Is anyone else just about done with meathead?


 

Frank H

TVWBB Gold Member
You know , that Amazing ribs.com dude? The one who debunks all the tried and true bbq aphorisms like
”if you’re lookin , you ain’t cookin” and “low and slow is the only way to go”...you know that guy?
well , I’ve read his stuff over the years and I’ve liked a lot of it and even agreed with a lot of it...Telling you it’s ok to poke a hole in a steak you’re cooking by turning it with a fork...I think we all knew that anyway.
well , now he’s on about how cast iron grates are more trouble than they’re worth and grill marks are to be avoided and blah blah blah.... and I call BS.
Science aside (and , to be honest , I only skim the science part of all those articles) a lot of us have invested heavily in cast iron grates , and we love cooking on them and we like those grill marks , so telling us we have to junk all that and go back to the skinny wire racks that came with the grill just grinds my gears. PLUS ! And this is the main thing....Amazing ribs.net is still pushing GRILLGRATES ! Which I like and I have a set...but those do EXACTLY what meathead is telling us is not in the best interest of our grilling !
So , as far as I’m concerned Meathead is full of crap on this subject. I love my enamel coated cast iron grates AND my grill grates so he can pound sand.
 
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My thinkin on grill marks..............its not the marks themselves, but the marks are an indication that the fire is hot enough to sear the steak (or whatever ya tryin to sear ). No matter the type of grate, if the fire has not heated the grate enough to leave burn marks, then its not searing the meat.

I know very little of GrillGrates, but what I got figured is their aluminum and they heat faster and easier, so thus, ya get better grill marks. That does not necessarily mean the fire is hot enough to sear.

As for cast iron, I think the best use would be a cast iron pan, heated hot enough to sear, then it would cover the entire surface of the meat. And I own the Weber Gourment system cast iron grate.

I've also noticed that Meathead promotes products that can conflict with his " scientific findings " . I really don't see how the SlowNSear is any better at searing, than piling up charcoal one side of the Kettle or using the old Weber rails. But Meathead is selling em for the maker. I won't theorize why.

Just my two cents, I could be wrong, a lot of times I am.

His best selling book was on Amazon this week , the Kindle version, for $2.99. I bought it.
 
I still like his site and it's basically where I started learning about BBQ. He's been on about the cast iron grate thing for a while, and I get why he's against them. I, however, think some grills just need them to get a sear in the first place such as most gas grills. There are just some things about BBQ that aren't scientifically explainable. One is meat on the bone. That meat on a pork chop near the bone is the best thing on the planet. His explanation is that meat is just cooked less. Maybe. I think some things about flavor are just not explainable by science alone. Or, the science isn't yet to the level to explain it. That's ok. I like a scientific approach and Meathead seems willing to change his mind when something new comes out.
 
I don't agree with everything Meathead says and I don't agree with his take on cast iron. I think his book is especially good for folks new to BBQ so I gave a copy to my Grandson. I'm not giving up on him but his is my go to place.
 
I do like his book.
The site has a lot of info, but I find it a bit difficult to navigate.

However, I can't take his reviews to serious after reading the review on the uuni 3.
For one: he says that uuni recommends preheating with the gas burner with the door closed and chimney cap on. Now unless the American instructions are different than the UK and European ones, uuni clearly states that the door should stay open. There are a couple more remarks that don't make sense to me.
So, I take all reviews with a big grain of salt
 
I have a Weber center cast iron grate & I use it on every grill I own for all my grilling. Only way to go as far as I am concerned. Big wide spacing on the CI grate lets plenty of heat & flavor through to the meat.

I tried grill grates, great grill marks if that's what turns your crank. But the flavor was lacking because of all the little holes in the grate do not let the flavor come through. Gave them to my dad, he uses them in his pellet pooper.

CI all the way for me!!!
 
IIRC correctly I think he sold out his site awhile back ( and did alright for himself) and now is just a figure head?
Correct me if I'm wrong, please..

Tim
 
I have tried a few things here and there. Once I got the general idea of smoking and grilling, I went on my own. Don't care what anyone says is right or wrong.
 
I do love the Grill Marks off my Weber and my family and Friends do too.

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You kind of have to look at the entirety of his argument about cast iron IIRC. What he's saying is that while they look pretty, nice diamond grill marks only give you the maillard reaction on a very small amount of the surface area of the steak. Additonally, they are a PITA when it comes to upkeep. I've had god only knows how many sets of Weber cast iron grates, which were later replaced by the newer porcelain coated cast iron grates, only to be replaced in the end with some nice, thick SS rod grates. The reason for the continual replacements ? The big chunks of rust that kept coming off.

And yes, contrary to some popular opinion, if you do want nice diamond grill marks, SS rod grates will do them very well.


BTW, you can go into quite a few threads here discussing Craycort grates for Kettles and find many people saying the same thing, that they are nice, but a PITA when it comes to upkeep.
 

 

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