More choices abound for outdoor cooks than ever before

My "Greatest Generation" father would have snorted at the idea that outdoor cooking would one day become a hobby - an avocation even - for scores of men and women of all ages.

In his day, he squirted lighter fluid on charcoal briquettes once in awhile (or more often, watched my mother do it) to grill up some hamburgers, hot dogs or, occasionally, steak for a family meal. It was only one step up from a campfire and controlling the heat source was next to impossible.

Today, outdoor cooking aficionados have multiple options when it comes to preparing a meal outdoors and many of them use those options almost year-round instead of just in the summer. They also actively work at their cooking technique, experimenting with different methods of grilling and smoking, as well as different rubs, in order to get just the right flavor and to prove their outdoor cooking superiority to friends and relatives.

Today there are so many choices when it comes to preparing meals outdoors.

There are smokers which use wood pellets (made of compressed sawdust) for indirect cooking, like ovens. There are gas-powered infrared grills that cook steaks and other meats to perfection. There are charcoal grills that offer their own unique flavoring. There are even outdoor pizza ovens that burn wood or charcoal, and Mongolian grill and fondue sets for cooking over gas firepits.

Infrared, quick-searing grills, like those made by Solaire, have become popular for cooking steaks in recent years.

"Any gas grill will get to 600 degrees and cook a steak, but the infrared can do it in three to five minutes and it will sear in the juices better than a charcoal or standard gas grill," said Daniel Mayer, owner of Northwest Metalcraft in Arlington Heights.

But there are still many who prefer the taste infused by charcoal, so they gravitate to the traditional charcoal grill, made by Weber and others.

Pellet smokers that use real wood pellets (oak, mesquite, apple, hickory, cherry and others) have become wildly popular for barbecuing beef brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, whole chickens and other roasts that taste best when slow cooked. They are not, however, made for baking pizzas.

"The difference between grilling and barbecue is that 'grilling' cooks the meat fast at a high heat and 'barbecuing' cooks the meat very slowly at a low heat," Mayer explained.

"The food that comes out of these smokers is unbelievable," he said. "I recently cooked a 15-pound beef brisket in one for 14 hours at 200 degrees and it had a great flavor. Even if you are not a smoked-meat aficionado, you will love how food cooked in these new smokers tastes."

Mayer said an added benefit is that when you have one, it is like putting meat in an oven. You just put the meat in, turn it on and set the timer. When the time is up, you have meat that has been smoked to perfection. The newest Memphis Grill even comes with an iPhone app that allows you to turn it on remotely.

"You can also change the flavor, depending on the wood you use. I like to mix apple wood and hickory when I am cooking pork, for instance. Using any kind of fruit wood tends to sweeten the flavor of the meat," Mayer said. "You can even grill meat or fish using a wood plank on a gas or charcoal grill in order to add that great flavor."

Most smokers, like the Memphis Grill and Smokin' Brothers smokers that Northwest Metalcraft sells, run off electricity and are fueled by the wood pellets. So there is no propane tank to refill, he said.

"If you want to, you can also grill on these smokers," Mayer said. "The new Weber Summit grill is specifically designed for both grilling and smoking."

Another option is the Kamodo Joe smoker, which runs off lump charcoal, providing a different taste that some people prefer.

"If you have a really large group of people, you probably want to have multiple options when it comes to meat," he said. "One of those 15-pound briskets will feed eight to 10 people with leftovers. Then you can cook lots of burgers, steaks, brats or sausages on a 54-inch Solaire infrared grill, for instance. So I would recommend a variety of foods so that you can use all of your tools and provide food for a large group. We even sell 'manclaws' that let you shred the pulled pork quicker. It is a great tool."

Those who love the idea of eating pizza they have made themselves and cooked outside in a pizza oven are gravitating toward both portable and built-in versions of these outdoor ovens. The Al Fresco pizza ovens can be wheeled around wherever a homeowner wants them, while other homeowners love the look and ambience of a built-in brick pizza oven that uses either wood or charcoal to bake delicious pizzas.

If you expect to move in the near future, the portable option obviously makes more sense so that you can take it with you, Mayer said.

Some homeowners are so excited about cooking outdoors that they have constructed entire outdoor kitchens complete with refrigerators, warming drawers, cabinets, counter space and more, knowing full well that their use in the Midwest is probably limited to three seasons, Mayer said.

The kitchens being built in backyards around the Northwest suburbs are even getting larger (ranging from $10,000 to $150,000), complete with bar sets and bar stools so guests can enjoy a drink while watching the homeowner prepare dinner.

If all of this outdoor cooking sounds fun but you just don't know where to begin, consider enrolling in one (or several) of the outdoor cooking classes offered by the Weber Grill restaurants in Schaumburg and Lombard.

Each class focuses on a different menu so you can pick and choose your favorites or attend them all to round-out your grilling expertise. Fees differ, depending on what is being grilled.

The classes run throughout the year and range from grilling basics, to smoking, to how to grill steaks or chops or burgers. There are even classes dedicated specifically to the ladies and this July they are introducing a grilling class for children. Check the website at webergrillrestaurant.com/grillingclasses for details.

Northwest Metalcraft is located at 413 S. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights. For more information, call (847) 253-1905 or visit www.nwmetalcraft.com.