A really, really big grill. The Weber Ranch Kettle Grill

I like to grill.
I like to grill a lot. I like to grill so much I almost wanted to use MrGrill as my handle here. All of the faithful know there is a great divide amongst afficionados of grilling. This divide would be the never ending charcoal vs. gas debate. I will figuratively throw some wood on the fire here and make my stand for charcoal. Charcoal, whether it be briquets or actual charred wood imparts a bewitching aroma and savory taste one cannot achieve using mere gas. There’s more to a barbecue than BTU’s ! That being said, let me tell you a bit about my Weber Ranch Kettle Grill.

Taking care.
I’ve had this grill for awhile and I take care of it. My grill lives outdoors for most of the year, like most grills do. I have, and use a cover and recommend you do too. I don’t go overboard with the cleaning. I give mine a good hosing out at the beginning and end of the season. Wait a second. I grill year round. Make that a twice yearly cleaning.

This is a big grill.
This is not the grill to get if you are grilling for just you and your spouse. How big is it ? It stands a full three and a half feet tall and will need three feet, eight inches of space behind the front handle. The outside of this colossus measures in at just over ( 37.5 in. ) one yard in diameter. There are fourteen people in my extended family and yes, I can cook for all of them at the same time at once here - and I ain’t talking about hot dogs and hamburgers either !

Steelin’ away !
The cooking grids are two half circles of stainless steel. Yep. Stainless steel right where you need it, not just on the sides to make it look pretty. The grids can be adjusted independently so you can have one side low to sear directly with flames and the other side can be raised to finish off whatever you are cooking with a nice slow, indirect heat.

Gettin’ enameled !
The body of this grill is made of a heavy gage steel with the interior having a dark porcelain - enameled coating. So if you have to cook up a large batch of something really greasy like a dozen thick rib-eye steaks you’ll be able to clean it out fairly easily. (After it cools of course.)

An off road grill.
Weber knows your grill will likely be moved about a bit. There are wheels suitable for a garden cart on the back legs, and at a full seven inch diameter they roll easily across my lawn. I do not have a perfectly manicured, water table flat, “Levittown lawn”. I live in New England. We have rocks which magically appear every spring as the ground thaws and spits them up. That’s why we have these nice stone walls everyone likes to see along the roads. The little wheels on the front are fine for your deck and will lock to hold the grill in one place. If you have a lawn like mine just grab the nicely insulated handle on the front. Lift just a bit and off you go !

Is it drafty here ?
My grill has adjustable holes at the top on the lid and at the bottom of the fire pot. Use these to adjust the draft and control the heat of your fire. There is a secondary grate to build your fire on and a thoughtfully designed ash catcher in between the legs to apprehend any burning embers before they barbecue your deck. Another nice touch would be what Webber is calling a tuck away lid holder. That would be the big chromed loop behind the grill. Grab the lid by it’s two handles, (It’s not heavy, just a bit unwieldily.) Just set it inside the loop and ease ‘er down. Remember that nicely insulated handle at the front ? You’ll find three hooks for hanging some tools there.

My favorite recipe(s).
Ok, this isn’t really a recipe, but if you like your steak with a rich, flavorful, smoky, classic barbecue flavor here is what I recommend you do. For beef I like to use mesquite wood chips. I know several folks who just toss the chips right onto the coals followed by the steak and then clamp the lid down and close off most of the vents. That’s not the way to do it !

You need to soak the wood chips before for at least a couple of hours, preferably overnight. Some folks who do this use water. I prefer beer. This won’t work with a light beer, you need to use a good flavorful beer or ale. I prefer Bass or sometimes Guinness. If you are not sure of how much wood chips to use cover the empty grill with newspaper, then cover the paper with chips, pick up the paper and dump them into a bucket. Cover chips with beer, cover bucket to keep bugs out and let it sit.

For Pork, I prefer Hickory or Apple wood chips, same choice of beer.

When I grill fish I always use a fish basket to keep it from falling apart and I line both halves of the basket with freshly cut lemon slices. This is fantastic for Swordfish and fresh Tuna. I would forgo the use of beer in this instance and simply use plain old water with mesquite wood chips. The lemons keep the fish moist and keep the fish from getting too smoky.

Whatever you choose be sure to raise the cooking grid as high as it will go and don’t close off the vents ! Step back and get out of the smoke. Resist the temptation to peek inside because you’ll let all that nice smoke out. Be patient.

Y.G.W.Y.P.F.
You Get What You Pay For. This is a grill I have had for several years. I expect to be grilling on this when my eight year old son graduates from high school and then again when he graduates from college. Why ? It’s a Webber. ‘Nuff said.