Outdoor Cooking Magic » Outdoor Cooking Products

BBQ Sets

Scott — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 06:09:34 +0000

BBQ Sets are a popular gift item and what makes them even better is that you can find a BBQ set with your favorite team's logo on it. It's a great way to show your team spirit! Check out the links below to find your favorites team's BBQ set.

These make great gifts and are much appreciated by your favorite sports fan. And they are especially great if they go tailgating.

BBQ Sets is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Outdoor Cooking Black Friday Deals

Scott — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:51:11 +0000

First of all, I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! With the day after Thanksgiving being the traditional "Black Friday" where so many people take advantage of sales for the Christmas shopping, I thought I would share some great deals that I've found.

Under $20

These items are on sale from Black Friday through Cyber Monday and you get an additional 30% off the price listed when you checkout. That make all of these items under $20.

Under $50

With the 30% discount, these items are all under $50

Under $100

With the 30% discount, these items are all under $100:

Hope you find some good deals here!

Outdoor Cooking Black Friday Deals is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Volcano Grill – Another Outdoor Cooking Gift Idea

Scott — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:39:07 +0000

The Volcano Grill is one of those unique products that is guaranteed to delight your outdoor chef. It's versatile, compact, and light enough, that he or she will be able to cook almost anything anywhere.

If your outdoor cook likes to cook with Dutch ovens, this grill is made exactly for that purpose. But it can also be used with charcoal or wood to grill with, and some models come with a propane hook up so you can attach those small 1 lb propane canisters and cook on the grill with propane. In fact, there is no better solution to cook with when it comes to using charcoal, wood, and propane.

The Volcano Grill easily collapses to about 5" high, so you can even store it in the trunk of your car and have it available anytime and anywhere you are. Think of all the places you could take it: picnics, to the beach, boating, camping, backyard, family reunions, Scouting activities, quick trips up the canyon, over to a friends house for dinner, canoeing and on and on.

And your friends and family will be amazed to see what you can cook on this. Stir fry, baked bread, brownies, steaks, and so much more are possible.

There is probably no better solution for Dutch oven cooking. I saw my first Volcano stove about 8 years ago and was amazed at the concentrated heat it was providing to the Dutch oven--you can often get by on 12-15 pieces of charcoal, which will save you money over the long run.

The other nice thing is that because of the Volcano Grill's unique design, the outside and bottom stay nice and cool, which means that you can use it almost anywhere. The one exception is backpacking--it's too heavy for that, but anywhere you might be needing to cook where you can pull it out of the trunk of the car, it's perfect.

Have a Campfire with the Volcano Grill

Because the Volcano Grill also lets you use wood or charcoal, you can even have a small campfire with it, which is great if you want to cook at a place that doesn't allow ground fires. You can even roast hot dogs and marshmallows over it.

There are several versions you can get, mostly adding additional accessories.

Volcano II Collapsible Cook Stove

This is the basic model and is all you need to get started. You can cook almost anything with it. It does not have the propane attachment, but if your outdoor cook prefers wood or charcoal, this version will do just fine. It's about 15 x 15 x 8 inches and weighs 21.2 lbs. If you are looking for something to get started with, this is the one to get.

Click here to purchase.

Volcano II Collapsible Cook Stove with Attachments

This is the basic model (above) and it comes with the propane attachment which turns your Volcano Stove into a propane grill. If you want to have the versatility to cook with wood, charcoal, or propane, then this is the Volcano Grill to get.

Click here to find out more information and to purchase.

If you want to make someone's day on Christmas, get them a Volcano Grill.

Click here to purchase.

Volcano Grill – Another Outdoor Cooking Gift Idea is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Australian Outdoor Rotisserie

Scott — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:22:41 +0000

I came across the Auspit Rotisserie at a Dutch oven event that I went to earlier this year. The Auspit Rotisserie allows you to cook most anything over a fire, even bread! And it appears to be easy to cook with. All you do is pound the stake into the ground, slide the meat onto the spit, flick on the motor and you are cooking your food over the fire.

You can control the temperature by adjusting the height and angle that the spit is over the fire. That let's you put your dinner exactly where it needs to be to keep it from burning.

Want to cook for a large crowd? The Auspit Rotisserie holds 18 lbs of food, plenty to feed a large group. And since there a bunch of ways to cook, you can cook a wide variety of things, from roasted chestnuts to whole turkeys.

Best of all, there is something about cooking your food slowly over the fire--you won't get a flavor like that in almost any other way. Slow cooking allows the meat to cook in its own juices.

The Auspit Rotisserie comes with a motor that runs on a couple of D-batteries. It doesn't take much power--these batteries should be enough to run the motor for about 90 hours.

The whole system packs into a handy compact carrying case, and weighs only 11 pounds, even with all the accessories.

What kind of accessories can you get? That's where things get really interesting. Here's what is available:

FireTrough

This accessory lets you cook even when you can't build a ground fire. You can use it to with wood or charcoal. It's basically a trough that is loaded onto the vertical bar that holds the spit and is where you put your fire! That way you can cook almost anywhere.

Get the Auspit Rotisserie with FireTrough here.

Spitmate

This cool accessory is basically a tumbler that lets you cook vegetables, chicken wings, nuts, peppers, bread, scallops, bacon, and much more. You can even cook popcorn, my favorite snacks, over the fire in the Spitmate. There is a larger version, smaller version, and even a mini version. The smaller and mini Spitmate leaves some space on your spit to cook other things and works great with the FireTrough. This accessory really adds to the versatility of the Auspit Rotisserie.

Find out more about the Spitmate, Spitmate Junior, and Spitmate Mini.

Squeezeloc Spikes

These allow you to add extra spikes to your spit, to hold even more food! You can even squeeze them closer together so you can cook more, like doing 48 marshmallows at a time. They are ideal for veggies or even chicken.

Get more info about the Squeezeloc Spikes here.

If you want a unique outdoor cooking experience, with delicious food to match, get the Auspit Rotisserie.

Australian Outdoor Rotisserie is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Outdoor Cooking Christmas Gift Ideas

Scott — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:22:07 +0000

I know it doesn't seem possible, but Christmas is coming fast! It will be here before we know it. If you have someone on your gift list that likes to cook outdoors by grilling, bbqing, Dutch oven cooking, campfire cooking, or any other way, I'm going to give you some ideas for Christmas gifts.

Perhaps you are the one that likes to do some outdoor cooking and want to give some suggestions or hints (!!) to someone else. In either case, gift ideas are coming!

Along the way, I'll update this post so that links to all the ideas are are in one place. If you have something you are wondering about getting, but not sure about, please drop me a comment and I'll see if I can give you some suggestions.

Gift Ideas

Australian Outdoor Rotisserie

Grilling and BBQ T-Shirts

The Volcano Grill

Books - These make GREAT gifts!

BBQ USA

Outdoor Cooking Christmas Gift Ideas is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Grilling and BBQ T-Shirts

Scott — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 01:09:10 +0000

If you want to look cool while you are bbqing or grilling, or if you want to show off your favorite way of outdoor cooking, check out these cool BBQ and grilling t-shirts! They are the perfect gift for someone who loves to BBQ or grill.

There's some great T-shirts here! I hope you find one that you like.

P.S. If you don't see one you like, there are plenty more BBQ and grilling T-shirts to choose from.

Grilling and BBQ T-Shirts is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Competition BBQ Secrets Review

Scott — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:06:00 +0000

I recently got a copy of Competition BBQ Secrets to review. I've seen this ebook referred to on the Internet many times and was interested to see what it said. I'm always looking for good sources of information!

I scanned through the topics in the table of contents and it looked like it had a lot of good information in it:

Information on smokers
Woods to use
Managing your fire
Brining, marinating, injecting, sauces
Cooking tips for the big four in competition: chicken, pork ribs, pork butts, and brisket
Smoking tips for turkey
Guide to trimming spare ribs, St. Louis style
Science of BBQ
BBQ competitions

I was looking at this ebook primarily from a backyard BBQ point of view. Most of these are topics that are applicable to the backyard BBQ, but some are much less so, such as the section on BBQ competitions.

To be honest, I was disappointed that so much of the ebook was spent on the competition aspect (about 12 pages out of 74). I hadn't remembered the sales page saying much about that part, so went back and checked and it was my memory--it clearly states that there is information for those who want to compete. It isn't that none of that information is applicable to the backyard BBQer but you'll have to dig a little bit to find it and apply it. It is more directly applicable to those doing competition.

With regards to the rest of the book, there is a lot of very specific information about how Bill Anderson cooks his meats at competition. Bill is part of the Chatham Artillery BBQ Team and has done very well in competitions recently. He must be doing something right!

I've seen some complaints that all of the information in this book can be found on the Internet. That's probably true! But you'll have to search high and low and test and try many things to find the combinations that work. Bill has already done that and shares it all with you in the ebook.

Bill provides specific information about cooking time and temperatures for chicken, pork ribs, pork butts, brisket, and turkey. He also gives a number of recipes, including:

1 injection recipe
7 rub recipes
12 barbecue sauce recipes
And a few miscellaneous others

Note that there are not a bunch of recipes--if that's what you are looking for, Competition BBQ Secrets is not for you. But if you want some recipes that have done great in competitions, then it's worth checking out. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, so can't comment on them, but I look forward to trying and testing them and see what I think. I've you've tried any of these, please let us know what you think in the comments below. I'll do the same as I try the recipes.

The one thing that I read that I completely disagreed with was a suggestion that lighter fluid be used to start the charcoal. Bill says that if you let it burn long enough, the fluid will burn off and the odor will be gone. That's not my experience, and I start all of my charcoal now with a chimney. In another part of the book, he talks about an experience where he tasted some barbecue that had a bit of an after-taste. When he checked with the cook, she said that she had used lighter fluid. His point was that you should not risk using lighter fluid to light your coals when there were other ways. I agree--use a chimney! It takes a little bit longer, but you run no risk of it affecting the taste of your food.

All in all, this book has some solid information and if it is what the Chatham Artillery BBQ Team is using during their recent success, then it's worth looking at. At the present time, the book goes for $29.95. This may seem a bit expensive, and you might even be a bit underwhelmed after reading it (I was at first), but then you need to remember that your time is worth money and Bill has shared proven tips, tricks, and recipes with you--no need to spend your time trying to figure out what works and how to BBQ. He'll easily save you that $29.95 in your time.

That doesn't even include the savings that you'll have from not having to buy meats and other related items to test and see what works. Heck, a brisket alone can run around $20, so you can easily save that money by following what Bill has found to work.

I recommend that you get a copy of the Competition BBQ Secrets ebook. You get access to it immediately (that's the beauty of an ebook) and there is a 60 day money back guarantee. With that, you can't go wrong. (Please note that if you click on one of my links and purchase Competition BBQ Secrets, I get a commission. It's not a ton, doesn't change the price you pay at all and helps me keep Outdoor Cooking Magic going.)

Enjoy!

Competition BBQ Secrets Review is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Other Outdoor Cooking Gift Ideas

Scott — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 05:44:16 +0000

Time is short to get gifts over the internet for Father's Day. So I'm going to list a number of different things in this post as ideas. It will be the last post in this series this year (time went fast!). If your dad likes to grill or cook outdoors, I hope you'll find something in this list or one of the other other posts in this series.

Mr. Bar-B-Q 18 Piece Stainless-Steel Grill Tool Set

This is a serious set of bbq tools and has everything from steak knives to corn holders to a grill brush to a 4-in-1 spatula.

Click here to get this grill tool set. Or you can search for other bbq tool sets.

Cedar Grill Planks

Cedar grill planks are a great way to cook a number of things on the grill. Salmon cooked on a cedar plank is delicious; vegetables can also be cooked this way on the grill.

Basically, all you do is soak a plank in water, put it on the grill for 10 minutes, turn it over, and put your salmon or vegetables on it, put the lid down and let the planks do their magic. You will get an incredible flavor from the smoke that is put off from these planks.

Click here to get cedar grilling planks or search for other types of grilling planks.

Dutch Oven Table

If your dad has a dutch oven, or likes to cook with one, consider getting him a dutch oven table. These tables are great for doing dutch oven cooking. They will hold two dutch ovens side by side, and, since they are off the ground, no more bending down to take care of your food (as you would have to do it you were cooking over a fire). If your father is a dutch oven enthusiast, this will be a great gift for him.

Click here to get a Camp Chef dutch oven table.

I've written articles about a number of other outdoor cooking products that would also be great gifts for Father's Day:

I hope that you can find a great gift for your dad on this Father's Day!

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Other Outdoor Cooking Gift Ideas is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Flexible Grilling Skewers

Scott — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 03:31:07 +0000

I love shish kabobs. And these skewers make it much easier to cook them. They are flexible which have a lot of benefits for you when grilling kabobs.

First of all, they allow you to make more efficient use of the space on your grill, particularly if you have a round grill. You can actually curve them around the grill, instead of being limited to being set on the grill straight.

Second, because they are flexible, you can put more food on them than on a straight skewer, up to twice in some cases!

Third, you can put the food on skewers and then put the whole skewer right into the bag that has the marinade. When done, put right on the grill. You only have to handle the food once.

Fourth, if you drape the ends of the skewers over the edge of your grill, the ends will stay cool, which makes it easy to turn them.

These skewers are dishwasher safe and won't rust because they are made from 100 percent stainless steel.

Get some of these skewers for your dad for Father's Day and have some food ready to go so he can go and use them right away on the grill that very day. Here's an article about doing some great beef shish kabobs.

These grilling skewers will make great gifts. Click here to buy a couple of sets for your dad!

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Flexible Grilling Skewers is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Steak Charms

Scott — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:46:01 +0000

I know, I know, you are probably thinking, "What the heck are steak charms?" Steak charms or steak markers are small, dime-sized stainless steel markers that you can push into the steaks you are grilling to identify those that you are cooking to rare or medium rare or medium. No more guessing which was which, just push into the meat and you'll remember exactly which steak was which. These charms conduct heat, so the meat cooks around them as well.

The markers are serrated so they'll stay in place while you flip the meat. They are really easy to use and I'll bet that this is something that your dad does not have for his grill!

See Steak Charms for more information.

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Steak Charms is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – BBQ Thermometers

Scott — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:48:20 +0000

If you want to get one thing that will help improve your dad's cooking on the grill (not that it is bad!) you need to get him a bbq thermometer. Using a barbecue thermometer takes all the guess work out of knowing when the meat is done.

There are lots of different kinds of barbecue thermometers, from the simple to the very complex. Here are some of the common features:

Quick Read

A good quick or instant read thermometer will give you an accurate temperature in no longer then 20 seconds and more likely in the 10 second range. Some thermometers will even be in the 6-8 second range. The faster the better, as long as it is accurate! If it isn't accurate, then it doesn't really matter how fast it gives you a temperature.
Here is the link to Quick Read BBQ Thermometers

Wireless Capability

Some thermometers have a probe that is connected to a transmitter. You put the probe into the meat, head inside, or to other activities, and check the receiver to see what the temperature of your meat is. This frees you from having to constantly the temperature by babysitting your grill and continually checking the temperature.

Some even come with alarms or voice that will give you an audible indication that the desired temperature has been met!

The range of the wireless will vary quite a bit, with some giving you a range of over 300 feet--that's longer than a football field. This should be plenty for you to do what you want to do, knowing that your meat is constantly being monitored.
Here is the link to Wireless BBQ Thermometers

Temperature Range

Each thermometer will be accurate for a specific range of temperatures. These will often be in range of 32 degrees to 600 degrees. Some will read even colder temperatures (which you probably don't need for grilling!).

Probes

If you want to monitor more than one dish at a time, consider a thermometer with dual probes. This allows you to cook different dishes to different temperatures. It would also allow you to monitor cooking one steak to be medium-rare while you cook another one to well done.
Here is the link to Dual Probe BBQ Thermometers

There are also Talking BBQ Thermometers and Fork BBQ Thermometers.

Whatever type you get, it is sure to make a big difference in the end results of your barbecues!

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – BBQ Thermometers is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Grill Covers

Scott — Fri, 27 May 2011 05:39:29 +0000

I'm starting a new series to provide you with some great Father's Day gift ideas. Outdoor cooking related items are great gifts for Father's Day. Who wants to get such a gift at Christmas time when the weather is nasty and you have to wait months to put your gift to use? But Father's Day is in the summer and your father/husband can put that gift to immediate use!

In the next several weeks I'll post a number of ideas for you to consider as gifts for Father's Day. I'll include gifts for those that do grilling, smoking, dutch oven cooking, and more. I'm sure that you'll be able to find something that will be the ideal gift for your father or husband.

A grill cover will make a great gift and help protect the investment that has been made in a grill. It will protect it from weather such as rain and snow, and from the sun. It will also keep leaves and pollen from your grill.

You can be very practical about the grill cover or you can get one will show off your father's excitement for his favorite sports team. Now that's something that almost any sports fan would love! Here are links to pages that will help you find a grill cover for your dads' favorite team:

Major League Baseball Grill Covers
College Team Grill Covers
NFL Grill Covers
NBA Grill Covers
NHL Grill Covers
NASCAR Grill Covers

Or if you would rather have a cover that was a bit plainer, here are some links that will help you:

Char-Broil Grill Covers
Weber Grill Covers
Char Griller Grill Covers
Brinkmann Grill Covers
Mr Bar-B-Q Grill Covers
Other Brand Grill Covers

So if you are not sure what to get for your dad this Father's day, why not consider a grill cover?

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Grill Covers is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Getting Started with Dutch Oven Cooking – Buying a Dutch oven

Scott — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:41:52 +0000

Previously I discussed what to look for in a dutch oven. Now that you know that, we'll talk about what dutch oven brands to look for when you are buying a dutch oven and then I'll give you some suggestions of places to buy a dutch oven.

Dutch Oven Brands

There are several well-known Dutch oven brands that meet the criteria that I've laid out above. You can certainly find other off-brands, but the following brands are recognized as producing quality cast iron cookware and, in general, you won't go wrong by purchasing one of the these dutch oven brands.

Lodge

Lodge Cast Iron has been making cast iron cookware for over 100 years. In fact, some of the skillets, griddles, and dutch ovens made over 100 years ago are still in use today. A Lodge cast iron skillet was listed by Esquire magazine as one of the top items all men should own!

Lodge dutch ovens come in 8 sizes, ranging from a 1 qt, 6 5/8" diameter dutch oven to a 12 quart 16" diameter oven. Lodge dutch ovens also have the advantage that they come already pre-seasoned so that you don't have season it before you start using it.

Quite simply, you won't go wrong by buying a Lodge dutch oven. They are probably the highest quality, most popular camp style dutch oven made. As long as you get one that is made for camping (with the flat, rimmed lid), it will have all the characteristics of a good dutch oven as I described above.

Camp Chef

Camp Chef is another popular manufacturer of dutch ovens. Camp Chef is known for their camp propane stoves, but they also make a quality dutch oven as well. Their dutch ovens also come pre-seasoned and provide great quality for a great price. The Camp Chef Lewis & Clark 12-quart Dutch Oven is one of the more popular of the Camp Chef models.

Like Lodge, you won't go wrong by buying a Camp Chef Dutch oven.

MACA

The last Dutch Oven brand that I'll discuss is MACA. Like Lodge and Camp Chef, MACA also makes a high quality dutch oven. They tend to be a little bit more expensive, but that may be due to the fact that MACA dutch ovens appear to be built with a bit more metal than the other brands. This provides the advantage of significantly reducing burning, and the ability to absorb, distribute and retain heat better than most other dutch ovens.

A heaver lid provides more pressure which keeps the moisture inside the oven, making your dish tender and moist.

MACA dutch ovens are usually deeper than other Dutch ovens, which gives you a bit more versatility. Where a 12" Lodge oven is either 3.75" or 5" deep, a 13" MACA dutch oven is 6.5" deep. You can feed a large crowd with what you can cook in them, or even do a Thanksgiving Turkey, whole racks or ribs, or a large ham.

You can even order MACA dutch oven with a custom cast lid as as a gift.

My Recommendation

In general, my recommendation for getting started with Dutch oven cooking would be to buy a 12 inch Lodge cast iron dutch oven. You might find cheaper ovens, but you will join thousands of other Dutch oven enthusiasts that know and trust Lodge. You'll get a quality, versatile Dutch oven that will serve you well for years on end.

Try the other brands after you have wet your feet and learned dutch oven cooking with a standard, well-known brand.

Where to Buy a Dutch Oven

You can purchase a dutch oven locally, buy on the internet, or you might be lucky enough to find one at a garage sale or have one passed down to you. If you find one at a garage or estate sale, just use the suggestions about what to look for in a dutch oven to determine if it's worth buying.

If everything is good except that it needs reseasoning, that can certainly be done. If there are more serious issues (cracks, warping, lid doesn't fit, etc.) steer clear of it.

Local stores that carry Dutch ovens include:

Walmart
Cabelas
Cal-Ranch
Gander Mountain
REI
Sportsman's Warehouse
Bass Pro Shops

and I'm sure there are more (let me know about other well-know stores in your part of the country in the comments below and I'll add them).

Of course, you can also buy Dutch ovens online. You can find them at the following places:

Obviously, the big disadvantage of buying online is that shipping can be costly for Dutch ovens, due to their weight. However, a number of online stores have free shipping (like Amazon, which will ship free with their Super Saver Shipping as long as you are willing wait 5-8 business days for delivery) or can ship free to local stores, like Wal-Mart. So if your local store doesn't have the model you want you can buy online and have it shipped to your local store for free.

That's about it for buying a Dutch oven. If you don't have a Dutch oven currently, I hope that you'll get one soon and join me in the great activity of Dutch oven cooking.

The next article will be about how to season a dutch oven. While many dutch ovens come pre-seasoned now, there will still be occasions when you may need to know how to season a Dutch oven.

See below for all the articles in this series on Getting Started with Dutch Oven Cooking:

Be sure to sign up for the Outdoor Cooking Magic Newsletter to be notified when the next article is ready!

And if you have any suggestions or comments on buying a dutch oven, please share those with us in the comments below.

Getting Started with Dutch Oven Cooking – Buying a Dutch oven is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

The Volcano Grill – Perfect for Dutch Oven Cooking

Scott — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:22:43 +0000

The Volcano Grill is the perfect portable outdoor cooking system. Why would you want one of these? Well, first of all, it is portable. The collapsible version folds down to a space of 5" high so it won't take up much room wherever you are going.

Second, you can cook with propane, charcoal, or wood with it. So whatever type of fuel you have, you can use!

Third, it is incredibly versatile. It's small size means that you can take it camping, boating, on picnics, to beach parties, Scouting trips, tail gate parties, Dutch oven parties. And even more impressive, whatever type of cooking you want to do, you can do it with the Volcano Grill. Do you want the quick cooking of a propane grill? It does that. How about the flavor of the charcoal or wood fire. You got it.

It holds the coals that you need for Dutch oven cooking. You can put a wok on it and do stir fry. You can use a fry pan with it, boil with it, steam with it, bbq with it.

It's perfect for a small fire to cook marshmallows or hot dogs on.

Finally, it is the perfect accessory for cooking with Dutch ovens, because of the focused heat that it provides. You'll save money on fuel.
The Volcano Grill has a patented design that funnels the heat from the coals right up to your Dutch oven, giving you the perfect environment for cooking with your Dutch oven where-ever you are.

Check out this video demonstrating the Volcano Grill:

Now click here to get more information.

The Volcano Grill – Perfect for Dutch Oven Cooking is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Mike’s Vertical Grill, Reader’s Choice Awards, Mark’s Black Pot

Scott — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:46:09 +0000

Some more fun news, info, and products that I found while searching through the web this week:

Mike's Vertical Grill

Here is a very different approach to grilling: Mike's Vertical Grill. It is unique in that it has two vertical heating 'elements', baskets that are filled with charcoal, that allow the grill to act kind of like a toaster. It grills from both sides at once! As your meat cooks, the drippings fall down into a water basin that almost completely eliminates flareups. Definitely a different approach to grilling! See the video below for a demonstration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGLiHrhuNaQ

Barbecue & Grilling 2011 Readers' Choice Awards

Here's a great chance to both register your votes for the best barbecue and grilling products. Head on over to The Barbecue & Grilling 2011 Reader's Choice Awards to vote for your favorite products. Categories include:

Charcoal Grill
Gas Grill
Backyard Smoker
Competition Smoker
Barbecue Sauce
Barbecue Rub

The top 5 candidates (from hundreds of nominations) have been selected and now you get the chance to vote! Voting continues until midnight March 8 and the results will be announced on March 15th. I'll have information about the results and some comments so be sure and check back. In nothing else, you might find an interesting grill, smoker, sauce, or rub that you would like to try.

Mark's Black Pot

One of my favorite ways to cook outdoors is with a dutch oven. You can cook almost anything in it. I happened on Mark's Black Pot blog and it looks like it has some great dutch oven dishes. He's got a ton of great recipes and information about cooking with a dutch oven. I know that this type of cooking is more popular in the west (in fact, many people in the east seem to never have heard much about dutch oven cooking, a shame, since some of the best food is cooked in a dutch oven).

I found Mark's blog because of a post he had about the 2011 International Dutch Oven Society Spring Gathering and Open House (I'll bet there's a lot of people that didn't even know there was an International Dutch Oven Society!) I'm going to try and get to that event in April and let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, I hope you'll take a minute and look at some of the great recipes and posts that Mark has on his blog as well as looking at the dutch oven recipes that I have here at Outdoor Cooking Magic.

Mike’s Vertical Grill, Reader’s Choice Awards, Mark’s Black Pot is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Grilled Exotic Meats – Try Something Different!

Scott — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:00:46 +0000

If you are tired of grilling plain old steak and hot dogs and hamburgers and ribs (and there is nothing wrong with grilling any of those!), imagine what it would be like to grill buffalo steaks or elk steaks or alligator!

If you want something different, something out of the ordinary, something that will have your friends and family talking for years, try grilling one of the many exotic meats. Your kids will love going to school and telling their friends that they had ostrich for dinner!

Many of these exotic meats are not only healthier for you, but will have a distinctive taste as well (and no, they don’t all taste like chicken!). For example, did you know that buffalo has 70%-90% less fat than beef and that ostrich has fewer calories than beef, chicken, or turkey?

I’m sure you are thinking that you would have no idea how to cook any of these. Don’t worry, many of these meats are cooked just like you would cook a steak or similar meat on your grill, BUT, here is an exotic meats cookbook that will give you everything you need to know about cooking these meats.

If there is an avid griller in your home, or if you have a friend that is a heavy duty griller, one of the many exotic meats available would make a great gift.

Buffalo Buffalo meat is slightly “sweeter” than beef. It is tasty, tender, and nearly fat free. It has 79%-90% less fat than beef and is very high in the essential fatty acids. Buffalo meat also has an excellent ration of Omega-3 to Omega-6 acids. There is even a buffalo diet where some have claimed weight loss and significantly reduced cholesterol levels over a 6 month period. Click here to see the buffalo meat that is available.
Kobe Beef Kobe or Wagyu beef is the richest, most flavorful beef available and is raised naturally, using traditional Japanese long feeding methods. It has a high level of marbling that provides its incredible flavor. Wagyu beef has healthy fatty acid profile that is low in saturated fat. Click here for more information about Kobe beef.
Elk Elk meat is very low in fat and cholesterol and comes from animals that roam freely and graze freely in natural conditions on pastures. The elk are fed only on grass and are supplemented during the colder months with only natural feed like hay and silage. Click here for more information about elk meat.
Yak Yak meat is 95-97% lean, making it the perfect low-fat, heart-healthy red meat. It contains different proportions of fatty acids, giving it a unique and delicious flavor which is somewhat sweet and delicate. It is lighter tasting than beef, but never greasy. Click here for more information about yak meat.
Alligator Alligator meat is a pure white meat that comes in two cuts: the tenderloin (from the tail) and the sirloin. You can cook it similar to calmari, either with high heat, or long and slow. Click here for more information about alligator meat.
Quail Quail meat is a delicious all dark meat that has a delicate texture and a sweet nutty flavor. The meat is tender and can be broiled, baked, roasted, stir-fried, or stewed. Click here for more information about quail meat.
Ostrich Ostrich meat is low-fat with two thirds less fat than beef and half the fat of chicken. It is fewer calories than beef, chicken, or turkey. Ostrich meat is a red meat that can be substitute for other red meats in any conventional recipe. It is easy to prepare and rivals other meats in taste and texture. Click here for more information about ostrich meat.
Emu Emu meat is very similar to ostrich meat in taste and texture. It’s lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol than skinless, boneless chicken, and looks and tastes like beef. It is high in iron and some think that is more tender than ostrich meat. Click here for more information about emu meat.
Rabbit Rabbit meat is high in protein and B vitamins, yet low in calories, cholesterol, fat & sodium. It is an all-white m eat that can be grilled or stewed. Click here for more information about rabbit meat.
Rattlesnake Rattlesnake meat is light and chewy & tastes like chicken (ok, there’s something that tastes like chicken!). Rattlesnake meat is best prepared with a marinade before cooking. This will tenderize the meat and neutralize its natural flavors. Click here for more information about rattlesnake meat.
Wild Boar Wild Boar meat has a sweet taste and richer flavor but leaner than regular pork. It is a true wild product! Wild boar meat is darker in color than domestic pork. It has a distinctive flavor with a hint of its wild heritage. Click here for more information about wild boar meat.

There are many other exotic meats that are available. Click here for more information.

Grilled Exotic Meats – Try Something Different! is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Protect your Grill with a Grill Cover

Scott — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 23:30:22 +0000

If you've made an investment in a grill (like when I recently bought my Char Griller Duo Model), you will want to protect it. A simple way to do that is with a grill cover. Using a grill cover regularly will greatly expand the life of your grill.

A grill cover will protect your grill from the elements. Left out in the rain and snow, moisture can cause rust to form on the metal parts of your grill and the sun can cause deterioration of the non-metal parts. This reduces the life expectancy of your grill. Protecting it is easy with a grill cover!

If you have a charcoal grill, water can also get into the bottom where the left over ashes are and harden into a something that is very hard to get off.

Pollen, leaves, even animals that decide to make your grill a home can make keeping your grill clean and ready to use a big problem. I've even noticed that wasps sometimes start making their homes inside my grill! While a grill cover won't prevent all of that, it makes things a little bit more difficult and may reduce the unexpected surprise of opening your grill to a bunch of annoyed wasps!

Of course, any grill cover is better than nothing. If all you can do is get a tarp and a couple of bungie cords, then do it. That will protect your grill much better than just leaving it out in the open.

The best grill cover is probably one that is made just for your grill. It will fit more snugly and do a better job of protecting your grill. All the major grill manufacturers have them available. Here are places you can find grill covers for each of the major brands:

If you want to get even fancier, there are lots of grill covers decorated with your favorite sports team, or a variety of other subjects and interests. These make great gifts for someone who has a grill and is passionate about their team.
Major League Baseball Grill Covers
College Team Grill Covers
NFL Grill Covers
NBA Grill Covers
NHL Grill Covers

Here's hoping you find the perfect grill cover for your grill!

Protect your Grill with a Grill Cover is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

BBQ Thermometers

Scott — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:18:52 +0000

BBQ thermometers are indispensable tools in getting your bbq or grilling just exactly right. They allow you to cook your meat to perfection by cooking it until it is just the right temperature, but not any longer.

Many people test to see if their meat is done by cutting into it to check how red or pink it still is. All that does is let all the juices out. A grilling or bbq thermometer will let you get it right every time.

One of the more popular types of bbq thermometers is the wireless kind. No need for you to wait by the grill to see if your meat is done. This type of thermometer allows you to see the internal meat temperature from a long ways away--sometimes as far as a football field away!

Some thermometers actually have voice included so they will tell you when your bbq gets to the desired temperature. No more checking every 20 minutes to see how it is coming. The Oregon Scientific AW131 Grill Right Wireless Talking Oven/Barbeque Thermometer is one of these types of thermometers. If you want to be able to do other things while you are grilling or bbqing, get the Oregon Scientific AW131 Grill Right Wireless Talking Oven/Barbeque Thermometer.

Features of the Oregon Scientific AW131 Grill Right Wireless Talking Oven/Barbeque Thermometer include:

Digital LCD screen
Stainless-steel 6-inch detachable probe
Temperature display from 32 to 572 degrees F
8 entree programs; 4 doneness selections; 2 verbal and 3 audio alert options
Transmission range up to 330 feet away
Low-battery indicator

If you are having trouble getting your barbecuing just right, or if you want to make it even better, check out the Oregon Scientific AW131 Grill Right Wireless Talking Oven/Barbeque Thermometer.

BBQ Thermometers is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

My New Char Griller Duo Gas Charcoal Grill

Scott — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 04:21:14 +0000

Recently I was in the market for a new grill. My old one had bit the dust and because it was an off-brand I wasn't successful in finding parts that seemed to work well with it. So I decided to get a new one.

I looked at a lot of different grills, trying to decide what I wanted this time. There are a lot of options! There have been a lot of improvements in grill technology since the last time I bought a grill.

I knew that I wanted a propane grill, because often it's nice to just turn that propane on, cook what you want to cook, and be done. And since I like to grill a lot during the summer, that was important to me.

But I had also wondered about a charcoal grill. A bit more work, but worth the effort.

Then I saw the Char Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill. That intrigued me. It has a 3 burner full-size gas grill for grilling with propane. AND it has a full-size charcoal grill. AND you can purchase an additional side firebox to connect to the charcoal grill for smoking or true barbecue (Texas style, as my son says). That was good enough for me. I could do almost any kind of grill cooking that I wanted!

In total you get 1260 inches of cooking space. The charcoal grill has an adjustable-height charcoal grate and dampers for controlling heat. There is also an easy to dump ash pan that makes cleaning up quick and easy. The gas grill has electronic ignition, three burners (40,800 BTUs) and a 12,000 BTU side burner as well.

I also like to do Dutch oven cooking, and sometimes I don't have time to go out to the fire pit and get briquettes going there (or a fire), and tend it while I do my Dutch oven cooking. That's partly because my fire pit is a little ways from the house and so needs to tended while being used. So I realized that I could remove the grills from the charcoal chamber, put my briquettes there and could also do Dutch oven cooking right there in the grill. Four ways to cook in one grill.

Of course you can also get a rotisserie kit to fit in the grill, so that made 5 ways to cook on the Char Griller 5050 Duo.

So that's what I decided to get. And it's been great. During the week, when I have less time, I use the propane grill, or start briquettes and put them in the charcoal grill and use my Dutch oven. And on the weekend, when I have more time, I have barbecued ribs and brisket using the side firebox. The results were absolutely delicious. Even had the whole family over and smoked a whole bunch of ribs for them.

A couple of downsides that I've discovered: The grill is HEAVY. Not a problem if you don't plan on moving it around much. This grill isn't one to load into the back of the pickup and take anywhere else for use. It's a good size grill, as well, measuring 60" long. I've also found that the area in the charcoal grill that is right next to where the side firebox is connected tends to get a lot more heat than the area further away. Rotating the ribs (or whatever you are cooking) handled that pretty well.

I assembled mine from the box which took a couple of hours. The instructions were very clear and didn't have any problems at all. There are a couple of times when you'll need some to help you, particularly when you are attaching the side firebox.

So far, I've immensely enjoyed using the Char Griller 5050 Duo model. This is a great grill if you like the flexibility to cook outdoors in a variety of ways. If you just want a gas grill, or just a charcoal grill, Char Griller has those also.
If you are in the market for a new grill, I recommend you consider the Char Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill.

What to Do:

Click here to see more information or purchase this grill.
The side firebox is separate and can be purchased here.
Make sure you protect your investment by getting a Char Griller Duo Gas Charcoal Grill cover as well, or
Protect whatever type of grill you have with a grill cover

My New Char Griller Duo Gas Charcoal Grill is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

Park-Style Charcoal Grill

Scott — Sun, 30 May 2010 19:52:49 +0000

This grill will definitely make you unique in the neighborhood! I doubt any of your friends or neighbors will have this grill.

When you go to a park for a picnic and need to do some grilling, what do you use? If you have a portable charcoal grill, you may take that grill with you, but more often you'll just use one of the charcoal grills that are in the park.

Now you can have of these same park-style charcoal grills right in your own backyard. Everyone who visits your backyard will ask where you got it. And you'll be able to grill hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, or anything else on it just like you do at the park.

The grill allows you to adjust the temperature with an adjustable charcoal pan. You'll also have plenty of room for grilling with a full 224 square inches of grilling space.

If you are looking for something unusual or different for someone who likes to grill or barbecue, check out the Park-Style Charcoal Grill.

P.S.
For other grills that you can use over a campfire, check out three camping grills you can use anywhere you can have a campfire.

Park-Style Charcoal Grill is a post from: Outdoor Cooking Magic

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Volcano Grill – Another Outdoor Cooking Gift Idea

Have a Campfire with the Volcano Grill

Volcano II Collapsible Cook Stove

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Australian Outdoor Rotisserie

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Outdoor Cooking Christmas Gift Ideas

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Books - These make GREAT gifts!

Grilling and BBQ T-Shirts

Competition BBQ Secrets Review

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Other Outdoor Cooking Gift Ideas

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Flexible Grilling Skewers

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Steak Charms

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – BBQ Thermometers

Quick Read

Wireless Capability

Temperature Range

Probes

Father’s Day Gift Ideas – Grill Covers

Getting Started with Dutch Oven Cooking – Buying a Dutch oven

Dutch Oven Brands

Lodge

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My Recommendation

Where to Buy a Dutch Oven

The Volcano Grill – Perfect for Dutch Oven Cooking

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Mike’s Vertical Grill, Reader’s Choice Awards, Mark’s Black Pot

Mike's Vertical Grill

Barbecue & Grilling 2011 Readers' Choice Awards

Mark's Black Pot

Grilled Exotic Meats – Try Something Different!

Protect your Grill with a Grill Cover

BBQ Thermometers

My New Char Griller Duo Gas Charcoal Grill

What to Do:

Park-Style Charcoal Grill