Barbecue Beefs

[TomY]

I just never could throw live lobsters into boiling water myself, but I'll eat someone else's cooking. But I have to ask you, Tom, how do you throw that many on a grill without them walking off. Looks like herding cats from here.

I steam them (never boil) for about 5 minutes. Once they've cooled a bit, you can split them down the middle with a sharp knife and clean the body cavity.

Then they go on a hot grill, shell side down - brush the meat with butter - and flip in about 5 minutes. After another 5 the halves come off and onto the plate.

 

[Bob S]

A spoon of tamale and drawn butter is the best part!

 

[Ken Cross]

My beef for my Magma grill was that it was hard to control the temp. That regulator is woefully inadequate. With a fresh bottle of propane it would be too hot. As the bottle level lowered you could slow cook - like for ribs. The only solution I found was to cook steaks with a fresh bottle and ribs or chicken with a lower one. And if you are unsure keep your original regulator in case you want to pop it on to melt some steel or something.

Replace your regulator with a low flow one. It still turns up plenty for steaks. They deliver with a high flow regulator. You can buy them in medium as well as low flow. I have had three different magma marine kettle grills over the years and the regulators that come with them are always way too hot for us. You can always store your original regulator somewhere in case you decide you want to do some welding.

 

[jssailem]

Not a lot of experience yet. I contacted Magma about the loose regulator. I thought it should have a o-ring or something. I learned no o-ring. That there is a small bump of a knob on the regulator. It fits into an indentation in the metal pipe. Once fitted the regulator was actually solid feeling.

Currently no issues with cooking. I cooked chicken at moderate heat and it came out very tasty with an kikkoman orange sauce.

 

[Ward H]

Maybe I should run down to the boat tomorrow and get my Magma grill.
Then I can set it up in the back yard on Monday, grill some steaks in the snow and pretend I'm on the winter cruise in Annette Inlet.

 

[jssailem]

the winter cruise in Annette Inlet.

I remember that evening. Is that the night we had steak or was it @LeslieTroyer ’s wonderful Pastrami.

 

[lehighsail]

"Our favorite is steaming shrimp in butter and Old Bay wrapped in foil, then butterfly'd lobster tails followed by steamed little necks. All with some grilled pineapple." Ward H.

I hope I get to try that menu this summer......which is coming soon!

 

[Michael Davis]

the winter cruise in Annette Inlet.

You guys are tough sailors. Surrounded by warm inviting pubs you chose to BBQ in the middle of the worst snowstorm in 20 years

 

[Ward H]

OK, I'll admit I used a little bit of artistic license in that last post.
Here's a couple of photos from that snowy night in Annette Inlet. Les cooking dinner, John posting on SBO about the Georgia Strait crossing and while I was probably sipping some AC. Dinner was Lasagna, salad and some great fresh bread from the Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver.

 

[Ward H]

Surrounded by warm inviting pubs you chose to BBQ in the middle of the worst snowstorm in 20 years

Pubs? Pubs? John and Les didn't say anything about nice warm Pubs being an option!

 

[Ward H]

"Our favorite is steaming shrimp in butter and Old Bay wrapped in foil, then butterfly'd lobster tails followed by steamed little necks. All with some grilled pineapple." Ward H.

I hope I get to try that menu this summer......which is coming soon!

You will Stu! This will be the year!

 

[jssailem]

warm Pubs

Ok Ward. Fess up. We shared several warm pubs with you. Friday Harbor, Port Townsend, Kingston, Poulsbo, Seattle etc. I think you sad you gained weight on the trip.

 

[YVRguy]

A cheap kettle with a few charcoal briquettes. Simple, easy, and cheap. Spent briquettes go overboard And leftovers reused. We might barbecue a few times/week on a cruise. I even use charcoal at home. Tired of spending $5-600 every few yrs for a barbecue at home. A large $79.00 Weber charcoal kettle lasts yrs at home. Spent charcoal spread on the gardens..

Hadn't really considered charcoal... That's worth considering for sure. Particularly with the lack of bottles to worry about.

 

[YVRguy]

Hi Doug,
I have gone through the same issues over the years and have had several brands, i.e. in chronological order 2 force 10, 1 Magma, 1 Kuuma and for the last 4 years the smaller of the 2 SeaBQ models by Dickinson. I love the way the SeaBQ is fixed to the railing and can be easily removed. I also like the fact that the grill is in 4 sections and can be removed easily for cleaning. I don't care much for the idea that the finish shows some kind of discoloration to the SS because of the heat but having seen that on most of the ones I've owned I suppose I can live with it because I keep it covered when not in use. I have a small tank which I tie-wrap to the railing and it works perfectly. I keep 1 or 2 of the small portable containers just in case I run out with the main tank but it has not happened. I have had to clean the holes of the burner when the flame started to lessen and to be blown out when windy, but other than that it has worked flawlessy. See Pic of installation.
The only BBQ I've seen that has worked perfectly and remained just as nice as when new is on a friend's boat. It's a smal Napoleon that he paid over 850$ for. Don't think they still make it but for me it's a moot point since I have no intention of ever paying that much for a boat BBQ.

Thanks Claude. I like what you've done with your propane. Is that a custom bracket you've installed behind the tank? It looks like it's fixed to the rail by something more substantial than a zip-tie. Do you store the tank in that position full time? Or store it below when not in use. I'm really not sure of the regs in Canada for how a bottle (other than the little ones) must be secured and stored.

 

[YVRguy]

I've only had the Magma and they are OK and big enough for the two of us.

My one beef with Magma is the ease with which it can turn upside depositing the innards to the bottom. A long time ago I did use a small tank with a hose which was more convenient than changing bottles, however, it is still necessary to use the regulator.

If you have propane onboard a T can be added to supply the grill. Trident may make the kit. If not, try a generic big box Camping Store or RV Store for the adapters and hoses.

Which ever direction you go, do not store the tank in the lazarett unless it is properly vented. Propane is heavier than air and will collect in the bilge if the tank should ever leak.

Thanks Dave. Good call on the propane storage but do you mean the storage needs to be "vented" or sealed? Short of drilling holes in the hull I'm not sure how a bottle could be stored below and vent to the outside. However I think I've seen special propane lockers that are completely sealed. I noticed that Claude has his bottle up top attached to the rail. I wonder if that's the ticket...

 

[YVRguy]

Thanks D

I gave up on the Magna years ago. Overpriced and operationally poor. Blew-out in a light breeze, hard to light, etc.

I have had a Kuuma for the last 6 years or so. Other than dripping grease it works well. I can fit a couple 1.75# lobsters on it too.

Regarding the 1# propane bottles, I used to refill them but it was difficult and time consuming because they are not designed to be refilled. However, Flame-King makes a 1# bottle that is designed for refilling and it takes just a couple minutes to do the job. They are available at Home Depot and other places for about $15 each. They are the same diameter and just a fraction of an inch taller. I keep three of them in the 4" PVC holder that I designed and made.

Thanks Rich. I love your custom PVC propane holder but sadly I lack the skill and facilities to build something like that. Also, I have NEVER seem that propane bottle format up here in Canada. I'll keep an eye out for it.

 

[dlochner]

Thanks Dave. Good call on the propane storage but do you mean the storage needs to be "vented" or sealed? Short of drilling holes in the hull I'm not sure how a bottle could be stored below and vent to the outside. However I think I've seen special propane lockers that are completely sealed. I noticed that Claude has his bottle up top attached to the rail. I wonder if that's the ticket...

Any propane locker inside the boat needs to be vented outside and the vent needs to be at the bottom of the tank and vent down in more or less a straight line. Mine goes from the bottom of the tank to a through hull just above the waterline under the transom.

If you are storing the 1# bottles, a 4" PVC pipe with a cap on the bottom will work. Strap this to the stern rail. The cap needs a small hole in the bottom to vent. Another alternative is a bag that hangs on the rail. Again, it has to have a vent at the bottom.

 

[YVRguy]

We use the Magma kettle now. Have used Force 10 and Dickinson but the kettle is the only one that has never been blown out. We run it on the ships regulator from a 20# tank. We cruise 4 to 5 months every year so it gets lots of use.View attachment 189646 Chef at work

Michael, I like your comment about the kettle style being more wind resistant. As for the propane, we have an '86 Hunter 34 with NO propane features. The heat runs off the Diesel and we have an Origo alcohol stove. I am trying mightily NOT to let this thread take me dow the path of considering a propane retrofit again.

 

[YVRguy]

The H340 has space for two 4.25 lb tanks in the portside swim platform lazarette, so I always had one connected to the galley stove and the second as a spare. Then a couple of years ago, I switched from the 1# bottles after purchasing a hose similar to Bob S in post #5, and keep the regulator attached to that. When not in use, the hose coils up in the propane locker.

Thanks Ed. My boat is not set up for propane use so I'm having to find a creative way to deal with propane storage

 

[YVRguy]

We have the magma marine kettle series 3 and I have never had a blowout under any circumstances. I did put the low flow regulator on it so that it wouldn't cook quite so hot. I feel the regulator that comes with them is way too hot. We have a sunbrella cover for it that keeps the regulator in place so I don't ever remove that when we're out and about. I have never lost food or any component off of the grill to do tipping our seems nice and stable on the rail.

Another vote for the Kettle style. I'm really warming up to it....