My old grill got bashed in the windstorm we had last weekend, so I HAD TO replace it. I'm pretty geeked about it. I'm going to go crack open a beer or three and put it together.
RIP Brinkmann Grill. 5/30/08 - 5/18/12.
The good old days. Days when the world was bright and fresh and everything seemed so wonderful, brimming with possibilities.
Well, those days are over. And, sadly, my Brinkmann died over the winter. The porcelain grates cracked and the porcelain is crumbling off, the iron underneath is badly rusting, and there's no way to save them. The gas channels and burners are all rotted out and would have to be replaced. Total billage for replacing the damaged/ruined parts would come to over $150, so I just went ahead and bought a new grill. Which I hate. Which isn't even close to as cool as the one I retired this Spring.
I bought another Brinkmann, an el-cheapo that cost about $150, four-burner with a side burner, but there's no underneath cabinet, no racks for my cooking implements, and overall it's just a lot less awesome. I'm very bummed about this.
I'm kicking in $20 a month, though, and in about two years I'll have enough to get me a really kick-butt new grill, so I only have to suffer through with this thing for two years before I get a good grill.
I think this is a lesson - don't buy your grill at Wal-Mart. My dad has basically the same grill in the picture above, a year older than mine, and it's in excellent shape - and we take care of ours the same way.
So far this year I haven't grilled much. I just got the replacement grill a month ago, so the opportunities have been slim. I've done the usual suspects - steaks, burgers, brats, corn... stuff like that. Nothing fun yet, but I'm hoping to have some time this weekend.
knapplc wrote:[ And, sadly, my Brinkmann died over the winter.
...
I think this is a lesson - don't buy your grill at Wal-Mart.
Sorry to hear that your grill went to the Big Patio in the Sky. I've never owned a brinkman but everyone that I know who has owned one has had the same thing happen as you. They get three or so years out of it and then it's a lost cause. All that shiny pretty metal just rusts. At least it's not a char-broil though. Those are the Mark Sanchez's of the grill world
I bought my grill at Wal-Mart But Wal-Mart used to carry Weber and I've been in wally-worlds lawn and garden section a lot lately and they don't have them anymore. Just the shiny lower priced ones that aren't going to last more than a couple three years.
http://www.weber.com/explore/grills/spi ... irit-e-310 is the finest piece of outdoor cooking equipment I've ever used. I've had it three years and it's seen heavy use in every season. The ignitor still works first time every try, the burners are still working like new, and it's heavy enough that 50mph winds won't blow it over if I forget and leave it perpendicular to the wind. The removable louvers that cover the burners to keep the drippings off aren't porcelain coated and they have some rust, so I will probably replace them next year. I love love love this grill and I highly recommend spending the extra money.
This time I'm definitely doing it right. I'll have the cash to spend when I replace the current grill.
Do you like the burners that run the length of the grill? I've only ever owned grills with front-to-back burners. I get a pretty good rolling heat going on those, and it seems like the side-to-side burners would be difficult to get that convection going.
Anyway... tonight I'm grilling up some chicken breasts for a tossed salad with chicken for dinner. Simple, basic stuff - just the skinless chicken breast with a mop of white wine, olive oil, Tabasco (couple shots), some garlic salt & pepper. I throw in some of each and shake it in a jar, then mop it on as I grill. It's pretty good, easy stuff.
Tomorrow I'm making kabobs with chuck roast meat marinated in Weber's Bourbon Barbecue sauce. I thinned it up with a little extra bourbon and some water, then I'll mop this on as I grill. I'll have the meat on one skewer and the veggies on another. The sauce/marinade:
Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup Bourbon 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
knapplc wrote:Do you like the burners that run the length of the grill? I've only ever owned grills with front-to-back burners. I get a pretty good rolling heat going on those, and it seems like the side-to-side burners would be difficult to get that convection going.
Anyway... tonight I'm grilling up some chicken breasts for a tossed salad with chicken for dinner. .
I actually like the side to side burners. I get nice, even heat front to back if they're all set to the same level, and I can turn off the middle one to get an indirect effect.
Let me know how the chuck roast goes. That's typically something I'd only use in the crockpot so I'm interested in how it grills.
Sounds like we had similar ideas for dinner. I stuck a B/S chicken breast in teriyaki for a day and got one of those bagged Dole Asian salads. The Asian one comes with I don't know, Asian lettuce and such, and the crunchy low mien noodles, dried pineapple, sliced almonds, and a sesame ginger dressing. Great light summer meal and super easy.
My eyes were a little bigger than my stomach tonight. But I just love to cook and it's not uncommon for me to get carried away. And besides, the only other thing I ate today was that salad.
A couple spears asparagus, a carrot, a red potato, an ear of corn, a couple slices of zucc, and a strip steak.
Well, the grilled chuck roast turned out OK. It was tough, even after searing on high and about 80 minutes of indirect heat (which was all I could give it), but it wasn't overly tough - just what you'd expect from a grilled piece of meat that should go in an oven for three hours.
The marinade/sauce was pretty good. On another skewer I grilled up some red pepper, mushrooms, tomato and red onion, so the whole thing was a bit of a kabob. Tossed it all with some kosher salt and served with a salad. Mrs. knapplc liked it quite a bit and I was told I could make it again. Success!
The sweet corn crop is off to an early start! Usually Fourth of July weekend starts the season but thanks to the unusually warm March that we had here in the Midwest, the corn got off to an early start.
I'll be slow in responding to PM's, drafts, and thread updates. My fingers, they are covered with butter and pepper
Cafe Home
Fantasy Baseball
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by 
nice pics! and lmao at the texts 
But Wal-Mart used to carry Weber and I've been in wally-worlds lawn and garden section a lot lately and they don't have them anymore. Just the shiny lower priced ones that aren't going to last more than a couple three years. 
