Clean Patina

As you might see, I grilled the burger on over the left hand side of the grill. I discovered that this was not the best position, as the juices from the patty bounced off of the superheated flame-tamer and then out the air vents on the left side of the grill. If I need to load the grill full of food, I will have to place catch-rags to the left and right of the grill. I think I'll just avoid this annoyance.

This was virgin stainless steel. It's pretty heavy gauge, and I think I like it much better than the baked-enamel finish flame-tamers that are on the new grill upstairs. I also like the way heating the metal causes a purple discoloration. Perhaps one day, I'll research this discoloration. Until then, I'll just enjoy watching it change and grow over time as more splatters appear and fuse into the growing patina.

Cleaning this portable grill is not too bad. The cooking grid is constructed from spot-welded quarter-inch stainless rod and goes through my pass-through window without difficulty, as do the flame tamers and the drip pan.  The procedure is to wash and set-to-dry the grid and tamers, and then to mop up drippings from the outer edge first, working under the burners and toward the center. Once complete, the drip pan is removed, washed and dried. The underside of the drip funnel is wiped down as well. I have a feeling that a full-blown post on this subject is in order. Perhaps I can get some help from Mike Rowe.

The First Mess

...making a mess of my grill

When starting out with a grill combination that you've never used before, it's nice to deploy a recipe that you've been using for some time. This helps to re-calibrate both your internal clock, and your sizzle sense. You know there is going to be a problem if you slide a burger onto the grill and it just goes splut. It had better sizzle, and sizzle just right. The sizzle tattoo is your clue that the energy is working into your meal. I also wanted to make absolutely sure that I had completed the commissioning burn-off procedure properly.

While the burger has been done on the well side, and the cheese was an afterthought of new-found proximity, I am happy with the way the bun turned out. It happens to be a sinusoidal crown cut. I like to get creative where some may make a straight line. The original crown cut is a zig-zag, if you'll see that in one of the flashback posts. I was able to make my way through the lean well done burger with the help of some Bad Brad's BBQ Sauce.

The teaser dish to the left is really just starting to cook. It's another experiment. I was accustomed to making up one or two of these appetizers on the bun-rack of the original grill. Moving this recipe over to the personal grill was a bit of a challenge — due to the fact that I would be right on top of the grill and kept to a very low height. I also hoped to save some energy. I'll also see how hard it is to get this grill cleaned up.

The Grill

... this is gonna get messy.

What we have here, on this initial post, is the baseline photograph of my "first" propane powered grill. Although I prefer the taste and drama of charcoal, living in an urban setting limits my choice of fuel to Electricity or Propane. I gave away my underpowered George Foreman using the "Free" sign method in the alley, and worked to get the shiny new stainless steel 2-burner portable grill up and running.

I've been playing with fire grilling food for a few decades. I considered it a rite of passage to grill a plate of hamburgers for the family. I still remember filling the patio with so much rosemary smoke that my mom thought that the fog had rolled in early. I was surprised that I did not set off the smoke alarms inside the house. I don't remember if I was more paranoid about the patties falling apart, or burning them.

With no daughters to raise, Mom indulged any and every curiosity I expressed in the kitchen. I still claim that I was enticed by the fudge and cookies. I was even more intrigued with the care and passion that Mom put into making our meals. It takes a great deal of dedication to cream butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon, but at the same time, mom kept things simple, and timely. Her taps on the window let me know when it was time to flip the burgers.

If I were pressed, I'd have to say that they were the best burgers ever. A slice of process Swiss-cheese, sweet pickles, mustard and ketchup. And the rosemary smokey flavor. I devoured the burger so fast that I wanted to eat a second, and a third. I finished the fries instead, and the applesauce. The feedback loop of being pleasure was multiplied by the satisfaction I experienced with my own cooking. And the rosemary flavor was fantastic. We had bushels of the stuff growing in the back yard and used it naught.

Regardless of my memories, that food is gone now, and has to be replaced on a regular basis. Perhaps I replace it too often. Perhaps not often enough. I do like taste and flavor to my food, and I do experiment. I returned to grilling a little more than a year ago after taking a long hiatus. I suppose that being limited to an electric George Foreman patio grill was a major reason for the departure, and having access to a larger propane grill on the rooftop deck was responsible for rekindling my grilling flame.

In addition to the serial updates and recipes as we watch my new grill change with use and exposure, I have imported a ready library of past rooftop gill exploits. I am happy to report that the original community grill that is featured in the posts was indeed recalled for safety, and a new replacement has been acquired and installed. The new community grill will get it's due as well, while we watch to see how my portable stainless model holds up.

Grill Up!