Kalamazoo K500HB-2-NA, Use And Care Manual

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Outdoor Cooking Techniques
Gas, Charcoal or Wood Cooking Which is best? This
question cannot be answered easily, perhaps not at all.
We can, however, describe the differences. A charcoal fire
produces a drier heat than a gas fire (a gas flame produces
more water vapor). Contrary to popular myth, a charcoal fire
has very little flavor. Most of the flavor that was in the wood
was burned out in the kiln used to produce the charcoal. It
is the dry heat characteristic that helps create the desirable
“crust” outside a perfectly cooked steak.
Grilling or roasting with a wood fire is our favorite way to
cook. A wood fire can produce a drier heat, similar to a
charcoal fire, but there is more flavor left in the fire. Similar
to working with charcoal, you should not grill over a wood
fire until the fire has settled down. The wood chunks should
be somewhat ashed over and glowing red. A wood fire will
not last as long in this state as a charcoal fire will.
A great way to get started cooking with wood is to try wood-
fired rotisserie using an indirect wood fire built across the
front of the Hybrid Fire Grilling Drawer. Read on for more
information in the rotisserie section on page 55.
A gas fire offers more convenience than wood or charcoal
cooking, and the food can indeed taste great, especially
with the Hybrid Fire Grill. The whole experience is a little
cleaner and a little less time consuming than using charcoal
or wood.
Hybrid Cooking Kalamazoo Hybrid Fire Grills combine the
best of all worlds — gas, charcoal and wood. These grills
offer the convenience of a gas grill while still delivering the
cooking experiences of a charcoal grill. Perhaps best of all,
a hybrid grill consumes less charcoal or wood thanks to the
ability of the gas burners to supplement the heat.
Direct Grilling The most common type of outdoor
cooking, direct grilling, places the food on the grill grate
directly above the fire. The food is cooked for a relatively
short period of time, usually less than 20 minutes. The
temperatures used typically range between 350˚ and 600°F,
and the technique is generally appropriate for food that
is less than 2 inches in thickness. Direct grilling is used for
delicious steaks, fish fillets, burgers, chops, chicken breasts
and vegetables.
How do you know what the temperature is at the grilling
surface? The lid thermometer won’t tell you (exactly), but
there is a pretty reliable technique you can use: Place your
open hand, palm-down, a few inches above the grill grate
and count the number of seconds before the heat becomes
too uncomfortable. For most people, pulling your hand
away after about six seconds will equate to 400°F. Five
seconds is usually about 500°F, and the equivalent to four
seconds is about 600°F.
Finally, a note on sticking food: First, make sure the grill
grate is hot and clean; second, oil the food and not the
grate; third, be patient. Most foods, especially fish, will
release from the grate when it is time to flip. We prefer to
use tongs for turning almost everything except burgers and
some fish fillets. Lifting food away from the surface is often
easier than scraping it off the surface with a turner.
Searing Searing is a type of direct grilling using more
extreme heat. A grill must be able to reach at least 700°F for
good searing. Searing is done quickly and is often followed
by continued cooking at lower temperatures.
Indirect Grilling Indirect grilling places the food next to
the fire rather than above the fire. This technique is used for
larger foods with longer cooking times, typically more than
20 minutes. Turkeys, prime rib, whole chickens, racks of lamb
and large chops are all ideal for roasting on the grill using
the indirect grilling technique.
While roasting food, the grill lid should remain closed as
much as possible, and you should be able to rely on the lid
thermometer for accurate cooking temperature readings.
Using wood smoke with roasting techniques is called “smoke
roasting,” and this can add fabulous flavor. Read on for
different options for adding smoke to your grilling.
Preheat the entire grill and then turn some of the burners off
for the indirect zone before putting the food on the grill.
Using indirect heat in combination with searing or direct
grilling is the best way to cook thick steaks and chops. Some
people prefer to sear first, and then continue cooking in
the indirect zone. Others prefer the “reverse sear.” In this
technique, indirect heat is used to bring a steak or chop
slowly up to an internal temperature that is close to the
desired finishing temperature, then it is moved to a very hot
part of the grill to sear.
Barbecue Barbecue sauce does not make barbecue. Low
heat and long cooking times with the use of wood smoke
are the key characteristics. Temperatures as low as 200°F are
used for as long as 24 hours. The food is kept away from the
fire by using the indirect grilling technique or even an offset
fire box.
Barbecue techniques are best for meats that would
otherwise be undesirable or a tough cut, such as beef
brisket. The longer cooking times and lower temperatures
will render the fat into the muscle to deliver more tender
results. One hallmark of good barbecue is the “smoke