tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210568862009-12-06T02:23:24.936-05:00<b>If you're interested in outdoor cooking, then my Barbeque or Barbecue or BBQ (depending on where you're from) blog is chock full of information on all kinds of tips, ideas, and recipes for grilling, smoking, dutch oven, and pit cooking.</b>Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.comBlogger263125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-18228748510444755732009-12-05T10:41:00.005-05:002009-12-05T11:08:38.936-05:00

I'm often asked what's the best barbecue smoker to buy. Barbecue smokers are used to cook low and slow with larger cuts of meat typically like pork shoulders but are also great for beer butt chicken and for ribs. Heck, bbq smokers are super for a lot of outdoor foods, but those tend to be the most popular anyway.Grilling is direct heat (hot flame) though it's possible to offset the charcoal and

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-81593895238029556302009-12-05T10:08:00.003-05:002009-12-05T10:34:10.852-05:00

If you're looking for a nice hostess or housewarming gift, consider a tasty barbecue sauce. After all, everyone can use some good barbecue sauce even if they don't grill (though they ought to be thinking about getting a grill - for sure).Last night I went to a fabulous work party at a mansion. Seriously, the house had three kitchens and a back porch room looking back across 300 acres of prime

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-38311073890643341492009-11-30T17:17:00.005-05:002009-12-05T09:55:20.801-05:00

I find many folks end up thinking they are grilling failures, because they do not invest in the right equipment. Even if your barbecue "base" is a standard grill and not a fully equiped outdoor kitchen (which includes most of us), it's still important to have the correct grill gear. You don't try to paint your house without drop clothes and rollers and line tape (or I hope not), so dedicate some

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-41242530094605059382009-11-29T18:07:00.004-05:002009-11-29T18:23:48.463-05:00

If you bought a Perfect Flame SLG series barbecue gas grill (sold only at Lowe's), double check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and also Health Canada.There are around 663,000 of these dangerous grills out in the United States and 1,700 in Canada. The problem is that the burners break down and can cause the lids to catch on fire. They've have 40 reports on this problem and are

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-44041453533993617032009-11-29T10:24:00.005-05:002009-11-29T10:55:10.110-05:00

We had a fried turkey breast last night made in the Masterbuilt ButterBall indoor turkey fryer. As you can see, it turned out beautiful, and it tasted great too.We wore out the old turkey fryer which as the outdoor type with a stand and a fire under. We never had any problems with our old turkey fryet other than just wearing it out, but they are considered dangerous. Easy to tip over. Lots of

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-12119559417469334512009-11-28T10:34:00.005-05:002009-11-28T11:06:13.195-05:00

Thanksgiving leftovers are terrific, but we were ready for a change of pace. So, we packed up the Portable Kitchen grill and headed out to the Bull Hole River Park in Cooleemee, NC for a "day after" cook out. With the temperatures in the lower 50s, it was a good day to get outside and burn off some holiday calories. Plus, I love to grill, so it was an easy meal after turkey day which is pretty

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-67256852098377451662009-11-22T13:36:00.006-05:002009-11-22T14:09:45.957-05:00

If you've never had a chance to see a whole smoked hog, this whole hog has been butterflied. That just means that the pig has been spread across the grate for quicker and more even barbecue smoking.I'm in the Piedmont of North Carolina where we more often smoke pork shoulders or Boston butts, but folks around here (especially in the country) often do full smoked pigs and often on homemade

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-46449639850583422322009-11-22T13:01:00.004-05:002009-11-22T13:35:53.355-05:00

Ever wonder what a bontified Southern pig pickin' looks like?My buddy, Jim, put on one hot pig pickin' last night. Seriously, he pulled out all the stops. I'd have to say it's the best pig pickin' I've ever attended. Great company. Great barbecue. Great sides. Great fun. The guys had two big barbecue smokers going with whole hogs. The front smoker had a butterflied pig. In other words, the pig

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-75884130083165888792009-11-21T11:10:00.003-05:002009-11-21T11:23:15.838-05:00

My college buddy, Jim, is gearing up for his 50th birthday pig pickin' which will be later today. He is going "whole hog" on the barbecue and the pigs were dressed and ready to be fired up early this morning at 2:30 a.m. Whew! That's an early wake up call, but it takes a long time to do a whole pig. I generally do shoulders or Boston butts, becuase whole pigs are heavy and hard to handle. Also,

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-73876065375972377152009-11-20T17:54:00.007-05:002009-11-20T18:53:45.168-05:00

I wanted to take my son out to eat for his birthday, since we usually cook at home - grilling or Southern home cooking. A change of pace is good from time to time especially for special occasions. I had the kid pick the restaurant, and he wanted to got to Monterrey's Mexican Restaurant in Salisbury, NC. That has been a family favorite longer than he has been living (17 yrs - his birthday), and

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-34155858891445380222009-11-17T17:38:00.006-05:002009-11-19T21:12:19.458-05:00

One of my friends, Make Over Momma, was asking for our favorite and most sinful holiday dishes. I knew, of course, that I had to sing the praises of grilling or smoking over the holidays. As far as one specific grill recipe or smoker recipe, that would be a hard call. Everything just tastes better cooked outdoors as far as I'm concerned, and firing up the grill or smoker makes cooking fun even

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-19859160509231938492009-11-08T20:38:00.006-05:002009-12-05T09:57:47.876-05:00

Cool grill tools are a good thing. They are fun, and it's also easier to get guys to help out with anything new in the tool category.As you can see, my son is cleaning the grill grate. Now, that's not usually a job that anyone likes to do. But, with Grill Floss, it's pretty painless to clean grates, and Grill Floss does a bang up job on dirty grills. Gotta love that. I guess you could say that

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-47615705123725835342009-11-07T21:13:00.006-05:002009-11-27T13:30:20.117-05:00

I've been on a quest to find the best barbecue sauces, rubs, and marinades. One company that caught my eye was Holen One Farms. I gave their bbq sauce the big five stars. Everyone here thought it was a fabulous barbecue sauce.Holen One Farms marinade is good. It's a mild and very non-offensive marinade. It would work for most any meats and for most any guests. The flavor is good, and it does add

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-2346113249016392182009-11-07T20:16:00.003-05:002009-11-07T20:42:48.665-05:00

Yesterday I stocked up on meat when Omega Meats stopped by my house. That's a company based in North Carolina, and they deliver meats right to your door.The first time a meat truck stopped by, it did not have a sign on the truck. I'd read something about mad cow disease that week, so I was rather nervous on random meat. I called the local cops. This is a town of only 800, and the police station

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-89064153133845009822009-10-31T17:32:00.005-05:002009-11-27T13:25:59.536-05:00

I love to try out new barbecue sauces and was excited to get the products I ordered from Holen One Farms. In addition to the Holen One barbecue sauce (dipping and glazing), they also have a marinade which I hope to try out tomorrow with steaks and a rub I want to check out on a smoked Boston butt. First I fired up with the Portable Kitchen (PK grill) and got out my new Cusinart silicone basting

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-28607544184677430042009-10-29T16:12:00.002-05:002009-10-29T16:19:55.407-05:00

Karen contacted me from French's. Yes. The mustard folks, but they have other great products too.My son just discovered French's spicy mustard. Now, I've had that FOREVER, becuase I like some zip to my mustard. He just had not given it a try. I guess we were out of garden variety yellow mustard, and he tried the French's brown mustard on his brats. He is now a BELIEVER. Yep. He is going through

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-75707262582283938922009-10-23T20:37:00.008-05:002009-12-05T09:59:53.183-05:00

I never pictured myself with a store of any type and don't market any products. I'm a writer who happens to love to grill and to share information on outdoor cooking and all the great grills and barbecue accessories and sauces that I come across. People often ask, "What do you sell?" Hum. Well, I don't. I write. When I get emails or comments about specific grills and other outdoor gear, I try to

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-82925540608083082152009-10-22T17:45:00.010-05:002009-12-05T10:01:22.048-05:00

I fired up the PK charcoal grill to try out my latest barbecue sauce - Chef Hymie Grande BBQ sauce. His barbecue sauces caught my eye, because they are the first to carry the American Diabetes Association seal. Although, I do not have diabetes, I have high tri levels and some family memebers with diabetes. Gotta keep an eye on that.Chef Hymie Grande barbecue sauces are vegan friendly. I am very

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-47653316208281571242009-10-18T18:09:00.004-05:002009-10-29T10:02:56.806-05:00

If you've ever been frustrated trying to start charcoal, the FlameDisk may be just what you've been looking for. FlameDisk is an alternative to charcoal, but it can be used in your old charcaol grill that may be sitting there gathering dust if you've had bad grilling experiences. All you have to do with FlameDisk is open it up and light it. That's it. You are grilling in seconds and with no pain.

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-3533556324719892402009-10-17T13:38:00.002-05:002009-10-17T13:56:03.251-05:00

It was a family trip out to the Bull Hole in Cooleemee, NC today where Eli was honored for saving a drowning teenager earlier this year. That happened when I was hosting a Carolina Cook Out through Food Buzz (an online foodie site). Those who follow my blog will likely remember that Eli went into the Yadkin when he heard the kid yelling for help, and the two boys were swept down the river. It was

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-63599427013789819852009-10-15T15:47:00.004-05:002009-10-15T15:57:58.440-05:00

Keaton's Should Be on The Must-Visit List for Guy Fieri - Don't Ya Think?Doesn’t Guy Fieri have the coolest job around – hosting Diners, Drive-in and Dives? If you haven’t seen the show, he visits little eateries all over the country to get the best food in town (including barbecue). The show is not gourmet now. Fieri really does visit the little joints that draw the locals. So, if you’re looking

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-50162841046650765692009-10-14T15:36:00.003-05:002009-10-14T15:48:35.745-05:00

I have some new barbecue sauces from Demon Pig that I can't wait to try out, but it's still raining here in the not-so-sunny South, and my nose is still running too. Bummer. Not a good way to celebrate hump day.This seemed a better day for chicken pot pies (Marie Callender's are definately the best), but I can still dream of a beautiful outdoor grill room with counter space, wine racks and maybe

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-13797120690306443312009-10-12T20:06:00.005-05:002009-10-12T21:09:51.815-05:00

I must confess that John Boy & Billy saved the day here, because I feel like crud (although I'm pretty sure it's not the swine flu), and it's raining. It's a toss up as to which is pouring down harder - the rain or my snot. Bummer.The kid and I had a wonderful smoked pork loin on the PK grill two nights ago sauced up with John Boy & Billy's Grillin' Sauce. I wasn't sure what two radio hosts based

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-89643196909895876382009-10-10T19:50:00.003-05:002009-10-10T20:06:29.745-05:00

I have been in a "trying new barbecue stuff" mood lately, and so I grabbed some Pig Pen's at Food Lion. It was with the barbecue sauces and rubs, and since it was dry, I figured it was a barbecue rub. WRONG! Well, it turned out way right. There are times when not being able to see that well comes in handy. This was one of those times. Other times it does not work out so well, so I am trying to

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21056886.post-87454142368341516052009-10-10T12:52:00.006-05:002009-10-10T22:57:29.355-05:00

Folks do things different in the South and that includes barbecuing. Actually barbecue is slow smoking pork, and grilling is putting anything else on the grill and cooking it. But, we done figured out that the rest of the country don't know no better.If women are involved in the barbecue party planning, there will be some decorating. If the flowers are not in bloom - no problem. That's what

Grill Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902450883159711629cyndiallison@gmail.com0