Grilling with Gas

[Prairiehaas]

I'm assuming we have a few master grillers on the board. Need some advice. After years of grilling on a Weber kettle, my wife and son have given me a gas grill - a nice CharBroil RED series model. So I need some advice on how to cook with this new fangled deevice.

Grilling with charcoal, the standard methodology is to bank the coals in one area so you ave a very hot zone and a cooler zone. This is great for searing and contolled cooking. It also allows for slow cooking, barbecueing.

What method(s) or techniques can I apply with the gas grill to yield similar results? Or do I now have a new gas oven on my deck? Also, can the gas grill be used to good effect in barbecueing ribs, chicken, etc?

Thank you in advance for the advice.

[NoVaJack]

Re: Grilling with Gas

If you cook with an oven you know how to do this.

[slosho]

Re: Grilling with Gas

I would experiment with hotdogs and hamburgers to find your "hot spots" (usualy just beyond the "heat tent" tward the fron or the back [also the area that will flare up the most...])

Hope that info is more hepfull then the previous post.

[Hammersmith]

Re: Grilling with Gas

I'm assuming we have a few master grillers on the board. Need some advice. After years of grilling on a Weber kettle, my wife and son have given me a gas grill - a nice CharBroil RED series model. So I need some advice on how to cook with this new fangled deevice.

Grilling with charcoal, the standard methodology is to bank the coals in one area so you ave a very hot zone and a cooler zone. This is great for searing and contolled cooking. It also allows for slow cooking, barbecueing.

What method(s) or techniques can I apply with the gas grill to yield similar results? Or do I now have a new gas oven on my deck? Also, can the gas grill be used to good effect in barbecueing ribs, chicken, etc?

Thank you in advance for the advice.

Number 1, they got you a nice grill. As for zoning, you've got between 2-4 burners depending on your model. Just use them at different levels to create your zones. For example, set the rightmost burner to high, the leftmost burner to med-low, and set the middle burners(if any) to either level depending on how much space you need in each zone. You also have the upper rack to work with. I like it for toasting buns and for keeping food warm while the last pieces of food finish cooking. But it can also be used for another roasting zone when the lid is shut. Just remember that gas will never get as hot as charcoal briquettes(much less lump charcoal), so make sure to preheat your grill and adjust your cooking times. Your grates are already cast iron, so that's a plus. Just give them 10-15 min with the lid closed and the burners on high to let them totally heat up if you want serious sear. Finally, propane burns "wetter" than charcoal(more water vapor is created during combustion), so you won't get quite the Maillard crust that you get with charcoal unless you add some air movement to get the water vapor away from your food.

As for BBQing, in many ways gas is better than charcoal. You have much better heat control, and it can do low-and-slow much easier. For smoke, just use a disposable foil pie or loaf pan for your wood. If you've got a 4 burner, turn the middle 2 burners off, the outer 2 to whatever setting needed to maintain 200-250 deg, and put your meat in the center for indirect cooking. If you've got a 3 burner, put the food to one side and use the burner on the far side for heat. You'll have to rotate your food occasionally in this situation. If you like dry cooking your BBQ rather than basting, use a small battery powered fan to get rid of the water vapor so your crust develops.

Personally, I prefer charcoal grilling(Weber kettle w/ lump charcoal and a chimney starter), but I currently live in a 3rd floor apartment with a wooden deck so it's gas or nothing. I do keep my Weber in the garage, so I have that as an option for driveway grilling.

[Prairiehaas]

Re: Grilling with Gas

Thank you all for the input. Ran an opened chicken across it this evening, cut out the back and pull the keel to get it to lay flat. Set it at a medium heat (grill) for the first 20 min, then low (BBQ) to finish. Turned out excellent.

I'm with you though Hammersmith. The kettle stays for special purposes, including pizza.

[jackmd]

Re: Grilling with Gas

Number 1, they got you a nice grill. As for zoning, you've got between 2-4 burners depending on your model. Just use them at different levels to create your zones. For example, set the rightmost burner to high, the leftmost burner to med-low, and set the middle burners(if any) to either level depending on how much space you need in each zone. You also have the upper rack to work with. I like it for toasting buns and for keeping food warm while the last pieces of food finish cooking. But it can also be used for another roasting zone when the lid is shut. Just remember that gas will never get as hot as charcoal briquettes(much less lump charcoal), so make sure to preheat your grill and adjust your cooking times. Your grates are already cast iron, so that's a plus. Just give them 10-15 min with the lid closed and the burners on high to let them totally heat up if you want serious sear. Finally, propane burns "wetter" than charcoal(more water vapor is created during combustion), so you won't get quite the Maillard crust that you get with charcoal unless you add some air movement to get the water vapor away from your food.

As for BBQing, in many ways gas is better than charcoal. You have much better heat control, and it can do low-and-slow much easier. For smoke, just use a disposable foil pie or loaf pan for your wood. If you've got a 4 burner, turn the middle 2 burners off, the outer 2 to whatever setting needed to maintain 200-250 deg, and put your meat in the center for indirect cooking. If you've got a 3 burner, put the food to one side and use the burner on the far side for heat. You'll have to rotate your food occasionally in this situation. If you like dry cooking your BBQ rather than basting, use a small battery powered fan to get rid of the water vapor so your crust develops.

Personally, I prefer charcoal grilling(Weber kettle w/ lump charcoal and a chimney starter), but I currently live in a 3rd floor apartment with a wooden deck so it's gas or nothing. I do keep my Weber in the garage, so I have that as an option for driveway grilling.

Exactly what he said. If you love to grill/smoke you should have both. Gas offers more convenience and more flexibility while charcoal is more enjoyable/rewarding in my opinion. My favorite way to make chicken is whole, indirectly heated on a charcoal grill with wood smoke directly on the coals or on a gas grill with the wood in a foil pan as described by Hammer. The key, a reliable thermometer both for grill temp and internal food temp.