What's for Dinner?

[ibglowin]

Yep, I see it now in one of the Lowe's pics on the backside.

"22-in porcelain-enameled, black charcoal grill with a built-in lid thermometer"

The one from Lowe's is worth the extra $$ IMHO for the added thermometer as well as the nicer ash catcher on the bottom. Mine is the pan model and the ash can blow around or get rain etc.

Pull the trigger @geek on the Lowe's one!

The Premium and Master Touch models have a thermometer, enclosed ash catcher and a hinged grate. The 'Original' has no thermometer, a 'tray' for an ash catcher and a non-hinged grate.

 

[Boatboy24]

@geek here's a nice Performer for $140. Nice built in table, and a propane charcoal starter: https://newhaven.craigslist.org/for/6152906567.html

Or, for virtually no initial investment at all: https://newhaven.craigslist.org/app/6193619063.html

 

[ceeaton]

Some T-storms just came through the area, so no grilling a pizza tonight. Decided to make a stromboli, just ham, hard salami and some Swiss cheese. I know Swiss isn't traditional (not like it is a traditional food that came from Italy anyway but created by Italian Americans), but my Mom always used Swiss cheese and it makes for a nice boli. Also my youngest daughter who also has pizza fatigue enjoys it too! Will dip in some pizza sauce and wash it down with cheap American made beer. Belching will soon commence.

 

[geek]

@Boatboy24 how do they perform in colder temps, does the grill hold the temp well?
I am really liking the Performer and saw it at Home Depot online for $350.

I also texted the guy from CL with the Performer and he said he bought it 2nd hand.

 

[Boatboy24]

I have a Performer and absolutely love it. Highly recommend. Got it brand, spanking new off CL for almost 1/3 of the retail price. They are pricey brand new, but charcoal grilling with propane assisted start is da-bomb!

 

[geek]

I think that is going to be the winner for me as a starting point and then down the road the ceramic unit.

How does it perform in cold temps?

 

[ibglowin]

This will work for short cooks in the colder times of year but the thin metal won't hold heat in all that well. Being able to fire up the propane to add more charcoal or help finish out a cook is a nice feature.

I think that is going to be the winner for me as a starting point and then down the road the ceramic unit.

How does it perform in cold temps?

 

[sour_grapes]

I have a Performer, and I live in a colder area than you. I don't typically grill in winter, but, as Mike says, you can easily do a steak or burgers or dogs when it is below freezing; however, it would be tough to do a pork shoulder. (If, by "cold temperatures" you mean, say, 50's, then don't even worry about it. You won't run into any problems until the 30s or 40s.)

 

[Boatboy24]

I grill year 'round with the Performer. No issues getting to 450 or 500+ in the dead of winter. In fact (and my wife makes fun of me for it), I tend to shovel a path to the Performer in big snowstorms, just so I can grill in the foul weather with it. Just get the one w/ the gas assist - otherwise, you might as well get a basic kettle.

 

[sour_grapes]

Tonight's fare was fajitas! Wellll, since Mike may read this, let's not say "fajitas," let's instead say "a reasonable simulacrum of fajitas." Sirloin steak cut into strips, then marinated in lime juice, oil, and spices; also, onions and bell peppers and then all of that flash-fried (in a wok!) and served on tortillas with sour cream, cheese, and avocado. Paired with a side of pinto beans with spices and onions. Washed down with a southern Rhone GSM blend. I am stuffed!

 

[sour_grapes]

I grill year 'round with the Performer. No issues getting to 450 or 500+ in the dead of winter. In fact (and my wife makes fun of me for it), I tend to shovel a path to the Performer in big snowstorms, just so I can grill in the foul weather with it.

Here's one for you, Jim!

 

[Boatboy24]

Here's one for you, Jim!

That's the kinda snowfall I'm talking about. Where you have a 2-3 foot wall of snow on either side of the grill. Yeah, I'm a little weird.

 

[lilvixen]

Ugh, that's too much snow, but it looks kinda nice since it's been 100* here this week.


The hubby is away, so I went full on bachelorette with some homemade broccoli mac and cheese and a glass of Spanish Garnacha, mm mm! And now I have a date with Downtempo Soundscapes on Google Play, a textbook, and my last summer class homework. It's a wild Friday night for me, ow ow!

 

[Rodnboro]

The weather was hot tonight, so another grill night plus some cold things. I made tabouleh (i.e., cold cous-cous) with lemon juice, oil, parsley, mint, tomato, and shallots. I also grilled Zucchini (and then, not for dinner tonight, but lunch tomorrow, grilled some bison burgers!). We also had a salad with ho-made tarragon/lemon dressing. But the star of the show was the pepper-crusted tuna, blasted on a super-hot grill for a short time (~2.5 minutes/side). Pictures say it all.

Now that tuna looks great. Most that I order in restaurants or cook myself is way overdone.

 

[geek]

I grill year 'round with the Performer. No issues getting to 450 or 500+ in the dead of winter. In fact (and my wife makes fun of me for it), I tend to shovel a path to the Performer in big snowstorms, just so I can grill in the foul weather with it. Just get the one w/ the gas assist - otherwise, you might as well get a basic kettle.

It looks like the unit with the gas assist is the Performer Deluxe based on what I see online, which is more ($400).

 

[sour_grapes]

Now that tuna looks great. Most that I order in restaurants or cook myself is way overdone.

Thanks! I have certainly overcooked my share! I have learned only through practice. I remember one time my wife begged me "not to overcook it this time," and I assured her it would be fine, and it came out with nary a hint of pink I am much better now!

 

[Boatboy24]

It looks like the unit with the gas assist is the Performer Deluxe based on what I see online, which is more ($400).

Worth every penny.

 

[ceeaton]

Let's get this out of the way:

sim·u·la·crum
ˌsimyəˈlākrəm,ˌsimyəˈlakrəm/
noun
noun: simulacrum; plural noun: simulacra; plural noun: simulacrums

an image or representation of someone or something.
"a small-scale simulacrum of a skyscraper"

an unsatisfactory imitation or substitute.
"a bland simulacrum of American soul music"

Okay, made a chicken fajita dish that mimics the style of actual fajitas. Grilled some pounded chicken breasts on charcoal and pecan wood. Kids all like it, some use the meat to make a chicken quesadilla (facsimile), others heap it on tortilla chips with cheese to make a batch of nachos, others actually just wrap it up with jalapeños and eat it like I do. Very nice day to enjoy grilling in the driveway. Should be taking the last two bushes out of the yard, but there is always tomorrow, which is supposed to be low 80's with very low humidity (due to hit a low of 60 tonight/tomorrow morning).

Sweated out some onions, green and red peppers in some olive and sesame oil. Added the grilled chicken and drank a beer, that simple. Added some fresh cilantro to mine, but the kids don't seem to like that so much so I do it just for me.

 

[ibglowin]

No Ho-made Guac, no Fajita! LOL

Okay, made a chicken fajita dish that mimics the style of actual fajitas..

 

[ceeaton]

No Ho-made Guac, no Fajita! LOL

I said it was a facsimile, wife and kids don't do Guacamole, so I don't bother making it anymore, goes bad in the fridge before I realize there are leftovers.