Brettster wrote:
> I bought this small outdoor grill at World Market:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/2ypno9
>
> Problem: I am TOTALLY USELESS at grilling.
>
> I will accept absolutely any advice about grilling burgers and steaks
> on this thing. I am waiting until the initial flames die down and the
> coals are covered in white ash. The coals are pretty close to the
> grill, so I thought it would be hot enough. But the meat is coming out
> flavorless. Optimally, I would like the meat to be blackened on the
> outside and medium-rare / pink in the middle. And flavorful! I am not
> having any luck in achieving this effect (or any effect). What is the
> best type of ground meat to use? Should I cook with the cover on? Do I
> need to season and/or marinate the meat?
>
> Please help. I am desperate.


Brett, let's start from the beginning. For a little grill like yours,
you need a lot of surface area to the charcoal. I used "lump" which is
chunks of wood that have been converted to charcoal. It has an
irregular shape and more surface area to catch quicker. If you use
briquettes, consider putting them in a bag and breaking them slightly
with a hammer to get more area.

On my first grill like yours, about 200 years or so back, I got some
1/4" hardware cloth and put it UNDER the briquettes so that they could
get some air from the bottom. That seemed to add to the heat they
emitted. Marbles or even 1" rock would work just as well, so long as
it's dry.

To get them going well, use a chimney. It's just a metal sleeve that
you put the charcoal or wood chunks in and light. With them stacked
inside, they light quicker and better. My first chimney was an old
gallon can with the top and bottom cut out and some hardware cloth
fastened to the bottom. I'd wad up newspaper and pour on some bacon
fat, light it, then loosely dump in the charcoal. When all is burning
and the coals are white, dump the charcoal out into your grill when
they're really cranking. Consider tossing in some damp wood chips about
the time you put the meat on to add some additional smoke to the heat.

If your grill has a damper underneath, be sure it's open to get more air
on the charcoal and help it burn hotter. Spray your grate with Pam to
help keep it cleaner.

For burgers, mush in a packet of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix to 2# of 20% or
15% fat hamburger. For fun, add a few squirts of Worcestershire Sauce on
occasion. Don't fool with the expensive ground round etc- go with plain
old hamburger for the best flavor. Let it set in a bowl in the
refrigerator for about 1-2 hours so it absorbs the soup mix flavor.
Make the patties about 1" thick and put them on cold. Cook to your
desired inner temperature, adding salt and pepper to taste. The biggest
mistake folks make is to overcook the meat.

For steaks, try ribeye with good marbling and some untrimmed fat. I
crush up a couple cloves of garlic in the press and rub it into the
surface of the steak, then add on a little Olive oil to make it shiny.
I never add salt and pepper until the steak's on the grill, so that the
salt doesn't draw out moisture.

When the steak or hamburgers are done, let them "rest" for about 5-7
minute before serving. If doing cheeseburgers, use American cheese
slices before removing from the grill and when it softens, top with the
toasted bun.

Once you've mastered the basics like this, then you can experiment and
branch out.

--
---Nonnymus---

TINSTAAFL
There Is No Such Thing
As A Free Lunch