types and a great pick up for anybody who loves BBQ.

Top Bullet Smoker

Weber 18-Inch Smokey Mountain Cooker & Charcoal Smoker

Also available on Weber.com

Check Price on Amazon Check Price on Walmart

Store Bought BBQ Sauces

Nowadays, many of the most famous BBQ joints across the USA sell their own branded BBQ sauces in stores – which are typically also available online.

If you are looking for a BBQ sauce recommendation, start with one of our all-time favorites – Aaron Franklin’s Original Texas Style BBQ Sauce.

Franklin Barbecue Original Texas BBQ Sauce

Check Price on Amazon

BBQ Grill Light

A great gift idea for any barbecue lover, a LED grill light will illuminate the area around the grill so they can easily monitor the color of the meat and how the grilling is progressing to ensure the perfect level of juiciness is achieved, no matter what time of day.

Most grill lights are designed to clamp on to your grill’s handle with an adjustable neck, so you can set them at the perfect angle to illuminate your grates.

Grill Fan

If you’ve got a BBQ enthusiast in your life, then there’s no better gift than a grill fan. These fans are designed to keep the air circulating around your BBQ, which means you’ll be able to enjoy the beautiful smells and sounds of the grilling process without having to inhale too much smoke.

Keeping the air circulating can also help keep the grill cleaner, as smoke often builds up and leaves residue on grill tops and covers, so directing this away with a quality grill fan can save a considerable amount of smoke staining.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re planning on giving a gift for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, or just because, there are plenty of ideas here to inspire you to find the perfect gift for any occasion. With a little research and preparation, you’ll be sure to pick out a unique and thoughtful BBQ gift that will leave a lasting impression on the recipient.

The post 19 BBQ and Grilling Gift Ideas – For Those Who Love to Cook Outdoors! appeared first on Own The Grill.

It belongs up on a pedestal, with heavenly, freedom-flavored beams of light streaming around it. Sure, other countries have grills, and they do some juicy, gorgeous things with ’em, but the grill is also an American institution.

It’s up there with apple pie, cold beer, Thanksgiving, and the Super Bowl.

The idea of a sunny day, a high-quality grill, and sharing some outside time with friends over some succulent grill-fresh food and an icy beverage of your choice feels like it should be written into the US Constitution.

But if you’ve never grilled before, and you want to ascend to that shining city of the grill, you can’t just wander up in a comedy apron and a fluffy hat.

You’re going to need a crash course in what to grill, what to grill it on, how to grill, not kill, and how to use your grill to make mouth-watering memories for all your guests.

Put on your big grillin’ britches – we’re about to make you the King, Queen, or Non-Binary Superstar Sovereign of the Grill.

Introduction: Beginning Your Ascent to Grill Royalty

Let’s start with the basics. We all know that a grill-centered cookout is about talk, and laughter, and fun with friends, and grill-fresh flavor-bomb moments that give you memories forever.

But why outside? Why grilling, particularly? What is it about grilling that gives a cookout its special character?

Keeping it Grill: Advantages of Grilling

There are lots of advantages to grilling, particularly in an outdoor environment.

1.   First, you’re in an outdoor environment. Take a breath, look around, it’ll help de-stress you from your normal work environment and the relatively chore-heavy feeling of indoor cookery. Additional bonus – the smells of cooking are enough to make your guests’ mouths water, but don’t collect and sour in your drapes and soft furnishings, so you’re not ‘living’ in a fug of cooking smells.
2.   Low-fat cooking. Grilling proteins with higher fat contents on a grill lets the excess fat drip away either through the bars of the grill or through fat-disposal systems designed to do just that. So, unlike some other cooking methods, your food is not sitting in puddles of fat. Result? Happier hearts all round.
3.   No, really, low-fat cooking. Not only are you using only the necessary amount of fat from your proteins to make them succulent, juicy, and flavorful, the chances are you’re not adding unnecessary extra fats like butter to your cooking.
4.   Vitamins and minerals. Especially in fruits and vegetables, people don’t often realize how little you have to do to lose precious nutritional elements like vitamins and minerals. Grilling helps lock those elements inside, so when you bite into your corn, your peppers and onions, your char-marked stone fruit, or whatever else floats your taste-buds’ boat, you’re getting the maximum nutritional value from your food.
5.   The same is largely true of proteins. It’s remarkably easy on a traditional hob to cook out the nutrients you should be getting, like riboflavin and niacin. The more intense heat of grilling seals the protein, keeping those nutrients inside so you can get a hit of nutrition along with the unforgettable grilled flavor. Additional bonus? Vitamin D – you’re cooking outside, so you could well be getting a hit of Vitamin D from the sun, not to mention the endorphins released by cooking in an outdoor environment.
6.   Company. One of the least likely books you’ll ever find is “Grilling For One.” While you certainly can use your grill for just one plate of food, it’s not really in the grilling spirit. So when the time is right, and with all necessary Covid precautions, why not grill to reduce isolation – call your friends, invite your neighbors, bring some unity to your neighborhood with a hot grill?

Which Foods Can I Grill?

When it comes to grills, there’s not a lot you can’t do, not a lot you can’t cook. Let’s take a run through some of the usual crowd-pleasers, and add a thing or two you may not have thought of.

Meat And Fish

Meat and grills have a great thing going on.

The combination of robust proteins, high heat for searing, indirect heat for cooking, and the option to smoke, char, age, glaze, marinade and dip means you can lose yourself in Meatworld very easily when you bring animal protein and a good grill together.

It’s fair to say that meat and fish are fundamental to the history of the grill as it evolved out of open fire cooking.

Getting a shot of char-grilled protein frequently gave our ancestors the energy they needed to survive. Naturally, then, meat and fish cookery is still an important central element of the grill master’s art.

There is a literal planet full of proteins to try on your grill, and grilling it all mostly depends on time, heat, and good technique. But in terms of America’s Sweethearts of the Grill, here are your top picks.

Vegetables

If the world is your oyster when it comes to meat and fish, the same is even more true of vegetables. There are at least eight different kinds of vegetable (before we even get into fungi or any of the soy or gluten proteins for our vegetarian or vegan selves or guests).

The thing to remember about vegetables and grilling is that some work superbly well as part of the ‘apply heat, change taste and texture’ form of grilling, but not all the vegetables in your cookout have to be cooked.

There are whole worlds of salads that can brighten up a cookout, and you already know which is your favorite – potato salad, green salad, Waldorf salad, etc.

Whatever helps compliment the rest of the food or give you a textural lift or a flavor zing, it’s a valid job for a vegetable.

Vegan Grilling

Buckle up, America – it’s time to accept veganism as valid. In fact, it’s past time. Between 2017-2019, US demand for plant-based products and meat alternatives grew by 31.3%. Vegan business currently generates around $4.5 billion.

With a B. And that’s expected to top $7 billion by 2025. Some predictions indicate veganism may well be the way of the future, with traditional meat projected to be eaten by only around 40% of the global population by 2040.

Time to get your vegan crew, learn something about vegan-appropriate proteins and recipes, and get your vegan grill on.

Oh, and that may not be just a colorful phrase. If you have meat juices dripping and spitting, you’re going to want to keep them entiiiiirely away from your vegan grilling station.

That also includes your utensils. Imagine it as an ethical version of an allergy – if you had friends with a severe nut allergy, you wouldn’t cook their food on the same grill you’d used to roast peanuts, right?

Treat your vegan friends with the same respect – if you want to keep them friendly.

What does vegan grilling entail?

Fruit

As with vegetables, you can tackle fruit several ways at a good cookout. Keep it fresh for use as an ingredient in dessert platters, fruit salads, etc.

Grill it either to change its taste and texture or to render it wetter and stickier and more intense, for, say, an insanely tasty addition to ice cream. Use it as an ingredient in full-on cooked desserts – oh yes, you can, trust us on this, there are recipes to follow.

Or even in some cases use it to add zing to proteins. Fruit is the express elevator to Flavor Town.

Temperature Guide

Knowing the temperature, and knowing the time, are the two great elements of magic in grilling.

On the one hand, getting the temps and times right will enable you to cook whatever you want, however your guests want it, so they carry you shoulder high and sing your praises as Grill-Monarch.

On the other, slightly more serious side, most especially if you’re cooking meat and fish, getting the temperature and time right is crucial to kill any potential bacterial infection, so that your guests have a great time, rather than an upset stomach with possibly serious side effects.

Get your temperatures and your timings right, and everyone has a great day.

Meat

Beef

There’s not just a single cut of meat used at a cookout. Each of the different proteins has different ranges of temperature, but within those, each cut of particular meats has different needs too.

Fortunately, a combination of data from the Center For Disease Control, and the practiced eyes of generations of grillmasters have given us some reasonably hard and fast information to go on.

When you’re new to the grill, you might want to print this section out, till your instincts develop.

Pork

The US pork industry has especially stringent guidelines on the doneness of pork for human consumption. By combining their guidelines with the expertise of grillmasters, we can bring you this ready reckoner for use with any pork you care to cook on your grill.

Chicken

The USDA has strict guidelines on cooking chicken (and turkey) because in terms of meat cooking, poultry is one of the least negotiable areas. You can cook beef rare and still be perfectly fine.

Cook chicken until it’s still pink inside, and the likelihood is it will give you food poisoning. That’s why ‘rare chicken’ is not a delicacy in many (legal) establishments in the US.

Here are your magic poultry numbers.

Lamb

American Lamb has its own range of most successful cooking times for various cuts of lamb. If you’re going to add a little lamb to your life at your cookout, here’s what you need to know.

Processed Meats

The USDA golden rule on ground or processed meats like burger patties and sausages is that they should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160F.

The length of time that takes will be down to individual shaping and thickness of patties and links. Apply a meat thermometer to the very center of the burger or sausage, and if the temperature reading is below 160F, it hasn’t been cooked long enough.

Fish And Seafood

With fish and seafood, the FDA recommends certain procedures even before you bring them home. Check for fishy odor – if it smells fishy, leave it there. If it smells like the sea, bring it home.

The cuts of salmon and tuna are less exact than those for meats like beef and pork. As such, you’ll need to make liberal use of your food thermometer when cooking fish and seafood.

Vegetables

As with some of the seafood grilling, vegetables are a moveable feast on the grill.

In the first place, there are vegetables you’ll cook directly on a hotplate area, and others you’ll wrap or parcel up in aluminum foil.

Those you could direct, you’ll be able to see soften and char. Those you wrap up, you’ll have no alternative but to occasionally unwrap and check for progress.

Where, for instance, if you’re making baked potatoes on your grill, it might take you 15 minutes to prep them and an hour to cook, if your potato is larger, it’ll take longer, and smaller, less time.

Aluminum packages of softer vegetables – peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc – will take significantly less time to cook, because the heat has less work to do. Check them after 20 minutes, and see if they’re done to your taste.

Harder vegetables like pumpkin, you can afford to leave a little longer. As you might expect, the thickness of your cutting has an impact here too – the chunkier the cut, the longer it will take to soften and cook the vegetables.

Corn tends to be a special case if you’re cooking it on the cob. Ideally, keep it in the husk if you can, and cook it for around 15 minutes directly on the surface of the grill, turning as the husk blackens. That should get you super sweet corn ready to yield to your teeth.

Vegan Grilling

At this point, you’re unlikely to be making your own vegan substitute burgers, sausages and ribs unless you’re deeply into the lifestyle.

Follow any packaging instructions if you’re buying your vegan patties and sausages pre-shaped, but you shouldn’t need long to feed your vegans.

The Beyond Burger, a popular choice right now, should take around 3 minutes on each side when grilled.

You’re looking for an internal temperature of 165F on the grill – and don’t forget, either thoroughly clean your thermometer probe between meat burgers and vegan ones, or ideally, have a second thermometer on standby.

If you are making your own vegan substitutes, of course, the cooking time will vary not only depending on thickness, but also on what ingredients you use. Go by eye initially, and by thermometer ultimately, keeping that 165F internal temperature as your guide.

Fruit

Because the variety of options with fruit is so wide, to some extent, it follows the same curve as vegetables.

Smaller, softer fruits in aluminum packages should be checked regularly – more regularly than vegetables because of the higher sugar content.

Determine what you’re trying to achieve – a pulp or syrup, or something with more of the integrity of the original fruit. And check very regularly, every five minutes or less.

With harder fruits like apples, pears, peaches, and watermelons, you may well find yourself grilling them direct on the surface of the grill or on a convenient griddle.

In this case, understand what you’re aiming to achieve – simple grill marks and a char to caramelize some natural sugars? Go by eye and pull the fruit off when the effect has been achieved.

More of a softening and a deeper char? Be brave and leave the fruit to grill for longer. Again, because of the natural sugar content of all fruits, you’ll need to be more vigilant with them than you would with vegetables or proteins.

Keep Calm, and Keep on Grilling

When you’re new to grilling, the biggest challenge can be conquering the fear that comes with a new cooking environment. What about the temperature? How does the grill work?

Hold your nerve. The grill is your servant, not the other way around. There are a small handful of tricks and tips to help you master the machine.

Keep your food moving

Unless you’re dealing with aluminum foil parcels, which will help distribute the heat, don’t be afraid to keep your food moving around.

Sure, with meats and other proteins, ideally, let them get a sear first (you should feel the connection to the grill release a little), but then, don’t be afraid to take control.

Need to render some fat? No problem – take the meat to a hotter part of the grill and get rendering. Need to let a piece of food breathe a while? Take it to a cooler area. Grills can be daunting. Don’t be afraid to grab some tongs and move things around.

Cook over indirect heat

It can be tempting, when you get your hands on a grill for the first time, to assume everything you do has to be showy.

That you have to cook always over direct heat, fast and furious, at 100 miles per hour.

There are uses for the high heat of a grill, absolutely. High heat can give you a rapid sear, sealing the juices inside proteins and giving them an exciting char.

But not everything has to be cooked that way. Once you’ve got your seal, move the food to indirect heat, so that it can do the rest of what it needs to do. So that it can cook more evenly.

If you cook everything on direct heat, what you’ll end up with is the curse of the grill-novice – food that’s charred on the outside, and raw in the middle.

That’s an impressive double-failure, and it’s of no use to anyone. Even your dog will think twice. Not three times, but certainly twice.

Relax. Take a breath. Take control. Remember everything you know about cooking indoors and apply it to outdoor grilling.

Or, if you don’t know anything about cooking indoors, listen to us – indirect heat is your longer-term friend, because indirect heat equals cooking, not just sealing and searing. Take advantage of everything the grill can give you.

Know when things are done

Know when things are done, and don’t be tempted to give them an extra five or ten minutes here or there.

Any professional chef who does that goes out of business pretty fast, because the difference between undercooked, perfect, and overcooked is a matter of minutes – especially on a heat source like an outdoor grill.

How do you know when things are done? Well, we’ve given you some handy time and temp guides for the potentially dangerous part – the meat and fish proteins.

For vegetables, fruit, and any vegan substitutions, don’t be afraid to check regularly if you can’t see the change happening to your ingredients. If you can see it, observe it, and be prepared to back your own judgment of doneness with fruits and vegetables.

And when all else wobbles and you feel uncertain – apply the food thermometer. Cooking is at least in part about chemistry. And chemistry is the science of reactions under particular conditions. In this case, the conditions of time and temperature.

If the internal temperature is what it should be, that’s your cue for action. Do the thing – take the food away from the heat source, before the heat tightens protein strands or weakens cellulose walls and gives you rubber chicken and weak vegetable slurry.

Trust yourself when you can, and trust us in the meantime. Take charge, use your eyes, your charts, and your thermometer. You’ll be fine.

Grill Types: Tips and Tricks

We’ve given you some general tips to boost your confidence when you’re new to grilling.

But there are a whole range of types of grill out there, and depending on which type you have, there are specific things which, if you remember them, will lead you to a happier, more productive grilling life.

Gas Grill

More is not always better. Sometimes, it’s just more.

With a gas grill, you might find yourself in control of tens of thousands of BTUs, especially if you opt for a high end grill. But the key to successful gas grilling is not heat production, but heat management.

Unless you’re confident you need it running at full tilt for specific grilling moments, we suggest turning down the direct heat and using it for the most part like any ordinary stovetop.

When that fails to work, by all means, crank up the BTUs. But it’ll fail to work far less often than you’ll initially imagine.

Charcoal Grilling

The key to successful charcoal grilling is to build your fire well. Ideally, find an open space with good ventilation.

Make sure you buy good quality charcoal – it needn’t be the most expensive, but get a charcoal known for its reliability.

It’s like the gas in your car’s tank. You could probably run it on moonshine and Hail Mary’s – but let’s not, and say we did.

If possible, get yourself a chimney starter. Why? Ease, time, and the avoidance of those earnest, hopeful faces on your guests as you lie to them about it only taking a few more minutes.

If you don’t have a chimney starter, make yourself a charcoal stack. Think squirrels hiding nuts for the winter. In between the charcoals, push balls of newspaper and other natural firelighters – wood shavings and the like.

You want to give your fire as many chances to get started as possible. Light the paper and fire lighting material.

Step away while you still have eyebrows. Let the fire do its thing, and die back down again. Remember, with charcoal, you’re not looking at jets of dragonfire, you’re aiming to cook on ashen coals.

Once you have them, you can grill with confidence. If, as time goes on, the heat seems to be dying down, that’s the time to add more charcoal. Mellow, not manic – that’s the secret to successful charcoal grilling.

Smoker

Smoking is an art all of its own. In some respects, it’s Postgraduate grilling.

You have to understand the mechanics of a smoker, the best woods for different proteins, the different applications of hot and cold smoke, and the length of time to smoke particular foods for.

If there’s one key to getting smoking right at whatever level you do it, it’s not to overdo it. Gentle smoke can be a learning curve. Oversmoking a protein means you’ve wasted the protein.

Aim for a thin whitish-blue smoke from the exhaust, and err on the side of caution when you start smoking. From that, you’ll begin to build up the skills base and instincts you need to smoke more precisely.

Electric Grill

Need one golden nugget about electric grilling? Preheat. Preheat, preheat, preheat.

With most other forms of grill, you’re either forced into this by the necessity of building fires, or you turn a dial and whoomph!

No need to pre-heat, because you suddenly own a steak-blackening dragon. We’re conditioned by most of the rest of our lives to expect an immediate response to the flick of a switch and the flow of electricity. It’s usually instant.

It’s not instant with electric grills. Switch on your grill. Do your prep. Heck, do all your prep. Then come back to the grill, coat it with a cooking oil, and away you go.

Start trying to cook before the grill has come up to temp and you’ll have proteins that refuse to move, and a much harder clean-up gig.

Portable Grill

The trick to portable grilling is to entrust the family member most suited to a career in logistics with the task of transporting the grill – and everything else you need to make it work.

Pick the list-maker in your family – they’re your naturally selected portable grill monitor. There will be many lists.

Fuel, ingredients, serving plates, cutlery, coolers, firelighters, corkscrews or bottle openers – it all needs remembering, it all needs safe transportation, there and back again. Oh – garbage bags, so you can take your detritus away with you.

There’s always something threatening to be forgotten when you roll out the portable grill. Entrust it to the person least likely to mess it up. Also, unofficial tip – they don’t have to cook, and they get to eat first. Turnabout is fair play, after all.

Wood Pellet Grill

There are lots of secrets to unlock about a wood pellet grill – it’s basically a Chinese puzzle box with great food as the reward. It’ll keep you learning and experimenting for years.

One of the first things to learn though is to make use of your upper rack if you have one.

Not only will it give you more space in the grill, which is always useful if your family has driven in and are pretty much contemplating roadkill right now. It’ll also lessen the heat coming off your grease tray.

What does that have to do with the price of cobnuts? Gives you a gentler, more even cook, that’s what. Want the best brisket you can get out of your wood pellet grill? Go up a notch, and alter the chemistry of heat in your grill.

Lid Open or Closed?

Yes. Yes is the answer to this riddle of the ages. Depending on what you want to achieve, it’s right to open the lid, and to close it.

Close the lid and you begin convection cooking for the succulent, tender insides, whether we’re talking about baked potatoes or rib-eye steaks.

That’s all fine and juicy, but most of the time you also want crispy textures on the outside. Fling the lid wide when you want that, it’ll stop the convection cooking and get on with the business of searing.

Searing is fun, it creates what’s called a Maillard reaction – the caramelization of outside fats, for all the crispiness you could want. So – closed=convection=succulence. Open=searing=crispy.

Choose your route to grilled perfection, or better still, mix and match as the cooking time goes on.

Types of Grill Grates

What’s the best type of grill grate for your set-up? Cast iron, just in case there’s another industrial revolution just around the corner? Iron with a porcelain business suit? Stainless steel? Steel in porcelain robes? Naked, hardcore steel?

Honestly, it mostly depends on whether you’re a sports car or a muscle car kind of person.

Sports car? Steel. Excellent, non-stick, works like a bat shot out of a cannon in hell. But, on the other hand, has the equivalent of weak ankles. Blow a tire at that speed, it’ll ruin your day.

Likewise with steel grates, it’s the least durable option, it may well chip or lose its temper. Ironically, it’s the most affordable option too, but you have to treat it like a thoroughbred and not be mean to it, or it will sulk, and break, and destroy your grilling pleasure.

Muscle car? Heavy, powerful, brutally durable – that’s your cast iron option. The kind of grate that goes up to strangers in bars and demands they punch it in the stomach, just to see how hard it is. The downsides? Heavy as a black hole, and you pay through the nose for it.

Something in between the two? Anything wrapped in porcelain. Can be worth it – more so if you’re veering towards steel, because steel is more vulnerable to being used and cleaned.

We hesitate to call the porcelain option the station wagon in this tortured metaphor, but…pretty much. All it needs is some paneling down the sides.

So which suits your grilling lifestyle better? A hardcore heavyweight that can take the punishment?

A performance engine with weak axles? Or a chug-along station wagon that might get you more miles between replacements than the steel sports car, but is more fundamentally vulnerable than the cast iron beast?

Your grilling life – you decide.

Grill Cleaning, Care, and Storage

Talking of how much punishment each type of grill grate can take, two words on grill cleaning, care, and storage.

Do some.

If 2020 proved anything to the world, it’s that not washing up after ourselves is probably not that smart.

After every grilling session, clean down the grates with a wire brush. For the same reason you clean your teeth after eating a steak, that’s why. Pieces of meat or other food might be stuck in between the grates.

You leave them alone, they stop being pieces of meat pretty fast and become breeding grounds for bacteria, for flies, for all kinds of nastiness you want nowhere near your food preparation area.

Use your grill heavily? Give a thorough clean-down every two months or so. Imagine that as the equivalent of your shower.

Use neutral cleaning products on your grill – food’s going to go on there. Contrary to various instructions you may have heard, harsh bleaches are not good if you eat or drink them. Go natural wherever possible, and everyone will have a better time.

When putting the grill into longer-term storage, give it a thorough clean-down, collect all extraneous bits and pieces (including all your thermometers, spatulas, etc).

Make sure any knobs are turned to off or zero, and power and fuel supplies safely disconnected. Ideally, pick up a cover that’s big enough to fit the grill like a blanket, to avoid dust build-up.

And occasionally pop back to see that it’s OK, and that colonies of bugs, or rats, or aliens haven’t decided to make a home in it for the winter.

Assuming they haven’t, your grill should be ready for everything to choose to throw at it next grilling season. And the season after that.

10 Mouth-Watering Grill Recipes Good Enough For Royalty

It’s recipe time! We’ve scoured our recipe books for ten of the best for you, from starters, through a range of mains, to dessert.

From simple skewers and classic burgers to a lamb dish that might seem advanced, but is broken down into simple steps for you. Here’s to you, Grill-Sovereign!

Shrimp Tostadas

Ingredients

• 8x 6″ corn tortillas
• Light oil, like canola. Alternatively, use a cooking spray
• 3 diced ripe avocados
• 1 minced small shallot
• 7 tbsp. lime juice
• 3 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
• kosher salt
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 24 peeled, deveined medium shrimp
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 c. finely shredded red cabbage
• 3/4 c. finely shredded carrots (1 large carrot)
• Cilantro leaves
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°.
2. Take 2 baking sheets, oil with canola or spray.
3. Put 4 tortillas on each sheet, and mist with more oil. Bake till crispy – 7-8 minutes.
4. Mix avocados with 3 tbsp. lime juice, minced shallot, and 3 tbsp. cilantro in a bowl. Add salt to season.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together cumin and cayenne with 2 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. of lime juice. Once whisked, add the shrimp, do a brief happy dance so they get coated in spicy lime oil. When coated, season with salt and pepper like you’re Oprah giving out cars. Everybody gets salt and pepper!
6. Grill your slick and spicy shrimp over a medium-high heat for 3 minutes each side. You want them cooked and pink, not tough and sunburned.
7. Toss your cabbage and your carrot in a bowl with the last 2 tbsp. of lime juice and 2 tbsps. of olive oil. More salt, more pepper. Have yourself a seasoning party.
8. Arrange tostadas on a flat work surface and slather them with your guacamole. Lay your shrimp on the cooling guac, add slaw, decorate with additional cilantro leaves, and squeeeeze a little lime. Good times with shrimp.

Grilled Chicken Wings

Ingredients

Wings

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 2 lb. chicken wings
• Vegetable oil, as a gift for the grill

Sauce

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (can be the same lemon)
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. horseradish
• 2 tsp. freshly chopped chives
• 1 tsp. hot sauce of your choice. They’re your taste buds, after all.

Directions

1. Whisk lemon zest, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, paprika, salt, and cayenne in a bowl.
2. Pat your chicken wings dry and place them in a separate, larger bowl. Add your spice mixture to the chicken and shimmy to coat the wings. Now you have spicy, lemony wings.
3. Bring your grill to a medium heat. Brush the grill grates with vegetable oil to prevent sticking. Add your wings and cook, moving occasionally, for around 15-20 minutes. Meat cooked through? Skin crisp? Job done.
4. While the wings are cooking and crisping, grab the last bowl you’ll need (we promise). Whisk your mayo with your hot sauce, adding lemon juice, mustard, horseradish and chives.
5. Wings – hot and crisp. Sauce – cool but spicy. Combination – an American classic.

Honey Soy Grilled Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/2 c. dark soy sauce, low-sodium for preference
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• Red pepper flakes
• 4 boneless pork chops

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix honey, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes (to taste). Add your pork chops, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. If you really want the meat to take on the flavor, hang a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the bowl for up to 2 hours.
2. 2 hours later, knock politely on the bowl.
3. Heat your grill over medium-high heat and cook your honey soy chops for roughly 8 minutes each side, so they’re both seared and cooked through. Leave the chops to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Classic Burger

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 slices of cheese of your choice. Yellow cheddar is traditional, but it’s your burger, so it should be your favorite melting cheese.
• 3 hamburger buns
• 1 thinly sliced large tomato
• 1 thinly sliced small red onion
• 3 leaves butter or iceberg lettuce (optional)
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonnaise
• (Any and all optional – your burger, your taste buds, your way. A1 sauce. Relish. Barbecue sauce. Whatever makes it sing for you).

Directions

1. Divide the beef into 3 equally sized patties, roughly 3 1/2″ wide.
2. Season both sides of each patty liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Press a shallow indent into the center of each burger with a thumb or finger.
4. Be prepared for sizzling – turn your grill or grill pan up to high. Grill patties until they have a crust and you can’t see any pink. Roughly 6 minutes per side for a medium, still-juicy burger.
5. If you want a cheeseburger, this is your moment. Lay a slice of cheese on top of each patty, 2 to 3 minutes before the second side is done cooking.
6. Place patties on buns and add your chosen topping before serving.

Fish Tacos

Ingredients

• 3 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
• The juice of 1 lime
• 2 tsps. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. cod (or other flaky white fish if preferred)
• 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 diced avocado
• Lime wedges
• Sour cream

For the corn slaw:

• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 additional lime
• 2 tbsps. Fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 c. shredded purple cabbage
• 1 c. corn kernels
• 1 minced jalapeño

Directions

1. Find a medium shallow bowl. In it, whisk olive oil, lime juice, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne.
2. Add your cod, and toss it until it’s evenly coated.
3. Leave the cod to marinate for 15 minutes.
4. While the cod is thinking about its history of bad decisions, take another large bowl and whisk mayo, honey, lime juice and cilantro. Once mixed, stir in your cabbage, corn, and jalapeño. Add salt and pepper to season.
5. Heat the grill to medium-high, and warm up some vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet. Take the cod from the marinade and season both sides of each filet with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pan, flesh side-down.
6. Cook the cod until it’s opaque and cooked through – 3 to 5 minutes on each side should be enough. Let the fish rest for 5 minutes before flaking with a fork.
7. Assemble tacos.
8. Serve fish over grilled tortillas with corn slaw and avocado. Squeeze lime juice on top and garnish with sour cream.

Lobster Tail

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. melted butter
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tbsps. freshly chopped chives, plus more for garnish
• 2 tbsps. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 4 (8-oz.) lobster tails
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Lemon wedges

Directions

1. Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium. High heat is not your friend with lobster.
2. Whisk melted butter, lemon juice, zest, chives, parsley, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Now you have acidulated butter.
3. Using kitchen shears, cut the top of the lobster shell from the meaty portion of the tail.
4. Switch to a knife, and cut halfway through the meat down the center, without cutting all the way through. Insert a skewer lengthwise through the lobster to keep it from curling up when cooked.
5. Brush the lobster all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill it flesh side down until lightly charred – say 6 minutes.
6. Flip your lobster and add a spoonful of butter mixture onto the flesh side. Grill until it’s just cooked through. Give it 5 minutes, unless it looks done before then.
7. Take the lobster from the grill and sprinkle it with red pepper flakes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Grilled Portobello Steaks

Ingredients

• 4 portobello mushroom caps, stemmed and gills trimmed
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves,
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
• 2 tbsp. Country Crock Original
• 3/4 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan
• 3 tbsps. of freshly chopped thyme
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°. Take a large plastic bag, and add the portobello mushrooms.
2. Whisk balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves – not all 3 – of the garlic, and olive oil together in a small bowl, then pour the marinade over the mushrooms. Exit mushrooms, stage left. Meanwhile…
3. Cut each of the zucchini into four pieces: halved both crosswise and then lengthwise. Then cut each half into thirds.
4. In a large bowl, toss your zucchini pieces with Country Crock Original, using your hands to evenly coat the pieces.
5. In another small bowl, stir together your panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and 2 tsps. of fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add your panko mixture to the zucchini bowl and toss them vigorously to coat.
7. Transfer your zucchini fries to two parchment-lined baking sheets. If there’s any remaining breadcrumb mixture, throw it on. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Bake until golden brown. This should take 18-20 minutes.
9. Fit a food processor with a metal blade.
10. Pulse the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and juice together, and add the remaining clove of and a tsp. of thyme, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Take the mushrooms from their marinade bag and season with salt and pepper.
12. Grill until tender – roughly 3 minutes each side.
13. Serve portobello “steaks,” with sun-dried tomato aioli and zucchini fries.

Grilled Rosemary Lamb with Juicy Tomatoes

Ingredients

Lamb and Sauce

• 1 3–4-lb. boneless lamb shoulder
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2 coarsely chopped red onions
• 1bunch rosemary, with the leaves stripped from half of the sprigs (about 1 cup)
• 1 bunch oregano, leaves similarly stripped from sprigs (about 1 cup)
• ¾ cup red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 finely grated garlic clove

Tomatoes and Assembly

• 5 beefsteak or large heirloom tomatoes
• Flaky sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 halved, thinly-sliced red onion
• Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

Directions

Lamb and Sauce

1.   Lay your lamb shoulder, cut side up, on a work surface. Take a sharp knife, and separate the shoulder into 5 or 6 smaller pieces along the natural seams.
2.   Transfer the lamb to a glass baking dish. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
3.   Pulse onions, rosemary leaves, and oregano leaves in a food processor until finely chopped. Save the remaining rosemary sprigs.
4.   Add vinegar and oil to the herby onions and pulse into a coarse purée. Season with salt and pepper, then pour the marinade over the lamb, turning the pieces to get them fully coated.
5.   Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 2–3 hours.
6.   Mix yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl. Season the sauce with salt and pepper; cover and chill until ready to use.

NB: Forward planning. You can prep the lamb a whole day ahead. The sauce can be made 8 hours before use and kept chilled.

7. Roughly 30 minutes before it’s grilling time, slice your tomatoes into ½”-thick rounds and space them out on a large platter. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with half of the lemon juice. Top the tomatoes with onion, salt and pepper, then drizzle the remaining lemon juice over the tomatoes.
8. Arrange the rosemary sprigs you saved on top, and set aside.
9. Heat your grill to medium. Transfer the larger pieces of lamb to the grate, making sure they’re still coated in marinade.
10. Grill until the underside is very well browned – approximately 5 minutes.
11. Spoon some of the remaining marinade over the lamb, turn, and continue to grill, turning every 5 minutes or any time you see a flare-up, until the lamb is charred in spots and very well browned everywhere.
12. 15 minutes after you start cooking the larger pieces of lamb, add the smaller pieces to the grill and repeat the procedure; Smaller pieces will take less time to cook, so you’ll end up with all your lamb ready to be served at once.
13. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each piece should register 140° for medium. Start checking your smaller pieces after 7–10 minutes. The largest piece will take closer to 30 minutes. As each piece finishes, transfer to a reserved platter, setting the pieces on top of the rosemary.
14. Rest for 20–30 minutes.
15. Nearly there. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board, and tuck rosemary sprigs off to the sides of the platter.
16. Tip platter so that accumulated tomato and lamb juices pool at one end and spoon over tomatoes. Using a long sharp knife, slice the lamb into very thin strips, arranged on top of the onion and tomatoes. Season with salt and drizzle with oil.
17. Drizzle the yogurt sauce with oil and serve alongside the lamb.

Hawaiian Seitan Skewers

Ingredients

Glaze

• ½ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup pineapple juice
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 3 minced cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp. agave
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch salt

Kabob

• 3 cups “Tastes Like Chicken” Seitan, cubed
• 4 large peppers: 2 green, 2 red, cut into 1-in. squares
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-in. squares
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups pineapple, cubed

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl.
2. Place the Seitan, vegetables, and pineapple onto skewers until only 2 inches are showing at top and bottom.
3. Brush the glaze onto the skewer ingredients, coating completely.
4. Cook skewers on grill for 3 minutes on each side, or until the ingredients begin to brown. Veganism. Not rocket science.

Grilled Pineapple Sundaes

Ingredients

• 4 pineapple slices
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
• Dulce de leche, for drizzling
• 2 tbsps. sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Directions

1. Heat your grill to high.
2. Grill the pineapple until charred, barely 1 minute per side.
3. Top each pineapple slice with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with dulce de leche or caramel. Top with shredded coconut and serve immediately. Grilled dessert. Bliss.

Conclusion – King Of The Grill

Now you need never be intimidated by your grill again.

You’ve learned cooking temperatures, cooking techniques, the classic tips to get ahead on any kind of grill, and you have a range of recipes at your grilling fingertips, from the basic to the more advanced. Go grab your tongs and spatula – the Kingdom of the Grill is yours.

The post King of The Grill: The Ultimate Guide to Grilling appeared first on Own The Grill.

To avoid the frustration, we’ve got a guide for you that will explain what outdoor grill backsplashes are, some ideas for different designs, and why they can benefit you and your home.

Ultimately, you want to be able to choose the best version that suits you best and helps to let your grilling personality pop.

What Is An Outdoor Grill Backsplash?

The term ‘backsplash’ is used in several ways; typically referring to the material between the countertop and the wall behind it.

It could also refer to the actual design itself, which tends to be made from tile or stone, depending on the style of your house.

You may even hear people talking about having a backsplash installed, which refers to the entire process of replacing the existing counters with new ones.

While these two uses are the most common, the definition can vary slightly from person to person.

What Does A Backsplash Do?

The main function of any backsplash is to protect the walls behind them. The reason this is important is that if water gets behind the walls, it can cause damage to the drywall, paint, wood, or other materials that make up the interior.

Also, if you’re cooking on gas, the sides of your stove can get quite hot, especially when you have flames going up into it.

This is where the backsplash comes in handy by protecting the walls and keeping heat away.

Additionally, if you want to add an extra flair to your kitchen decor, installing a backsplash can help create a more customized look for your room.

Coming in a range of different designs and colors, there’s always something out there for everyone.

Different Backsplash Ideas

The outdoor grill backsplash is one of those things that might not seem like much, but it makes such a big difference in the look and feel of your outdoor kitchen.

It’s basically the part of your kitchen that sits behind the grill itself. This is where you’ll find all sorts of things from pots and pans to food preparation tools and more.

It also serves as a decorative element and adds a lot of color and character to your outdoor kitchen. With that being said, here are some great ways to design your own outdoor grill backsplash!

Brick Design

For this option, you would start by choosing a brick pattern that matches the rest of your outside grill area or your house exterior. Then, once you’ve chosen the right size, you’d use mortar to attach them to the wall behind your grill.

Once you’ve put down the bricks, you can fill in the gaps with filler pieces. If you’re looking for a modern yet rustic look, you could go with a simple black and white brick pattern.

Stone Pattern

If you prefer something a bit more natural, this is another good option. Simply pick a pattern that complements your current kitchen decor, and then follow the same steps above.

However, instead of using mortar, you’d use concrete to hold the stones together. This is a particularly subtle way to decorate your outdoor grill backsplash.

Ceramic Or Porcelain Tile

You probably already know what ceramic tiles look like, but they come in so many shapes and sizes that there’s really no limit to what you can do with them.

Depending on how large the space is behind your grill, you could choose a larger square shape or an oval or trapezoid shape.

In either case, you’d simply cover the back of your grill with ceramic tiles and let them do all the work. These can look particularly classy and high-quality.

Glass Tiles

Glass tiles are very popular these days, and for good reason – they look awesome, and they’re easy to clean. They’re available in a variety of shapes and sizes, which means that they can fit almost any need.

Additionally, glass tiles are perfect for kitchens since they won’t scratch or stain surfaces as stone or tile will. You’d just lay down the glass tiles, making sure that they touch each other.

On top of this, you can also choose different shades and colors of glass tiles for your backsplash, which can suit the general colors of your outside area.

Although, you can also just choose your favorite color or colors when looking for a design.

Things To Consider

Amount Of Space

The first thing you should consider before designing your outdoor grill backsplashes is the amount of space between your grill and the wall.

For example, if your grill is set up directly against a wall, you may want to leave at least a foot of space between your grill surface and the wall.

Otherwise, you might end up having to cut off a portion of your grill because you don’t have enough room to move around without hitting the wall.

Materials Needed

When building your outdoor grill backspacing, you’ll need to be able to get access to the area behind your grill.

That means that you’ll need to remove some of the existing materials from the wall. So, make sure you know exactly what’s behind your grill before starting construction.

Color And Style

Once you’ve decided on a material, it’s time to decide on a style. A lot of people like to keep their outdoor grills as minimalist as possible, so they’d want their backsplash to match their grill perfectly.

But others like to add decorative touches to their grill and backsplash, such as wood trim or even a fireplace.

Final Thoughts

So, now you know everything you need to get your own outdoor grill backsplash! The best part? It doesn’t take much effort to build one yourself. Just make sure you choose the right design and style that suits you to the ground.

However, if you feel like you wouldn’t make much of a builder, you can always hire a professional to do it for you. At the end of the day, it’s fun to do it yourself, but it can be stressful for those who aren’t DIY experts.

Ultimately, as long as your backsplash and your outside grill area look complete, and you’re happy with it, that’s all that matters!

The post Outdoor Kitchen Backsplash Ideas appeared first on Own The Grill.