Which Grill is Best For Your Food?

 When it comes to what you're cooking and how you like to cook, what's the best grill for you? 

Summer is officially here and that means it is grilling season!* We’re tackling the 4 major types of grills as of 2022. What prices should you expect to pay for them and which grill is best for your needs. Although we know some of us would love to have one of each, let’s assume you’re trying to narrow your choices down to just one, shall we? 

Grill Basics: 

You want your food to finish cooking at the same time so everything is ready to serve. 

This means your grill needs to either a) disperse heat evenly or b) you need to know your grill well enough that you can move food around to different "cool" spots so that everything cooks at the speed and temperatures you need. 

-Preheat your grill for at least 10 minutes before throwing food on. This allows the grill to be fully heated and the grates to be less likely to stick to your food. 

- If you want to impress your guests with the 'perfect' grill look, turn your food 90* halfway through the cooking time. It will give that look everyone loves, and you'll look like a professional. 

Gas Grill

Gas Grill from Home Depot

Let's start off with the grill that's easiest to obtain, the gas grill. These will run anywhere between $100 and $3500, depending on the bells and whistles you want.  They come in all sorts of sizes and styles, from the tiny picnic top grill to the behemoth that can feed 100 people. (Yep, we've seen those too, we just get stuck at finding the space to put it.) A gas grill is the workhorse of grills. They're capable of grilling everything from delicate fish to searing pork chops or knocking out large amounts of hotdogs and burgers. The reason for that is that they can hit temperatures as low as 150* and as high as 850*. They're also extremely easy to work with, which is why most people who grill, do so on these. They light quickly, they heat quickly, and did we mention how easy they are to work with? You can also find all sorts of attachments (or a youtube video that shows you how to make them) from pizza ovens to smokers. 

Charcoal Grill 

Charcoal grill from Home Depot

So a gas grill isn't for you? You don't like the idea of hauling around a tank you need to refill? We get that. Charcoals are the next step then. Many people see them as the next step for when you want to go from "party grilling" to "nightly grilling for good food."  Working with charcoal will give your meal a smokier flavor, no matter what you're cooking. This does mean that you need to be careful in selecting what you choose to grill though. You need something that can stand up to the smoke without losing its own flavors. Some examples here include brisket, prime rib, grilled pizza (yep, it works), rotisserie chicken, smoked turkey, and shrimp. Charcoal grills don't get as hot as gas grills do though, which means you're not going to get much of a sear on your food. It's best for foods that you want to take your time with. A charcoal grill will usually take between 20-30 minutes to completely heat up,  and the temperatures are going to only range between 150* and 550*. When it comes to lighting your best bet is to use a charcoal chimney to get it to that point, otherwise, you'll be fighting for much longer than 20 minutes.  A charcoal grill should run between $70 and $375. Not very expensive, but you have to remember the price of the charcoal as well. 

Kamado Grill 

A Kamado is the priciest of the grill options, but it's also able to get you the highest temperatures out of the four primary options. A kamado can go as low as 150* and as high as 1000*. That is going to give you a delicious sear when you want pork chops.... which your blogger is now wishing she could get. 

Anyway! Because of the supreme level of control a kamado offers you, they're great for hitting the extremes of food. Either things that need low and slow cooking like ribs, roasts, and briskets or foods that need to be seared, like we mentioned, pork chops are a good example.

Kamado Grill from Home Depot

Kamado grills come in two varieties, ceramic and nonceramic. The ceramic ones are, in our opinion, the better option because they are sturdier than their nonceramic counterparts. They are also insulated which leads to even more temperature control. Although they are more difficult to assemble, we feel like this is a grill that is worth the investment of time and money. Speaking of money, a Kamado grill should cost between $300 and $2500, depending on the type you go for. 

One thing to be aware of (that many will call a downside) is that the Kamado grill will require an hour or more before it's ready to be cooked on. If you're looking for a quick dinner, this is not a good option. If you want to spend time outside cooking for friends and family and really enjoying the craft of grilling? This might be a good choice. 

Pellet Grill 

If smoking isn't for you and you don't want the guesswork of dealing with a gas grill, a pellet grill might be for you. They're great for foods that burn easily like pork chops and chicken with the skin still on. They're also ideal for large cuts of meat that you want to toss on and not have to worry about or fuss over. 

Pellet grill from home depot

A pellet grill uses wood 'pellets' rather than charcoal, and they give a delicious smokey flavor. Plus you can choose which type of wood you use and get different flavors into your food that way. You can experiment with different wood types and foods to see what flavors work for you palette. Some examples are almost sweet like oak or pecan, while others give a very umami/smokey flavor like hickory and mesquite.  

One interesting fact about pellet grills is that although they run on wood, their temperature control is digital. As the grill works it automatically draws from the pellet hopper to keep the grill at the temperature you chose. This is a great benefit to the chef that wants to set it and forget it, but still wants something more than a gas grill. Pellet grills are well worth their price tag, running between $350 to $2000. 

Your grill choice is going to be dependent on you. What do you like to cook? How do you like to cook? These two questions will affect your choice as much as the price. 

Which one are you most interested in? Grills aren’t something we fix, but we do love grilled food as much as the next person, so we’re interested in hearing what you have to say. Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page!

If you’re not up for grilling next weekend though, that means you’re probably cooking. If your range is giving you trouble, you might want to give us a call. Whether it’s broken, behaving oddly, or you just want to give it a thorough going-over, we’re here for you. You can reach out to us at our contact page or by calling us at ((214) 599-0055).

*Yes we know you started long before this, but give us this. 

Additional Reading:

Fire in the Kitchen

7 Reasons To Build An Outdoor Kitchen

What To Know Before You Build Your Outdoor Kitchen

Which Grill is Which?

 Taking a look at different fuel types for different grills and what you can achieve. 

Already we’re nearing the end of summer! For many of us, Labor Day is the last chance to host a big backyard party. For just that reason, we’re taking a  look at grills. 

To many of us, a grill is a grill. You light the fire somehow, and you toss food on. You make sure to flip it occasionally, and you don’t let it burn. Then, yay, you have food. For those who are skilled in cooking with a grill, this is a gross simplification. After talking with experts we learned how different grills can actually be used to achieve a different effect. We aren’t talking models, but instead styles. The bells and whistles don’t matter here. 

Charcoal Grill 

One of the most popular types of grills, a charcoal grill is also extremely finicky. They take time to catch the flames and build up the heat needed. Usually, you need about 20-30 minutes to get a solid fire going, and you’ll need time in the end for the coals to be extinguished when you’re done cooking. The good thing about all of this time though is that whatever you cook on the grill is also going to have a rich, smoky, complicated flavor. You can grill anything you want, but steaks, salmon fillets, and as many vegetables as we can fit on the grill are our favorites. You can cook at much lower temperatures with a charcoal grill because the fire will keep going, without going out. 

Gas Grills

If you’re looking for something that heats quickly and can feed a crowd, this is it. Gas grills use propane to heat quickly and evenly, but you’re still able to manage the flame to get different temperatures.  A gas grill can give you a little bit of charring and a little bit of flavor. Even better they’re extremely easy to care for. So if your backyard party is large and you’re looking for the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, and corn, this is a  fantastic choice. 

Kadamo

Maybe you’re looking for something different though. You want something that can maintain the high temps of a gas grill and the low temps of a charcoal grill. Then what you’re looking for is called a kamado grill.  These are grills that are based on ones that China developed 3000 years ago. It can hold a temperature of 225*F or go as high as 1000*F.  They use lump charcoal for fuel, just like a charcoal grill, but their shape and composition allow them to get far hotter.  Unlike a gas grill though, it’s capable of not just grilling foods, but also smoking, roasting, and even baking. 

Pellet Grill 

Pellet grills are easy to use and heat up quickly, which makes them great for weeknights. However, we will point out they don’t get much about 475*F at their highest. This means that if you’re wanting them to sear your meat, you might look at something else. Many of them do have a digital thermostat though that allows you to specify exactly what temperature you want them to hit. A major downside, for us at least, is the difficulty of finding pellets compared to propane or charcoal.  You might be able to if you live in a major area, but not if you plan on taking it with you when you travel. 

Now that you’ve got your preferred grill selected, let’s quickly talk about fire safety. (We know you know, but humor us, ok?)  Every year outdoor cooking fires account for $37 million in property damage. So to prevent your home from being on this list, here are a few things you can do. 

• Make sure you don’t have anything too close to the grill. If it can fly, flap, or be shoved by wind, move it at least 3 feet away from the grill. 

• At the beginning of the day and again at the end, take a few minutes and clean out the grease trap. Doing this can prevent your grill master from getting burned.

• If it’s lit, don’t leave it unattended. If you need to step away, switch places with someone else. 

• Make sure to have a sand bucket nearby. Yes, the food would be absolutely terrible after, but at least you won’t’ be on fire. 

Follow these four rules to enjoy your next outdoor party without worrying. 

Which one are you most interested in? Grills aren’t something we fix, but we do love grilled food as much as the next person, so we’re interested in hearing what you have to say. Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page!

If you’re not up for grilling next weekend though, that means you’re cooking. If your range is giving you trouble, you might want to give us a call. Whether it’s broken, behaving oddly, or you just want to give it a thorough going-over, we’re here for you. You can reach out to us at our contact page or by calling us at ((214) 599-0055).  

Additional Reading: 

Fire in the Kitchen

7 Reasons To Build An Outdoor Kitchen 

What To Know Before You Build Your Outdoor Kitchen

Down Home Comfort with Sweet Tea-Brined Pork Chops and Red Pepper Relish

So good your guests won’t want to leave. 

This month’s first recipe is one that’s perfect for the dog days of summer. It doesn’t take much to prep and it’s easy to throw on a grill to cook. So many of us already drink sweet tea in the summer, we decided to try it in other uses as well. We came across this idea and after testing it out, it’s a winner!  Try out our Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops and Red Pepper Relish.

Ingredients

8 orange pekoe tea bags*

1 cup sugar

6 bay leaves (preferably fresh)

1 Tbsp coriander seeds

6 bone-in center cut pork chops (2 inches thick; about 5 lbs total) 

3 red bell peppers, chopped

1 large vidalia onion, diced

2 Fresno chile peppers, seeded and chopped 

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup apricot preserves

Freshly ground pepper

Kosher salt

Vegetable oil, for the grill 

-Make the brine: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Turn off the heat and add the tea bas and let steep for 10 minutes. Discard teh tea bags. Stir in ¾ of a cup sugar, ½  cup salt, the bay leaves and coriander seeds. Cook over low heat, stirring consistently  until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Roughly 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat, pour into a  large heat proof pitcher and set the pot aside for the time being. Let the brine cool to room temperature, roughly 30 minutes. Refrigerate the brine until very cold, at least one hour.Pour the brine into the reserved pot and add the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. 

-Once the brine and pork is in the fridge, make the pepper relish. Put the bell peppers, onion and chilies in a food processor and pulse until broken down but not pureed. This should be 2 or 3 times on most food processors.  Transfer to a small saucepan and add the vinegar, preserves, the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and ¼ tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until slightly reduced, but still juicy. Keep a close eye on it as time may vary based on time of year. It should take about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. (You can make the relish up to a day ahead.) 

Preheat your grill to medium. Oil the grill grates lightly. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Grill, covered until well marked, roughly 14-16 minutes. If they get too dark, rotate them 90* . Flip the chops and cook, covered until well marked on the other side. Take a digital thermometer and insert it sideways into the center. It should register 145* and at that point it’s done. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve with the relish. 

NOTES 

*Or the equivalent amount of loose leaf orange pekoe, if you’re willing to use it. 

So what is orange pekoe exactly? 

Rather than a flavor, orange pekoe is actually in reference to the quality of the tea. 

Tea leaves are picked from different heights on a plant for different purposes. The younger the leaf, or the higher it is on the plant, the more flavor it has. Another matter that goes into grading is how whole or broken a leaf is after it has been processed and dried. So an orange pekoe tea is made up of whole, young leaves. 

That’s not to say that the bagged tea you can pick up at your local store isn’t perfectly good tea. This is just the actual definition of an orange pekoe. So, no your pork isn’t going  to taste like oranges, unless you add some into the brine. 

Did you ever wonder what the difference was between a jam and a relish?

We did while making this recipe. A relish, according to Britannica, is a cooked and pickled vegetable or fruit preserve. It’s typically eaten with a bland food to bring flavor, but we can promise that’s not the case with this dish! 

Thank you very much for joining us for this recipe. We hope you enjoy cooking it as much as we did. Which was your favorite part? The tea brined pork or the relish? We’d love to hear from you over on our Facebook page. We want to see how yours turned out. 

If you found out that your stove or refrigerator weren’t working properly while you were making this, don’t hesitate to give us a call. 

Whether it’s your refrigerator or stove, your ice maker or your dryer, we fix appliances. And if all you want is to schedule a maintenance check? We can do that too. 

We look out for our clients in Allen and the surrounding areas and we want to keep your home running in tip top shape. 

Call us at ((214) 599-0055) or schedule an appointment on our website. 

Building Your Outdoor Kitchen: What You Need to Know Beforehand

Have you ever thought about building an outdoor kitchen? It’s summer and that means home improvement stores are pushing patio furniture and grills, and everything else that goes into it. So the idea is there. “What would it be like to have an outdoor kitchen?” and “how would I even get one started?” Every year we ask these same questions, and this year, we decided to bite the bullet. While not a complete list by any means (since every home and person is different) our list does cover many of the things that you need to consider when planning for an outdoor kitchen. 

Finding the Right Spot

That’s a trick question actually. There is no ‘right’ spot, nor is there a “perfect spot’.  

No, really. Take that idea and chuck it. No matter where you place an outdoor kitchen there will be reasons to love it and reasons to hate it. There isn’t a defined set of parameters that are going to make a spot ‘perfect.’ What you can decide on though is ‘perfect for you and your needs.’ 

Ask yourself, do you want it close to your house, or farther away?  There are benefits and drawbacks to both. 

-If you’re going to keep it close to the house: 

-It’s great because it’s easy to run water, electricity and gas. And extending a roof isn’t difficult. You can even get away with not having a sink if you place it near your indoor kitchen. 

However, 

- Make sure it’s on a northern wall to reduce exposure to the sun for you and your appliances. 

- Consider the location of doors and windows in relation to the area  so your house doesn’t become known for its smoked meats and furniture. 

If you want to build well away from your house consider: 

The benefits here include more space to spread out, the heat and smells from cooking won’t be as strong inside your house, and you’ve added an entire room to your floor plan. However, there are a few things that you’ll have to do ‘in exchange’. 

• Building a roof to protect appliances (and you) from the sun

• Including plenty of storage so you don’t have to run all over for tools, utensils etc. 

• How you’ll run water and electricity to it. Running back and forth to wash your hands is a pain. 

Talk to an expert 

Even if you intend to build it yourself, an expert consultation can be a big help. 

Experts can help with things like 

Building codes

How close to your property line can you build? 

Even if your local code says you can build right up to the edge of your property, maybe don’t? Consider the noise, privacy and smoke issues from your neighbor’s side of the line. 

What do you need for fire safety? 

While not a comprehensive list, when it comes to fire

-  Keep the grill or stove at least 10’ from combustible materials and your house. 

Always have a fire extinguisher, a bucket of water and a bucket of sand in a specific cabinet in the event of a fire. And know when to use each. 

What types of permits need to be filed? 

Consider lighting and ventilation

Lighting - Make sure that your work surface and the surrounding paths leading to the kitchen are adequately lit. Given how easy it is to get hold of small solar powered lights this is very easy to set up, and ensures a safe work environment. 

Ventilation- No one wants to hangout in or near a smoky kitchen, so make sure that the grill is either at the edge of the space or install a ventilation system. 

Can you afford it? 

According to Angieslist, an outdoor kitchen can cost between 5k to 15k, depending on how many of the indoor comforts you want (Although if you want to get really elaborate, we have seen some that have gone as high as 75k.) 

• How often will you use it? 

Really consider this one. Do you want it just for one major event a year? Or will you use it most weekends throughout the summer? Or do you really love cooking and plan to use it as often as possible? These answers are going to affect where and how you spend your money. 

• What features do you want? 

Just like when we went through how to remodel your indoor kitchen, you need a list. You have the basics: 

Water supply

Direct gas line for the grill 

Fridge or mini fridge for drinks

What about seating? Fans? A trash drawer? Outdoor safe cabinets and counters? 

• How much maintenance do you want to do? The materials you choose for your outdoor kitchen will directly affect how much you spend cleaning and repairing as time goes by. 

• ROI

For some homeowners they look not just at ‘can I afford it and enjoy it now,” but “will it make my home sell better in the future?’ 

Given that most of our clients live in Texas we can firmly say Yes. According to Quicken Loans, houses in the south see a 100 - 200%  ROI on their outdoor kitchens. The reasons for this are many, but here are a few

-The weather is suitable for year round use

- If you use weather safe woods it will last for decades

- It gives a versatility for living indoors and out which is a growing trend, alongside outdoor bedrooms and living rooms. 

When you’ve looked at all of that, how does it add up for you? Do you think you’ll save up for another year and put in a lavish outdoor kitchen next year to boost the value of your house? Or are you dying to get started grilling now and you’re willing to add to it bit by bit? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. 

And remember, if any of your appliances are giving you a hard time, you can always call or set up an appointment on our website. We want to keep your home running in tip top shape. 

Beat the Heat With This Spicy And Sweet Set of Ribs

Sweet and Spicy BBQ Ribs 

Welcome to this month’s first recipe, all about sweet and spicy ribs. Texas is known for its grilling, right? With the heatwave that’s melting us, we wanted to get out of the kitchen and work outside where there’s hopefully going to be a breeze.  So we went digging and found this great recipe tucked into the back of the recipe book that sounded perfect to share. It’s even got a delicious side of grilled (or broiled) peaches to pair with it and tame some of the heat. 

4 pounds  pork spareribs

½ cup chili sauce

½ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¾ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp hot pepper sauce

4 medium size ripe peaches

2 Tbsps peach preserves

About 2 hours before serving or a day ahead 

Take your rack of ribs and cut them into two-rib portions. This means you won’t be fighting as much for space later, and they’re easier to flip with tongs. 

Put an 8-quart saucepot over high heat, add in the ribs, and enough water to cover. Bring it to a boil. Put a lid on top of that and turn the heat down to a simmer. Leave that there for an hour to get the meat tender. 

Using tongs, remove teh ribs from the saucepot and put them on a platter. 

If you plan to grill right away, go start the barbecue. If you’re cooking the ribs later, put them in the fridge covered in foil. 

About 1 hour before serving 

Prepare your outdoor grill, remember, coals need at least 30 minutes to heat fully. Meanwhile, mix chili sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, allspice and hot pepper sauce.  (If you want to check out how to make your own chili or hot pepper sauces, check out the notes below.) 

Cook your ribs over medium heat, 15 to 20 minutes to heat them through. Brush with the sauce frequently during the last 10 minutes to keep them from charring. (Unless you’re like our bloggers and prefer a bit of char on your ribs. Then just be careful.) 

Cut all of the peaches in half and discard the pits. Grill the peach halves with ribs, turning and brushing them with preserves until hot and browned. This should take roughly 5 minutes. Remove ribs and peaches from the grill, transferring to a platter and enjoy.

When you’re done and it’s time to clean  up, throw your grill grates into the dishwasher for an easier cleanup. 

If you can’t grill, due to weather or what have you, try broiling your ribs. 

Start off by precooking the ribs and prepping the sauce same as we did above. 

Roughly 30 minutes before you want to serve, preheat the broiler. Arrange the ribs on a rack in the broiling pan and brush with the sauce. Broil ribs 5 to 7 inches from the heat for 20 minutes, turning and brushing with remaining sauce every 5 minutes. 

Remove the ribs from the broiler and transfer them to the platter. 

Grab your peaches, and just like above, cut them all in half, chucking out the pits. Place peach halves with the cut side up on the rack in the broiling pan. Brush the peaches with preserves and broil for 5 minutes.  

Transfer the peaches to the platter with the ribs and enjoy a sweet and hot treat. 

Let us know what you think over on our Facebook page! We’d love to hear from you and how your ribs turned out! 

If this isn’t your thing, we have something completely different coming out in two weeks, so be sure to check back then. 

Remember, if your appliances are giving you trouble, or if you just want someone to give them a once over, give us a call. We want to help keep your home running in tip top shape. 

Call ((214) 599-0055) 

Set an appointment online.

Notes: 

We know that most people don’t like to go and make their own chili and hot pepper sauces. It’s a lot of work after all. For those of you that do though, these recipes are for you. Please let us know how they turn out! 

Chili sauce

Check out this recipe straight from Ball’s own Fresh Preserving site. This recipe is a classic and with good reason! The flavor is rich and complex and goes great anywhere you’d typically throw in chili sauce (and even a few places you hadn’t considered yet.) 

The ingredient list looks like this 16 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (about 16 medium)

6 onions, chopped

6 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

`2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cups white vinegar

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. freshly grated or drained bottled horseradish, optional

1 Tbsp. celery salt

1 Tbsp. mustard seeds

1 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground mace or nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground clove

Hot Pepper Sauce 

If you’re looking to make your own hot sauce, a great place to start is at Wholefully. Her ingredient list looks like this. 

1 1/2 pounds peppers of your choosing (a mix of sweet peppers and hot peppers), tops/stems removed, halved

6 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cups filtered water

4 teaspoons sea salt

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, optional

If on the other hand you’re an aficionado and want to go a step further you can take a look at this guide we found that takes you from the very beginning, through multiple different recipes and up to creating your own business if you’re so inclined. That is over at Chili Pepper Madness.