Propane Grilling: 6 Tips for Cooking During Winter

Most people think of grilling as something to do in the summer – but why limit all that flame-broiled deliciousness to one season?

Winter grilling is not only possible – it’s easy if you own a propane grill! But there are some tricks to doing it right. Here are six important ones.

Winter Grilling Tricks

1. Keep clear of the wind – Try to get as much protection from the wind as possible to keep that flame alive, but NEVER grill in an enclosed porch or room, where dangerous carbon monoxide gases can accumulate.
2. Adjust your expectations for propane use – Remember, cold outdoor temperatures mean that your grill will have to work harder to reach target temperatures. You will typically use about 30 to 50 percent more fuel when grilling in the winter months.
3. Adjust your preheat time – Preheating is important to grilling at any time of the year, but especially during winter, when meats can stick to cold grates and searing can be problematic. Plan to preheat longer than in the summer – say 15 minutes rather than the usual 10.
4. Choose foods wisely – Favor foods that cook either quickly (think fish or hot dogs) or slowly (roasts and barbecue) to minimize your time outdoors in the cold weather. Hamburgers and steaks are a tougher go, since they take time to cook and require careful monitoring.
5. Divide and conquer – When you grill in cold weather, set one side of burners on high and the other on low. This allows you to vary cooking times of the food; if a steak cooks quicker, for example, you can shift it to the lower side to stay warm while the rest of the meal catches up.
6. Keep a cast iron pan on hand – Store cooked food in a cast iron pan (preferably covered) to keep it warm while you wait for the rest of your meal to finish.

Enjoy your propane grill all year long with reliable propane deliveries in Greene, Lenoir, Pitt, Wayne, Wilson and Craven counties, NC, from Rand Wade Oil. Contact us today to learn more – or to become a Rand Wade Oil customer!