I’ve cooked beef/bacon burgers once before, back in May 2016. On that occasion, I smoked them at 300-325°F using the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Delicious and smoky, to be sure. But on this occasion in August 2019, I grilled beef/bacon burgers using my Weber Summit 450 gas grill.
A company named Porter Road Butcher gave me a two-pound package of their Beef Vs. Bacon mix to try. It’s a 50/50 blend of smoked pork belly bacon and dry-aged beef trimmings. Porter Road doesn’t specify the percentage of lean-to-fat in the ground beef, only that it’s “lean ground beef”. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s 90/10 ground beef or something close to that.
If you’ve never tried a beef/bacon mix for burgers, you should, especially if you’re a bacon lover. It’s amazing how much flavor bacon adds to otherwise delicious ground beef. But these Bacon Vs. Bacon burgers had it all—the fat and smokiness from the bacon plus the hearty beef flavor that only comes from dry-aged beef. Continue reading Beef Vs. Bacon Burgers From Porter Road Butcher→
It’s almost the end of peach season here in Northern California, and before summer is over and we rush headlong back into our fall routines, I wanted to share some grilled peaches that I made just for you, and they could not be simpler to make.
Start with perfectly ripe, juicy peaches. Freestone peaches works best. The ones shown here are from Andy’s Orchard in nearby Morgan Hill, CA…probably the best stone fruit you’ll find still grown here in “The Valley of Heart’s Delight”.
If you’ve been putting off the purchase of a Spirit II gas grill in red, ivory, or sapphire, you’d better hurry and buy one…if you can even find one at this point.
I have it on good authority that Weber is discontinuing these colorful grills in 2020, leaving black as the only available color.
Spiral-sliced hot dogs put a smile on the faces of kids and adults alike. Beyond the fun factor, spiral-sliced hot dogs also have some advantages over regular grilled hot dogs.
Watch this video to find out how to make spiral-sliced hot dogs!
Grilled corn on the cob is so easy to make that it hardly demands a post on the subject, but here goes anyway.
Buy fresh, sweet corn on the cob. Look for large ears that are long and even in width. I like white corn more than yellow or bi-color corn, it just seems sweeter to me, but purchase whatever corn is your favorite. Most important is that it be in-season and fresh.
Remove the husks and silk as best you can. Cut off the stem flush with the cob. Cut off the pointy end to remove those janky little kernels and to make a flat spot to insert a corn pick after grilling.
Preheat your Weber gas grill with all burners on MEDIUM for 10 minutes. Clean the cooking grates with a grill brush.
Recently, I read an article from an authoritative source that had nice things to say about a whole bunch of Weber gas grills. Sadly, I am not allowed to identify the source and I cannot quote directly from the article.
Dumb, right?
But I’m pretty sure that based upon my own personal, extensive knowledge of Weber gas grills plus the information I learned in this article, I can tell you that the following are really awesome Weber gas grills that you should consider buying over competitive grills. Trust me.
In late Summer 2017, I saw Nathan’s Jumbo Foot Long Beef Franks at a local supermarket and wanted to try them. Problem was there was only one package left, it was past its expiration date, and the store didn’t sell buns long enough for these hot dogs, anyway.
Fast forward to June 6, 2019. I’m shopping at Safeway and see these hot dogs again. Nearby, there’s a display of matching Nathan’s Extra Long Hot Dog Buns. Bingo! I’m taking these suckers home! Continue reading Nathan’s Jumbo Foot Long Beef Franks→
I picked up a couple of high quality Creekstone Farms ribeye steaks at Lakewood Meats in Lodi, CA while in town judging a barbecue contest.
These steaks were about 1″ thick. I wish they’d been 1-1/2″ thick, which would have been a better thickness for the reverse sear cooking method used here.
I sprinkled the steaks with kosher salt on both sides and refrigerated them on a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet pan for 2 hours. Right before grilling, I applied freshly ground black pepper to both sides and pressed it on with my hands.
I setup the Summit 450 gas grill for indirect cooking, with two burners OFF on the left side and two burners on HIGH on the right side. I placed a 12″ cast iron skillet on the hot side of the grill to pre-heat.
In the June/July issue of Cook’s Country magazine, the editors announced the results of testing eight popular grill brushes ranging in price from $5 to $35 in a variety of styles and construction.
It’s common to hear someone say that their old Weber gas grill is still going strong, but it doesn’t light properly. They have to light it with a match through the manual lighting hole in the front of the grill.
Sadly, it’s also common for some grill owners to think it’s time to toss and replace an old grill when it won’t light.
Difficulty in lighting is a common problem as a gas grill gets older. The solution is to install a new igniter kit. Doing so is cheap and easy on older Weber grills and just slightly more expensive and difficult on more recent Weber grills. Either way, it’s cheaper than buying a new grill and it’s a job that I’m confident you can do…so read on!
Buying The Correct Igniter Kit Is Key
Electronic igniter kit (left) vs. mechanical igniter kit (right)
Weber has used a variety of igniter kits over the years for different grills. Some kits are mechanical, some are electronic. Some include multiple igniters, some include just one. The wires may be longer in some kits and shorter in others. It’s important to get the right kit for your grill because even kits that look alike may not work properly in your specific grill.
Weber does not list the replacement igniter kit part number in your grill’s owners manual because these part numbers may change over time. The best way to make sure you get the right kit is to call Weber Customer Support at 800-446-0171. Give them your grill’s model name and serial number and they’ll tell you which part number you need. Alternatively, if you’re buying at a home center or online, read the box label or product description carefully to make sure the kit covers your specific grill model and year.
Types of Ignition Systems
Prior to the mid-2000s, Weber used a mechanical piezo ignition system in gas grills. When you depress the ignition button, a spring-loaded hammer hits a crystal, generating a high voltage discharge that travels through wires to a ceramic igniter in the firebox, creating a spark next to the burner tube and lighting the gas. These older systems make a loud metallic “bang” noise when you depress the rectangular ignition button. Each time you depress the button, a spark is generated. Continue reading Replacing Weber Gas Grill Igniters→
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