Weber Barbecues
31 May 2010
“Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer”
For me summertime is Weber Barbecue time, an item I bring up because today’s the day, the day of days, the day that Summer officially begins, the day when all around America, people are rolling out the barbecue and filling coolers with beer. In yesterday’s Parade Magazine Mitch Albom ran an article in which he had some fun with the concept of dining al fresco. He lives in Michigan, where, as he pointed out, they “consider it summer as soon as the icicles melt,” and since I doubt that was much more than a week ago, they’re probably pushing the season a bit by going with the traditional Memorial Day start to summer barbecues. For those who don’t know, summer often comes late to the northern states. Having been born and raised in Montana, I can remember watching the annual Vigilante Day Parade in Helena every year. It was scheduled near the end of April, normally safely past the spring thaw, but one year it was covered with snow! We hardy Montanans lined up along the main street of town and watched anyway!
But all of those bold “I walked to school in snow up to my knees” stories are not the sort of things I treasure most about my formative years growing up in Montana. For me, always, it was summer, good old, lazy, hazy, crazy, long, long days of summer. I really do wish summer could always be here, which is why I so much love the life my wife and I have made in San Diego. But even here there is winter, cold, raining, wind-blowing, icky old winter. Was. As of today it’s summer, man, and that takes us back to where I began this blog, with rolling out the barbecue.
I have written a fair number of blogs on outdoor kitchens because it honestly is something I wish I had thought of before I poured years and years and years and heaven knows how much money into a most elaborate back yard (you can check it out with this link, if you’re so -inclined). But had I known then what I know now, I most certainly would have installed one of those outdoor kitchens. The cost would have been about the same, frankly, and all I would have had to do, pretty much, is write a check. But, that was then and this is now, and now it is barbecue time, because that is a possibility that is open to all of us, really.
And that, in turn, brings me to the subject of today’s blog, because today, I thought I would just go the simple route, just write about the kind of stuff I use myself, which is a good old Weber. When we first married in 1976, my wife was big on barbecue, although I frankly was not. But all of our friends told me, “What you need, my man, is a Weber. That’s barbecue at a whole different level.” Well, the barbecue we had at the moment, which we’d purchased truthfully, because we were newly married and it was cheaper, finally died. And by then we had the money to go first class, to a Weber. It was just the kettle barbecue, but I have to say that it was the best barbecue I’d ever had. Since then I have moved on to another version which Weber no longer makes, but it’s really just that old kettle barbecue in a nicer cart. The principle is the same.
What they had have done is so simple that it makes you wonder why no one had thought of it earlier. The original style of barbecues used a flat tray for the briquettes, which meant that the air had to go over the sides of the tray to get to the charcoal. Weber simply places their briquettes on a wire rack, which means that the air gets to the briquettes with no interference whatever. The result is a much hotter fire, which sears in the juices of whatever you barbecue. And unless, which, sadly, I sometimes have, you go to sleep at the switch and let the meat stay on the barbecue too long, anything you do on a Weber comes out so succulent you’ll have neophytes wanting the recipe. But, truth to tell, it’s not the rub or marinade or cut of meat. It’s the Weber.
Oh, by the way, I saw a commercial last night for Weber Barbecues that makes my point exactly (check out the YouTube link above). Now granted, theirs is a fine product. I’ve used it myself for years and swear by it. But I’m not sure if the people in this commercial are this outrageously happy because it’s a Weber or because it’s the first barbecue of the season. But upon further review, to put this in football terms, I believe it’s both, first barbecue of the season on my Weber. Man it doesn’t get any better than that.
So, to all of you, I say, this summer let’s keep it real. Let’s roll out the Weber and an ice chest full of beer. Honest to goodness, it’s all I’ve ever needed to keep me happy. Well, that and some time with the wife! And summer. Good old, lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
Joseph
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2 Responses to “Weber Barbecues”
May 31st, 2010 at 7:19 AM
Make me want to fire up the grill and roast some marinated veggies, corn and potatoes. I liked the video as well as the blog.
Joe
May 31st, 2010 at 8:29 AM
And if you have some nice, big, juicy hamburgers to go along with the vegetables, you’re in good shape!