Barbara Mills of Sacramento sent a note last week, asking for tips on how to use her gas grill as an oven through the hot weather.
This is a great question, and Mills certainly came to the right person. Two summers ago, we were doing a complete kitchen remodel, so we got very proficient at adapting recipes to outdoor grill cooking. Here are a few tips:
• Use an oven thermometer if your grill doesn't have one built in. This helps you figure out how hot the gas grill gets on various settings. With my gas grill, putting two burners on medium heats it up to about 350 to 375 degrees. If you use a charcoal grill, you will need to count briquettes and keep good charts – or keep a close eye on whatever you are cooking.
• The heat in the grill comes from the bottom, and there isn't a lot of circulation. You will need to keep moving things around so they cook evenly on all sides. Keep in mind that every time you open the grill lid, heat escapes and the grill needs to heat up again. Foods like cornbread or casseroles might take longer to cook because of the fluctuation in heat.
• Use indirect heat. The directions that came with your grill will tell you how to create indirect heat, or you can go for complete directions to the Weber Grill Web site, www.weber.com. Basically, indirect heat means that the heat source is off to one side of the grill, and pans or food items are not placed directly over the heat source.
• Cast-iron cookware is a big help when baking on the grill because it conducts heat evenly and efficiently.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to check when food is done. Most baked goods, such as layer cakes, are done when they reach an internal temperature 195 to 205 degrees.
Here's a recipe from Weber that might be fun to try on your grill.
Apple cake with cinnamon sugar
Prep time: 40 minutes Cook time: 35 to 40 minutes Serves 8
This recipe is from "Weber's Real Grilling" by Jamie Purviance (Sunset Publishing, $24.95, 304 pages).
Ingredients
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pie plate
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
divided use
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large Granny Smith apple
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Whipped cream for topping, optional
Instructions
Generously grease a 10-inch metal pie plate with butter. Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the sugar, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and cloves, and mix well. Cut the 5 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix with your fingers until you have a coarse meal. Whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla, and add to the bowl. Mix well. The batter should be well combined but still have some lumps. Pour the batter evenly into the pie plate.
Core and slice the apple lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices on top of the batter around the outer edge of the pie plate like petals of a flower, overlapping them slightly. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the apples and batter.
Using indirect heat, preheat the grill to 350 to 450 degrees. Place the pan on the grate, not over direct heat. Grill with the lid closed for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 90 degrees. Continue grilling with the lid closed until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature with whipped cream, if desired.
Per serving: 237 cal.; 4 g pro.; 35 g carb.; 9 g fat (5 sat., 3 monounsat., 1 polyunsat.); 75 mg chol.; 220 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 19 g sugar; 34 percent calories from fat.
