A few weeks ago, I featured ways to save money when you use the
grill. I focused on the idea that last year’s grills and
accessories are on clearance sales to make room for this year’s
stock.
A few weeks ago, I featured ways to save money when you use the grill. I focused on the idea that last year’s grills and accessories are on clearance sales to make room for this year’s stock. This week, I bring you the eventful story behind one of my purchases.
As you may remember from that column, I mentioned the burner on my gas grill was not working as well as it should be. The grill had belonged to my grandfather and it had not been used for many years. My grandmother wanted me to have it since it sat idle in the backyard, covered with a dilapidated tarp. The grill was still good, but in need of some love and care. I was the one to take on the task.
I disassembled the inner workings of the grill, checked the gas hoses, the valves and cleaned the parts. It was back in working order, but I never thought the burner worked very well. The grill didn’t get hot enough; food took a long time to cook and the sear that a hot charcoal fire produces was absent. The first quarter of the flame from the burner was blue while the rest of the flame was orange. Upon further inspection, I realized that foreign objects were in the burner and the output holes were rusted. The burner needed replacement.
I found a great burner, made from cast iron. This burner was heavy duty and I knew it would last for a long time. It was one of the clearance items I found, but I did not purchase it immediately. Unfortunately, when I was able to purchase the burner later in the week, it was sold out. I was fortunate enough to find a nice employee and he tracked down the burner at another store. But after inspection, I discovered it was missing one of its venturi tubes. A venturi tube is the pipe that leads from the burner to the gas supply line at the flame adjustment knob. Knowing that I was most likely creating a problem for myself, I decided to purchase it anyway. There had to be a good way to fix the problem.
Since I wanted to get the gas grill up and running, I decided the old venturi tubes could be used. The old venturi tubes on the old burner were in great condition. In order to use them, I had to drill two holes in each bracket to affix the old tubes to the new burner correctly. After removing the venturi tubes from the old burner, I knew I had two problems: The brackets on the old tubes would overlap each other and the venturi tubes would be in the way of screws.
My grandfather had built his own charcoal grill, complete with a grill that could be raised and lowered. My father is inventive and can piece together just about anything. I had the instincts to make this work.
A large pair of tin snips evened out the brackets on the old venturi tube and the rough edges were sanded down with a grinder. Drilling the holes in the old brackets was easy since I had one of the new venturi tubes as a template. After attaching the old venturi tubes perfectly parallel, I discovered their placement was not wide enough and didn’t match the gas line. I drilled another set of holes to accommodate this problem. Luckily, this also solved the other problem and moved the screws from under the venturi tubes.
Once everything was screwed into place, I assembled the burner onto the gas output valves. It fit perfectly. I turned the knob on the propane tank, turned the control knob on the grill and held my breath as I hit the ignition button. It was a success! Bright blue flames with just a tip of orange were restored to the grill. After allowing the grill to warm for 10 minutes, I tested the heat. It was difficult to hold my hand 10 inches over the grill before I had to pull it away. The output was very hot and my sentimental gift was returned to perfect working order. I grilled a few sirloin steaks the next day and the results were outstanding!
This week’s recipe was inspired by the religious calendar. Many people in South Valley observe Lent, the period leading up to Easter. One sacrifice observed by many is the restriction of meat from the diet on Fridays.
At the grocery store this week, I came across some very nice looking shark steaks. If you do not like shark, other firm fish may be substituted too.
Grilled Shark Mexicana
From Recipe Source (online recipe archive; Serves 4)
For the fish:
1 1/2 pounds shark steaks (or other firm-fleshed fish)
1/3 cup lime juice
3 cloves garlic; pressed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup beer
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Salsa
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons diced green chilies
2 dashes hot pepper sauce
Salt to taste
1 ripe avocado, sliced for garnishing
Step 1: Rinse shark with cold water; pat dry with paper towels, set aside.
Step 2: Combine remaining ingredients; pour over shark. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning once. While shark is marinating, make the salsa.
Step 3: Drain shark, reserving marinade. Place on well-greased grill grate 4-5 inches from a hot fire. Grill 4-5 minutes; baste with marinade and turn. Cook an additional 4-5 minutes, or until shark flakes when tested with a fork. Top with avocado slices and Salsa.
