Snow Grilling

There is a saying in Ohio (or fill in the midwest state of your choice...): "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes.  It'll change." Well after a week of 50 and 60 degree weather, I waited 10 minutes and voila, snow.

I am not one to winterize the grills.  While many may wait for spring to grill again, I grill all winter waiting for spring just because it's warmer outside.  So, what changes from fall when you brush leaves off the grill to winter when you shovel snow off the grill?  Here are some of my tips for survival of the white death:

1.  Get a shovel...for the backdoor.  Yes, it's important for the postal service to get to your mailbox.  However, it is more important for you to get to the grill.  Besides, no one has ever starved from not getting the mail.

2.  Dress warmly.  I know, this seems like a no-brainer.  Sure, the trip from the backdoor to the grill may seem short, but the minute the backyard shuffle is delayed for whatever reason, you will have wished you pulled a jacket on over your wife beater.  If you are bald, a hat is a must. Also, slip on shoes.  Snow belongs outside, not all over the house...or so I have been told.

3.  My Summit is natural gas and the kettles are of course charcoal.  However, if you are using propane, top of the cylinders before the real cold hits.  The only thing worse than running out of propane mid-cook is standing in the freezing rain at Ace Hardware watching someone fill one up.  Plan ahead by filling up and by a reserve while you are at it.  If you are on natural gas, just be sure to pay the bill and shut off the grill when you are done...trust me on the latter.  You never really "run out" of natural gas.

4.  Clean and cover the grill as soon as you are done.  Once you pull your feast from the grates, dash back outside, be sure everything is off, give the grates a quick clean and then replace the cover (Your grill should have cooled enough in the interim).  With snow covered knobs above, I obviously missed one of the steps.  The sooner you stow your outside operation, the longer you can enjoy uninterrupted warmth inside.  If for some reason I can't rush back outside, I leave a light on and a blind cracked to remind me I have unfinished business to tend to.  Depending on the beer choice(s) of the evening, things can sometimes be...cloudy.

5.  Your head knows it's cold and although your food can't talk (anymore), it knows it too.  In my experience, cold has a negligible impact on direct heat grilling.  However, the opposite is true of anything indirect or low and slow.  Whether grilling a chicken, spinning the rotisserie or smoking some pork, be prepared to lengthen cooking times and be vigilant on temperatures (both grill and food).

6.  Have fun.  In a way, I have more enjoyment and sometimes get more adventurous in the winter than I do in summer.  With so much downtime on cold snowy days, planning a great dinner and spending time at the grill is a fun way of spending the short frigid days of winter.

I'm sure there are a million more tips than this.  If you have some, help me out by adding them in the comments.   Now if you will excuse me, I need to put on a hat, cover up my wife-beater, slip on my shoes and fire up the grill.  Hopefully the path is still shoveled.