Yes! Forgot to mention the beer refrigerator is next to the grill, so its kind of a symbiotic relationship.
The idea that I might be helping my spouse with the cooking or “giving her a vacation” when I grill brings a chuckle from Mrs. ZonexandScout. I already cook half the meals and I do all the kitchen maintenance and clean-up after every meal, regardless of who cooks. In fact, I even plate the meals she cooks. So the idea that grilling helps her out is not really a thing in this case.
Probably all moot now…at least for another year. The charcoal started nicely late on the Fourth, four big burgers were cooked to medium rare, the buns got toasted (maybe a bit too much), and my wife and I enjoyed them. We did our corn on the cob in the air fryer. Unfortunately, there was no banana pudding.
Grill got cleaned yesterday and then covered up to await its next mission…or summoning.
Except for the racks (& the liquid pan on the smoker) no other part of the grill is touching your food, & it lives outside. I really don’t care if the walls have a little something on them. Pots, pans, cutlery, & dishes are all directly touching your food.
As for me, when I take the food off the (propane) grill, it gets turned up to high; when I get up from eating it gets turned off. Everything is burned off right away & then only need a quick scrub of the racks before next use.
I grew up in Indiana but have lived in Virginia since 2004.
And I’ve never, ever grilled. It’s too hot outside for me to intentionally sit out there and cook. Gimme an air-conditioned kitchen, any day.
I agree. I’m in Texas too…setting charcoal on fire and standing around it for an hour or two has little appeal when it is 105 degrees every day.
I actually do most outdoor cooking in colder weather - I smoke a turkey on Thanksgiving and grill for Christmas and New Years.
My dad (unlike me) did want to grill for the Fourth. But he has a much higher heat tolerance. He grilled, but I ate in the cool inside.
If I were to cook on the grill, it would be at night when we’re not in the middle of yet another heat wave. Heck, I don’t even like to fire up the stove/oven/pot during that time: I stick with the microwave to make foods that have to be hot, and eat a lot of food cold.