Grills and recipes

[OkeeDon]

The original Holland wasn't perfect. That was one of the things that led to so many copies. I personally like the Phoenix version better, but the Wilmington may be the best, but it's over $1,200. The copy cats improved the burners, made the temperature more variable, and added double controls, and even made them look a little better, eventually forcing Holland to come out with revised models to catch up.

For folks who may be wondering, the Holland-style grill is one in which there is a solid steel tray between the burner(s) and the grill surface. Heat is radiated by the tray, and drippings are vaporized on the tray giving true bbq flavor, but the real cooking is done by moving hot air, like a convection oven. There are air outlets on the lid, which draw heat like a chimney, around the metal tray, around the food, up and out. Open the lid and the process stops, which is why they say "if you're lookin', you ain't cookin'".

There is no possibility of a flare up because the drippings never reach the flames. On the other hand, they aren't very good at searing, so they are better for the foods mentioned above (poultry, pork, roasts, fish, veggies and fruit) than they are for steaks. Food stays moist and cooks thoroughly with bbq flavor. You don't get burned streaks, which cuts the flavor to some, but on the other hand, charred streaks are possibly carcinogenic.

I still have other, hotter, faster grills for when I want to sear something that is still raw inside, or char something to a crisp.

 

[MossRoad]

Another way to do the same thing is to turn the burners on high for a while to get the ceramic or lava rocks good and hot. Then turn off one of the burners and cook on the side where the burner is off. This cooks the food over inderect heat and minimizes flare-ups. I cook ribs this way... sear them on the grill directly over the flames, then dunk them in sauce every 10-15 minutes while cooking over indirect heat until they are tender. Soak some ears of corn in the husk in water for about an hour. When the ribs are about 20-30 minutes from being done, throw on the corn still in the husk on the side with the burner on. Turn them once after 10 minutes. Take them off after another 10 and let them sit to cool down. Heat up some water and put it in a tall jar. Melt a stick of butter and pour it in the warm water. Peel back the husks on the corn and use it as a handle to dip the corn cob into the butter that is floating on the water. Pull out and salt. EAT!!! MMMMmmmmm. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[OkeeDon]

Now, THAT is the dangnest most clever way I've ever heard to butter the corn. I'll try it at the next opportunity!

 

[MossRoad]

Just have plenty of paper towels /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We usually put down a bunch of newspaper under and around the jar on a picnic table outside. It makes a mess, but is soooo good! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Oh, yeah, sounds obvious, but don't fill the jar so full that you can't dunk the corn in without losing all the butter over the top. A large gallon pickle jar about 2-3 inches from the top seems to work well.

 

[riptides]

Is Indiana (near) Virginia?

Sounds good. Will make note of that too.

Don, Will have to find the chunks, I am fond of wood flavors,
do regular soaking of apple, mesquite, etc. etc.

hey, It IS dinner time!

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[rlk]

Don, thank you for starting this tread, and thanks to all for the good cooking tips.

Let me give you another recipe for potatoes.

Cut either regular potatoes or sweet potatoes in half the long way. Cut each half again the long way so that you end up with long potato wedges. If the potatoes are really large, you might have to cut each half into quarters instead of halfs.

For regular potatoes, lightly salt and pepper them.

Put the potato wedges on a lightly greased sheet of tin foil. Lay the potatoes on their side and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Turn to the other side and cook another 15 - 20 minutes. When they are done, the sides will be brown and crunchy and the insides will be soft.

My wife and I, and our families really like potatos like this.

Bob

 

[rlk]

Don, 2 more recipes for the Holland Grill.

Grilled onions: Slice an onion into quarter inch slices. Put the slices on a lightly greased sheet of tin foil. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 15 minutes on each side. When done, the onions will be lightly browned. You won't believe how sweet the onions are when fixed like this. Also, most of the onion smell has vanished.

My wife and I have started grilling onions to have with steak where we used to have baked or grilled potatoes.

Another recipe is for fried ocra on the grill.

Cut the ocra into half inch pieces.
Take a piece of tin foil and fold it such that you make a little pan. I use a piece of tin foil about a foot long and fold the edges up so that it will hold some olive oil. I pour just enough oil into the tin foil pan so that it will pool a little - maybe a sixteenth of an inch deep. Salt and pepper the ocra, drop it into the hot tin foil pan, and fry it for 15 minutes or so.

Some people like to flour the ocra, but I perfer it with no flour.

Best fried ocra I have ever eaten.

You have to watch the ocra closely cause it will burn quickly, especially if you dipped it in flour.

You can also use fresh squash instead of the ocra.

Bob

 

[rlk]

Your pineapple recipe founds fantastic. I can't wait to try it.

Your "beer can chicken" is called "beer but chicken" in Apex. Your title sounds a little more refined than mine does. What a fantastic way to cook chicken. I wanted to try it with BBQ sauce in the can, but the beer works so well I have not tried anything else yet.

Another thing we cook on the Holland is cornish game hens. We rub olive oil on the inside and outside and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sometimes we use Brads or Johnny's Seasoning. Grill them on the Holland for about an hour and it makes a fantastic meal.

We also grill fresh shrimp; lobster tails; fresh fish, and about anything else you can think of.

Bob