Ask the Readers: Summer Grilling

I use both a char coal grill and a smoker. The smoker I use came from QVC. It’s an electric smoker that is insulated. You plug it in, add water and close the refrigerator style door. When you press the power button, it beeps. The temp up button beeps. Each beep is 10 degrees. So I can set the temp my self. There is a smoke box on the side of the smoker that is easy to pull out and add wood chips. I use a talking thermometer to check the internal temp of the meats or other foods I smoke like veggies and even Mac and cheese. The char coal grill I use is an Aussie. One can either operate it using gas or charcoal. My method is to light the coals using the gas flame. After 30 minutes or so. You’re ready to place the meat on the grill. I use grilling pans I bought from QVC. They are square. I prefer square but round will do as well. I have been grilling for 40 years so I am use to working grills of all types. If you don’t wish to use lighter fluid, I recommend using a charcoal chimney. You place newspaper in the bottom. Place charcoal in the top. Lightthe newspapers with a match. After the coals are ready, about 20 minutes, place them on the inside and spread them with a pair of tongs or something that won’t burn. If you want to tweet with me and ask questions find me here: @thebigr HTH. Randy Rusnak the big R

I've found that a gas grill is easier to keep at a constant temperature, thus simplifying the task of time-based grilling. However there is a certain sacrifise in taste doing it that way.

For me, the convenience of propane can't overcome the better taste of charcoal. So, I have a small Weber grill. The fire part is pretty easy to deal with. It's a matter of being careful. But cooking meat on the grill is a bit of a visual art. I can hear flare ups from burgers, and smell juices on a steak, but still tend to rely on sighted assistance. I'm sure it can be done independently, but it's not a battle I choose to fight. And when having company over, there's always someone who prides them self on grilling skills, and I'm good with that too.

Many blind people love the George Foreman electric indoor grill. Two books of recipes are available from National Braille press. A few tips: 1) use liquid smoke. It's a flavoring where a very little goes a long way available in many stores. Mix it in your marinade and your meat will taste smokey. 2) Practice turning items on a cold grill, for example practice with a simple piece of bread. This gives you confidence turning hot foods before you have to. 3) Put cold food on the cold grill, plug it in, and add 3-5 minutes to your recipe. Unplug grill and wait for it to cool before removing food. Prevents you from needing to touch hot grill at all. 4) Recognize that you can touch even extremely hot surfaces if your fingers are wet and cold and you move fast. Practice to ensure your meat is centered. I also like to use a teflon fork to feel around to see if the meat is in the right place. 5) Blindmicemart and many other vendors sell superior oven mits that will let you safely reach directly in to food that is over 400 degrees Fahrenheit. They are very thin but still protect your hands. 6) For any grilling see if you can get to a local Ikea store. Known for their furniture, Ikea also has an excellent kitchen section with rows upon rows of utensils that are not in blister-pack! You can find a variety of forks, grabbers and scoopers with long handles that keep you at arm's length from hot food. My two favorites, a long-handled double spatula that lets me firmly grip food on the bottom and top to turn it easily and a fork with a release trigger in its handle.

Hello, I use a stovetop smoker made by Cameron's. It looks like a large 9x13 baking pan with a lid. Inside it is a piece that looks like a broiler pan with a rack. It comes with wood chips that are actually consistency of sawdust. I like the alder wood the best. It's quicker than other smokers, for example I do chicken breasts in 25 minutes. You pull the broiler part out of the base pan, put some sawdust wood in the bottom (2-3 tablespoons) then place the broiler pan on top of the wood. Then you place the food on the rack and season it. When you are ready to cook, turn your burner on on your stovetop and push the lid almost shut. When it smokes you shut the lid--about 5 minutes. Then you start timing the cooking. It does smell like smoky flavor in your house but doesn't set off the smoke alarm. You can use this smoke on a grill or campfire too. They also make a foil smoking bag that is the same principle. You can find these in varius stres but you will findtheir web siteby googling Cmeron stovetop smoker. You can do chicken, fish, veggies etc. Our favorites are salmon, chicken, squash, and corn on the cob. Hope this is interesting to others.

I use a gas grill and find that a grilling basket helps me to keep track of the food. I can grill up to four burgers and the basket makes it simple to flip all burgers at one time.

When grilling use the spachela kind of like a cane. When you find what you are grilling lightly touch it with your other hand, and use the utensle to flip the meat. I like to have a bucket of cold water next to the grill. I dip my hand in the water before touching the meat. I find that gas verses charckel is a personal preference. If you're grilling for a large group gas might work better. Charckel can give more flavor, but it is a bit more challenging.

I grill quite often no matter if its 90 degrees or whatever below zero... nothing like having to shovel off the grill table, my rebellion against winter. I've had both gas and charcoal grills in my life, a couple gas grills over the years in fact. Gas can be convenient but they tend to dry things out more plus I got tired of replacing the flame elements and then the sparker too. So I find myself always reverting to a trusty old Weber Smokey Joe. I'll not have a gas one again myself but I know some folks really like the convenience of a gas grill. As for use, No different than anyone else really, put the coals in, squirt some starter on it, wait a minute or two to soak in and light it up. When I'm done cooking I close the drafts on it and save the existing coals, often times no need to add new later. FYI when you light coals that have been previously fired they will light much faster. I also use a goose necked starter. My wife was in Pampered Chef and so I use some nice long handled heavy duty BBQ tools. I've tried the spatula that clamps the burger/whatever but I found it harder to use actually. If less lean burgers get to flaming up I'll put the cover on to settle it down just before flipping. If I want a smokey flavor I'll put in some apple wood or I've even put in scrap Maple dowel pieces, and then put the cover on leaving just a small draft in it... works great as a smoker too. Unless you are doing something huge it really doesnt' take that long to get a smokey flavor. The longer you leave it the smokier it'll be obviously but Smokey Joe works great. A tip grilling chicken pieces is to remove the skin. A. its healthier for you and B. It won't flame up and scorch everything either.

I came to grilling late because when I was younger, I didn't think it was safe for blind people. I saw so many others doing it though that I figured I could learn how. As for what is better, I don't know. I use a webber charcoal grill that has a propain starter. It works well for me. I generally use baskets because I find flipping items easier that way. I'm still working on temperture control, which I guess is among the challenges with charcoal grilling. Some day I may choose a gas grill but want to master charcoal first.

I have been grilling now for almost 20 years. I started out on a charcoal grill which took six beers to cook dinner. Three to get the grill hot and three to cook the chicken. I've been kicking around the idea of starting a grilling list for ideas and recipes so if you would be interested, let me know. Presently I have a Webber grill, a gas one. It works great. The nice thing about using webber recipes is that most times there is a time to cook most items and prep time is listed in the recipe as well. Generally with bergers, if they are frozen I cook them over medium heat for five minutes on a side after warming the grill for only five minutes on high. I use a spatula in one hand and a fork in the other to find and turn the bergers and if placed far enough apart this seems to work quite well for me. For chicken pieces such as thighs I use a long flat basket which I put on a rotisary for about 40 minutes, again on medium heat. When I do a whole chicken it usually takes an hour or an hour and 15-30 minutes depending on the size. By the way, liberally using Lawry's seasoning salt gives any meat a wonderful taste. I can't leave though without sharing my first recipe with you. Take some medium potatoes cut in to bite-size pieces, place them in a foil pan, one about the size of a cake pan with three-inch sides. Add baby carrots, whole mushrooms cut in half, green, red or yellow peppers, one stick of butter sliced and placed in and around the vegetable mixture and sprinkle with Lawry's seasoning salt. Cover the foil pan and place over medium heat for 40 minutes. they're absolutely wonderful. For lots of grilling recipes go to http://www.webber.com

I use both charcoal and gas at the same time. I have a talking thermometer to monitor the temp on the charcoal side which is mainly for smoking and use timing and temperature on the gas side.