Grilling for Chillin'
By Lisa Readie Mayer
Why do we love to barbecue? For flavorful and fun food, of course. Lucky for alfresco chefs, today's grills not only guarantee plenty of both, but are so easy and convenient to use, you may never want to turn on the indoor oven again.
Sure, all grills grill, but today's models offer features that rival (or surpass) many indoor cooking techniques, reaching new heights in taste while requiring less time and fewer hassles.
Infrared burners cook with intense radiant energy like the sun, rather than by the hot air of traditional gas burners. This keeps food moist without drying out, producing perfectly seared steaks with crusty exteriors and juicy interiors that rival those found at pricey steakhouses, whose chefs have long used super-hot infrared energy.
Powered by propane or natural gas, infrared burners are made of ceramic plates or wire mesh and sometimes covered with glass; they have thousands of tiny heat ports so temperatures can reach 1,500 degrees F -- more than double the maximum of standard propane burners. (The downside is that most infrared burners cannot achieve low temperatures.) Infrared can be the exclusive heat source on a grill, or teamed with traditional burners. Some new models even position the infrared burners above the cooking surface, like infrared broilers in restaurants. Although most infrared grills are still expensive -- as much as $5,000 and up -- more are being offered in the $500 to $1,500 range.
Rotisseries are ideal to roast whole chickens and turkeys, as well as large cuts of pork, beef or lamb that would typically cook unevenly (often burning on the outside before cooking through inside).
Many manufacturers now offer infrared or traditional gas rotisserie burners as a standard feature of the grill, either as a stationary upright unit or a spinning spit, often powered by electricity or battery. Though upright rotisserie burners are usually fixed at the rear of the grill, spits and motors can be removed when not in use. Sizes and weight capacities vary from units equipped to handle a small chicken to an entire pig; rotisserie prices range from about $80 to $1,000 and up.
Flat-top griddles offer outdoor enjoyment for virtually anything prepared in a frying pan -- from pancakes and eggs to stir-fry. These removable trays are made of stainless steel, cast iron or porcelain-enamel to prevent foods from falling through the cooking grid. Available as optional add-ons from grill manufacturers or from barbecue accessory companies, griddles range in price from about $30 to $200 and can either cover the entire cooking grid or just a portion of it.
Warming drawers are ideal for those large gatherings when the crowd exceeds the grill capacity, keeping prepared food hot for those not quite ready to leave your pool. They're also the perfect accessory when the menu calls for different foods to be cooked at different temperatures. Warming drawers can be incorporated directly into the cart base of higher-end grills or as a separate unit of an outdoor kitchen island.
Multi-fueled grills offer the best of all barbecue worlds. With the option of switching among traditional gas burners, infrared heat, charcoal and wood fuels, outdoor chefs can sear steaks in a snap on busy weeknights, or choose to cook a brisket over low and slow charcoal heat on a leisurely weekend. Typically, the grills are outfitted with a combination of traditional gas burners and infrared searing burners in the base. To use charcoal, a metal pan is inserted over the top of the burners to hold the ashes and protect the burners. A side burner with a direct gas flame allows more cooking possibilities, for instance, to boil vegetables, sauté onions or simmer sauces.
The latest and greatest -- and most premium-priced -- multi-purpose units even incorporate gas ovens to bake bread, cakes and cookies. Multi-fuel grills are such multitasking marvels you could cook entire and varied meals on the grill without ever having to venture into the indoor kitchen. And, the best news is that prices are coming down. Though the most truly decked-out units come with sky-high price tags ($5,000 to $7,000 and more), others are priced from $500 to $1,000. Even better; there is a charcoal pan accessory that can turn some gas grills into occasional charcoal cookers for a mere $40.