Grill

I would like to talk about my new gas grill. Almost all of my friends who grill have Weber Q grills of various sizes, and they are very happy with them. These are small portable gas grills that don't look like most grills, like black boxes, but actually have a design. Also they have large grill area for the size, and they heat up and hold the heat efficiently. So when shopping for a gas grill for my new big patio, being mad about grilling as I am, I decided to go for a grown-up version of the same.

So, when my Monster Q arrived in a huge box, I was quite dissapointed. The assembly wasn't fast or easy. It looks like after all these good reviews, the manufacturer somewhat relaxed the quality control. The gadget came in 36 parts, some of them broken, and with an assembly instruction of 19 steps, no text, pictures only, some incorrect. Fortunately, the customer service hasn't relaxed yet, so after a couple phone calls, a weeks wait for replacement parts, a few arguments over the instruction and one trip to Home Depot to get more tools, we worked all the bugs out and started grilling!

Now I think that I own the best patio grill ever. It looks cute, and it actually looks smaller than it really is.

It heats to 600F (no joke!) in minutes. And, unlike my old grill, when the lid is on, it holds the heat. This means it can be cleaned like a self-cleaning oven. And we already made a pizza on it. The grilling area is so big that even if I have a party I can still cook all the food at once. The only complaint is that even though it has wheels, when the tank is on, I cannot move it - it's too heavy, and the tank is not fixed to the cart and falls off. Well, I guess the wheels are just for moving it to storage for winter. And I am ready for the summer here!

Grilled Chatobriand Steak, Grilled Vegetables.

Wash and trim the asparagus. Trim the greens from the carrots, leaving about 1 in. - Yes, I finally found a use for these organic homegrown young carrots with greens attached. They are excellent on the grill. I don't use the greens though. - Wash the carrots, rubbing them with the dish sponge. Do not peel. Wash and towel-dry the steak.
With a brush, cover steak and vegetebles with olive oil with some salt and pepper added to it.

Heat the grill to 450F. Place the steak in the middle, vegetables on the sides. Cover and grill about 2 minutes.
Turn the vegetables, lift the steak and turn it 90 degrees, same side down, to create grill marks. A couple more minutes, and the vegs are done, remove to a hot plate.
Turn the steak over, sear for a couple of minutes, then lower the heat and continue cooking until the internal temperature is about 140F (medium-rare).

Simple summer food. I am all ready for summer, where is it?

Served with herb butter, brown tomatoes and baby greens, vinegrette dressing, Chateau de Brandey 2006.