Rete

It is freaking hot down here. At the moment it is 103 degrees. A few weeks back I tried using the grill as an oven and made scalloped potatoes and roast chicken. Worked beautifully and the house stayed cool without have to adjust the a/c. Today I am baking a meatloaf with cubed potatoes and carrots. Dinner should be ready in another 30 minutes.

So does anyone use their gas grill for baking? If so, any tips for the novice.

anotherlimey

What? Gas grill for baking?

Does not compute.

Rete

Why not? The grill is natural gas (direct pipeline to gas meter) and if you turn the grills up so that it furthest from the flame, close the lid and use the vent and temperature knobs you can regulate the temperature inside. I regulate it to around 350, placed my meatloaf in a roasting pan, surrounded it with potatoes and carrots and set it inside of the grill. It baked it perfectly. Perhaps you might prefer the word "roast" as opposed to "bake". To me it is actually baked, as the meat and veggies do not get that crunchy crust that roasting produces as it is a covered pan not an open pan.

Rete

I figured it out myself but just now googled it and here you go limey:

Baking on the Grill | Weber.com

anotherlimey

Never tried it.... never even considered it.

I know people who roast chickens on them though.

Guindalf

I prefer to put a nice Boston Butt, chicken or rack of ribs in my smoker with some apple and maple wood chips!

I've even made smoked mac'n'cheese!

ChocolateBabz

I do whole chickens, never thought of using it as an oven substitute though. I'm nit sure I'd trust its thermometer. I have always fancied trying pizza on it, but never got round to it.

kodokan

We spent last summer living in an RV for 8-10 weeks, mostly using the grill to cook on. Pizza was a resounding failure - burnt on the bottom, uncooked on top. We had great success with baking various combinations of meat/ potatoes/ veg in tin foil parcels; bakes bananas work well too (slice along the skin and push in chocolate buttons/ add brown sugar/ pour in rum, etc.)

Rete

Not a fan of smoked meats. My southern son-in-law is and has a smoker. He uses it for ribs, brisket, pork butts. I'll eat what he cooks but would rather have a burger

petitefrancaise

I use my grill a lot for meat and veggies. I bought a rotisserie bar and that was great once I learned how to tie the chicken on so it stayed put - the first time I used it, I set fire to the chicken as all the butter I'd stuffed it with came pouring out. That was quite spectacular.

I have some recipes for marinating the meat in advance which works well. My favourite is a chilli/ginger/coriander/lemon one. You bash the chicken breasts until thin and then marinade. Tastes great and takes about 5 mins to cook. Kebabs are good too.

I've stopped using the grill since the outside temperature has been over 100f though. Sometimes it's just worth paying for the a/c!!

Pizza - my Italian neighbour, (a former Roman Pizza maker) uses his grill for baking pizzas since the ovens don't get hot enough. The dough is very thin and the toppings light and it works fabulously. I haven't been as succesful unfortunately, I think the secret is in the dough and he's not letting on.

Rete

We have a rotisserie as well. Haven't tried it yet as we are only two people and I haven't had any large pieces of beef, pork or a whole chicken that I wanted to make.


And this is exactly why I started using it. Electric is very expensive down here and our gas is very cheap. The grill is connected to the main gas line. Besides I'm an old fart and have been through menopause and the heat doesn't bother me.

When I was growing up the pizza palors used brick ovens to bake their "hot pies". That is want they were called in Yonkers, NY back in those days. Go figure out the year So wondering if he doesn't use a brick pizza stone for his pies. Other than that, I would think that he place them as far from the heat source as possible to keep the crust from burning.

Bob

We've done spuds, pizzas and a couple small things on the grill as a oven.

petitefrancaise

On a related note -
in France, "Cuisines d'ete" (summer kitchens). Basic brick oven/grill, washing up bowl, dishes and utensils so that you can cook and socialise outside. I didn't get around to doing that but I did have a little table set up on the back patio with a small convection oven/grill and my slow cooker. I keep meaning to do this here but haven't got around to buying the little oven yet.

With no air-conditioning the proper inside kitchens are designed with a small room just off the kitchen where the dishwasher, washing machine/dryer and refrigerator are kept and used. Keeps the noise and the heat out of the kitchen.

Rete

Sounds like the summer kitchens that once were a fact of life here in the southern climates of the US.

Can imagine this French summer kitchen and would love to experience first hand one day.

Wintersong

I'm old school - I have a Weber kettle barbecue and (gasp) no gas grill.