Got my first gas and coal hybrid grill, advice, tricks, do-not's and deadly sins around cast iron.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
I will try all of what you and others suggested and see what works best for me.

Learned a lot! I know, could use a search machine, but the more opinions the better and these things just find threads like this

All this gear set up is all good and dandy but do you know how to grill or smoke meat and veg?

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman
I grilled before but when I do steaks, I normally would use a pan and sear it. Or use the oven for roasts.

Never smoked anything before but I grilled to usual suspects like steaks, hamburgers, sausages, cheese maultaschen, tomato, schaschlik aka shish kebap and other things with good results but lots of hassle.

On an old bowl grill with a steel griddle. This is why I am so excited, finally good hardware. The old grill was so unstable it would twist when I cleaned the griddle or move it. It became kind of a fire hazard, too. It really was about time.

Was this a challenge for pictures?

You'll do fine! Your new set up sounds nice.

Just remember:

1. "BBQ" and Smoking = Low and slow.
2. Grilling = Very hot and fast.

I generally try to grill at 900-1000 degrees F. "BBQ" and smoking at 225 degrees F and below.

There are exceptions, but they are just that 'exceptions', rather than the rule.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
Exceptions solidify the rule, we say here.

I am unsure if it is a good idea to use it as a smoker. Reasons not annoying my new neighbors and I guess it is not really intended for smoking, yet there is a smoking package that comes with it, mhm who knows!

If the assembly does not eat away the whole afternoon, we might be munching on burgers for dinner. I got the perfect cheese in the fridge, Mürritzer. A creamy, spicy cheese, similar to cheddar in texture and taste, but milder. It will compliment the hamburger patty just fine. I want to use ground beef throat for the patty.

Can not decide if I make fries and a curry-mayo-tomato dip or go rosemary baby potato and sour-cream as a side yet, but I lean heavy towards the latter.

a reply to: Shibari

Okay...so you just highlighted something you probably need to understand a bit better, and you will learn this over time.

A lot of people get confused by the term "BBQ" and this is why I put it in quotes. To some people BBQ = Grilling. To others, BBQ = Smoking. Neither is accurate. Barbeque (BBQ) is like smoking, but it's not exactly the same thing. And, BBQ is not "grilling". Smoking is just that, applying smoke to meat or cheese products to both flavor them as well as preserve them. "BBQ" on the other hand, uses smoke, but the primary purpose is a long slow cooking time to break down the connective tissue of the meat so it's tender yet still juicy. Technically, BBQ can be done with, or without, smoke, but it is most often done with smoke. So you'll hear terms like "smoke ring" and similar referring to BBQ. People sometimes confuse this with pure "smoking" which BBQ is not. BBQ is a cooking process, whereas smoking is a flavoring and preservation process (more akin to a drying process). Smoking dehydrates and/or cures a product, whereas BBQ cooks a product.

You will learn this as you get into it. To start, stick with grilling and as you get more familiar with the various methods you can start getting into true BBQ and Smoking if you want.

ETA - For example, you don't 'BBQ' a steak, you grill it. And, you don't 'Grill' a brisket, you BBQ it. And...you don't 'BBQ' a fish, but you can smoke it, or you can grill it. Confusing, I know.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I knew the difference but not as in depth like you described it, I appreciate the explanation and it makes a lot of sense.

Here, smoking and BBQ is not popular but we know about it and the American culture around it. Ashes on me, I confess I maybe never had a real BBQ or smoked meat, except cold smoked ham or smoked sausages.

I generally dislike sauces with "liquid" smoke, but I am open minded to try the real thing for myself. I like smoked ham, just not smokey sauces and the little one just wants ketchup on most of the things

As somebody who does this for a living I recommend this book.

It will enlighten you.

Meathead

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

The thing is awesome, I LOVE IT!!!


Building it up
Arrived short before 4pm, unpacking took a quarter hour, building up the thing after reversing around twenty minutes of work... I thought I am smart and started right away, then noticed a small detail was wrong and had to undo most of the work. Duh. From then, it took me one and a half hour to build it up, alone. All I needed was screwdriver.

All the screws and small loose parts had own little compartments with clear labels on it, not flying around in a bag. Everything was neat packaged and clean. I just had to hunt down the little styrofoam flakes that attached to it everywhere.


Burning in and seasoning
Slowly cranked up the heat until it had 350°C and kept it there for an hour. Then I let it cool down, cleaned it with oil and an old rag. Then I seasoned all the griddles with grape seed oil and cranked up the heat again.


First meal
Because it was so late and the kid had to go to bed, I did not have time for doing potato. So I just made big and a small burger patties and grilled them. Well, most of the time I seared it on the cast iron skillet....and it is awesome. Nothing sticks to the griddle or skillet, nothing wraps around, like it always did with the tiny stainless steel rods.


Cleaning
Cleaned it when it was still warm, with the methods I was told here: super easy! But before, I cranked up the heat again and turned most little fat chunks or leftovers into coal / ashes. Then cooled and used a rag to apply the oil. I do not have a spray yet.

Because it was getting late after building it up, did not want to stress myself with doing pretty pictures but concentrate on the new experience, I just did a few sloppy ones and most of them had my car and license plates and neighbors cars in it it. Its called Gas2Coal for anyone who wants to see the whole thing.

Now I whisk off to a butcher! Thank you all for the great help, I feel now confident around the thing. Just seared one patty to death but three turned out perfect, tasty crust, medium on the inside.

Pepper, Salt, garlic, 100% ground beef. Mhmmm...
I promise that I bring picture if anyone wants to see.