Nothing like a Parade to Jump Start the Christmas Spirit!

The Grate Days of Christmas got into high gear on Thursday night.    The annual Christmas parade brought out everyone into town.  The entire parade route was packed! 

Grateful moments:  Being with the gang from the Good Shepherd Foundation and walking with them handing out candy canes.   The Good Shepherd Float won 2nd place in the parade.  It was especially fun to walk with the guys who pack and ship GrillGrates.

Jared, Daniel, and Jerry- you guys rock!

Me and Abe in front of the Booth Museum Float

Watching Susan (and actually getting a picture) as Abe Lincoln on the Booth Museum's Float-priceless!   Try saying Merry Christmas a thousand times and not get into the spirit!  The Grate Days of Christmas are off to a great start.

Family Holiday Grilling Ideas and Traditions:  Take the heat off the kitchen and turn your grill into a short order kitchen for vegetables, appetizers and dessert.  We grill several different vegetables for family style vegetable plates.  Often 3-4 different grilled vegetables at the table. Not so easily done in the kitchen but a snap at the grill.  Family style vegetables- especially yams and sweet potatoes, squash have changed my eating habits.  Grilled vegetables are the center-piece of my grillers diet and great holiday grill fare for your family.  Gril more vegetables this holiday season!



Holiday Gift Ideas for the Grilling and Chilling Lifestyle:  Rarely do you find a product that becomes a regular part of your life and actually changes how you do things.  Nope- I'm not talking about the GrillGrate!  I'm talking about STUFZ!  The Burger Stuffer tool.  Stufz makes a phenomenal best in class stuffed hamburger.

You can get a lotta stuff in there!  Perfect stuffed burgers every time.

We're talking about a new breed of burger here! 

A great gift for every griller!

Science of GrillGrate Part 6 EZ SMOKING with BBQR's Delight All Natural Pellets

It doesn't get any easier than this!  Sprinkle a few pellets on the fringe area of your GrillGrates and almost instantly- smoke is wafting your way.  Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn of amazingribs.com  introduced me to their all natural wood pellets last fall and hooked me up with Candy Sue Weaver owner of BBQR's Delight- a serious pittmaster and bbq businesswoman.  Craig called our products peanut butter and jelly because we go so well together.   Now we include a sample bag of pellets with every GrillGrate order. They're that good! -and the scent in the backyard is just unbelieveable.

The Science of Grate Grilling Part FIVE: GrillGrate Grilled Pizza!

Grilling pizza has never been easier!  The raised rail design of GrillGrates provides the perfect platform to grill pizza and the GrateTool makes it easy to handle and rotate for perfect searing and crispy crust.  Here are a couple of tips to grilling great pizza with GrillGrates:

1. Keep your grill temperature under control at or below 400F. This allows you to grill pizza long enough (10 minutes +) to thoroughly cook the the toppings and melt the cheese without blackening or charring the crust.  The key is how long you can grill pizza, not how hot and fast- unless you like black bottom crust.
2. Use Olive Oil on the bottom side of the pizza crust.  The olive oil helps the crust get super crispy.  Even add a bit of seasoning to the oiled crust for more flavor!
3. Quarter turn the pizza after 3-5 minutes.  Using the GrateTool slightly lift and peek at the crust and see the crust is searing and browning.  Rotate 45 degrees when the sear marks are golden brown.
4. Watch Searing on Bottom of the Crust.  If sear marks are black- you are grilling too hot and at risk of blackening the crust.  Reduce heat.  The sear marks are a great guide to determine your grill's best temperature for grilling great pizza.  My gas charbroil is set on LOW, but the GrillGrate temperature is still 450F when the dome says 350F.  
5. Lower and Slower is Better with Grilled Pizza because it gives you time to fully cook toppings to a golden brown too.  Think bubbly brown cheese!
6. Use MamaMary's Gourmet Pizza Crusts.  They are partially baked, find them in the deli section of your supermarket or at Walmart.  They are fabulous on GrillGrates! 

GrillGrates makes grilling pizza a snap! Pizza is a super platform for all types of grilled pies- even fruit, dessert pizzas and breakfast pizzas!  And don't forget left-over pizzas, BBQ pizzas, white pizzas.  The GrillGrate website has dozens of grilled pizza recipes- let us hear yours!

 

The Science of Grate Grilling Part 5 FRESH FISH!

I recently had the pleasure of fishing with my college age daughter and we hooked up a pair of mahi mahi.  Better yet I had access to a Big Green Egg with GrillGrates and I grilled the best fresh fish I've ever grilled.  In the past I've overcooked or somehow managed to mangle a marvelous fresh caught fish.  Not since GrillGrates!

GrillGrates takes grilling fish to another level entirely.  No more fish baskets, aluminum foil,  or fish coming apart and falling through the grill.
The Science of GrillGrates involves all aspects of the GrillGrate design:

• Raised rails provide a secure platform for even delicate fish like trout and halibut
• More surface area contact with the fish provides superb searing and helps keep the filet intact
• The extra protection from the bottom plate keeps fish moist and protected from drying heat
• Juices and marinades add to moisture and flavor as they vaporize in the valleys of the GrillGrates
• Lastly The GrateTool makes turning and handling fish filet a snap

I took extra care with our fresh mahi mahi filets.  I even washed the GrillGrates and used brillo on the raised rails to get them perfectly clean.   It was my first experience grilling fresh fish on a Big Green Egg but I had the confidence that I would not mess up this meal! 

• I set the BGE to 400F knowing that I wanted it to sear a bit and have time to cook thoroughly
• Lightly oil the raised rails with canola oil or grilling spray- I like Weber's grill spray
• Lay the filets over hot GrillGrates and don't touch for at least 5 minutes- lid down
• Using The GrateTool go under the filets and gently lift.  If resistance from sticking give it another minute or two.  FISH TIP:  Gently wiggle the tool under the fish to help it release completely intact from the GrillGrates.
• LIFT and TWIST the filets for another 3-4 minutes
• LIFT and TURN brings the presentation side to the top and grill to finish
• Total time 12-15 minutes

Daddy Daughter Fishing and Grilling- it doesn't get any better than that!