Alternate recipes for Weber Q?

Super_Dave wrote:
Dodger, you just have to think outside the box or have someone do it for you. It wouldn't be that hard to make some heat shields for half the cooking surface.

Well sometimes when you think outside the box, like your suggestion, you simply find yourself outside of the box.

Using a heat shield Will not result in the same cooking state as it does not lower the temp. a Shieled will just radiate much of the heat just protect it from the flame.

In indirect cooking especially of meats you want a lower temp for longer periods and of course you do not want heat of any kind radiating up directly on the food. This is the whole point of indirect cooking.

By shutting off half the burners you decrease the heat by a factor of from 50% to something else depending on how high you keep the other burners...You suggestion does not allow for this.

ME thinking outside the box is not the problem...the problem is Weber did not think outside the box.

I think the Webers are the best PORTABLE grill I've seen. I love my 3 burner at the s&b, but sure wouldn't want to lug it around for my camping trips. Many times when cooking multiple items I employ the original outdoor grill, the campfire, along with my Weber.

sjturbo wrote:
Thanks for the varied inputs. It is true that you should not expect it to cook a three course meal but it does what it does very well. I was just looking for some "real world" ideas. I guess I should take Super Dave's advice and think outside the box and inside the Q.

SuperD is right about bricks or pizza stone. Another option for heat motigation is a cast iron griddle. We have both a rectangular and a square Lodge cast iron griddles that travel with us full time and are great multitasker.

The square fits well on our Weber Q 2200.

We've owned one before....

It's a grill...whatever you can do on it, you can do on other grills and vice versa... just gotta remember if you try to do extended cooking to not use the small green propane tanks. The grill is nothing spectacular, besides being well built.

Thanks for the varied inputs. It is true that you should not expect it to cook a three course meal but it does what it does very well. I was just looking for some "real world" ideas. I guess I should take Super Dave's advice and think outside the box and inside the Q.

Dodger, you just have to think outside the box or have someone do it for you. It wouldn't be that hard to make some heat shields for half the cooking surface.

Well let me give another example where simple food just doesnt come out well.

I will take Chicken leg Quarters brine them for half a day to keep them juicy. Then put them on a HOT grill to sear the skin, seal the meat and add the grill marks. Then I want to cook it over INDIRECT heat until done. So I would normally move them over to one side. Cant be done on the Q.

This produces the best tasting juciest cchicken you can imagine. Yet this simple thing is just not possible with the Q. If they would just split the burner so you could turn half of it off and increase the heat and flame height...it then would be a much much better cooking surface.

Eventually I will have to break down and buy a real grill with 4 burners.

Try some of those small pork tenderloin roasts. They're usually in shrink wrap packaging and some of them already have different flavor so added. Put it on low and turn every10-15 minutes until center tests about 160*.

Don't use it for what it is not designed for. Best thing we have ever had for steaks, hamburgers, and such, It's not an outdoor kitchen. But let me know if you are traveling in this area, I want to come eat at your place!

Think about alterations such as bricks or pizza stones that will allow you to use it as an oven. You will be amazed to find that you can bake anything you'd bake in the oven at home.