Up Close and Personal with an MHP Grill

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Grill Girl

Hey Y’all! It’s the grill girl. Today I’m so excited to show you one of the new grills we’re selling now on our website!

One of the greatest things about MHP grills (besides their experience, high quality grills, customer service, and warranty), is that their grills are highly customizable.

Almost every part of the grill that I highlight here has different options available.

You can see how to build your own grill right here or give us a call at 877-244-0737 during business hours if you have additional questions!

-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest.

Gas Grills – Who? What? Why?

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Grill Girl

If you haven’t noticed, we’ve started carrying a line of grills on our website made by the company Modern home Products!

WHO?

Modern Home Products (or MHP for short) is a company owned and operated by the very same family that introduced the first gas grill to the public in the early 1960’s and they have been developing and perfecting it ever since. They stick to what works and design for what people want. They came up with the idea to have the top hood on a hinge. Isn’t that amazing? Can you imagine grilling today without being able to swing open the top of your grill?

WHAT?

The grills MHP manufactures are made here in the USA. They come with the highest quality parts and best warranty. That’s a lifetime warranty on the grill castings and 10 year warranty on stainless steel parts. The grills are highly customizable which means you can get exactly what you want – no more cookie cutter grill from the big box store. MHP has even patented a special kind of cooking grid called SearMagic. They are rust-free anodized aluminum cooking grids with a wide-ribbed side to brand steaks, chops, burgers and ribs with sear lines and a flip side, with a smooth surface for grilling delicate foods such as seafood and vegetables. Speaking of aluminum – MHP’s most popular grills are cast aluminum which means the aluminum is actually poured into a mold to create a grill body that will never rust. Don’t worry, they sell stainless versions as well if you like shiny grills!

WHY?

You know how we feel about quality. We care. We care about our customers, we care about the product we offer. That’s why we’re so excited about offering MHP grills! We know these people. We’ve been in a business relationship with them for years! We have visited their warehouse and seen how they work. They care about their customers just as much as we do.

That’s why MHP.

Here is the newest competitor to The Big Green Egg. It’s called the Bravo, but we like to call it the big charcoal colored kamado style smoker. 🙂

Click here to see the other ways you can use the Bravo – like built into your outdoor kitchen or using the beautiful stainless steel cart!

-GG

Meatless Monday – #Grilled

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Grill Girl

Have you ever heard the term “Meatless Monday?”

Let me tell you, I hadn’t, until recently. I grill. I grill a lot. My favorite season to grill is “warm.” In other words, if it’s warmer outside than I want my house to be inside, I’d rather grill and leave my house cool. That being said, I will grill at any time as long as it’s not pouring down rain.

Wikipedia defines Meatless Monday as “an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet.”

How to Grill Vegetables

Here are a few general rules about vegetarian grilling.

Tofu
Tofu is a great meat replacement. With its hearty consistency, you can highlight it on the grill and not miss the meat you’re avoiding.

Purchase firm or extra firm varieties of tofu for the grill.
Always press the tofu to remove excess moisture.
Marinate tofu in any sauce you like from bbq sauce to soy sauce to salad dressing -overnight in the fridge is best. A sauce with sugar will create some yummy caramelization when you throw it on the grill.
Brush your grill grids with oil because tofu will stick as you cook it.
Try using shish kebabs for an easier way to cook tofu on the grill.

Veggies
You’re probably used to slicing up some onions and throwing them on the grill packaged up in tin foil. Keep your vegetables out of aluminum on Meatless Monday so they can be grilled heroes of the night.

Slice your veggies in a uniform manner, but keep their surface area as large as possible. This will help them have a similar cooking time but also make it easier to flip them.

See how this cauliflower is sliced in a thin manner but still has a large surface area to grill?

Use olive oil sparingly so your vegetables won’t stick but you don’t have oil dripping into the grill either.
Season with salt and pepper or your favorite grill seasoning mix.
For denser vegetables like potatoes, sear them on the main cooking grid and then allow them to finish cooking on the warming rack so they cook all the way through without getting burned.
Use kebabs or grid toppers to make the job easier.

Fruits
Throw some fresh fruit on the grill to bring out the sweetness and add a perfect healthy end to your Meatless Monday

For the easiest fruit dessert, turn to hard fruits like apples, pears, pineapples and citrus.
Slice the fruit in the same manner as vegetables – thinly with large surface area.
Leave the skin on – it will keep the fruit in one piece and be easy to remove after it’s done cooking.
Soak in cold water with a drop of lemon juice for 20-30 minutes before grilling to keep in the moisture.
Brush the fruit sparingly with a light cooking oil to keep it from sticking to the grill (the flavor of olive oil is too overpowering).
Clean the savory bits (from the meat or veggies) off your grill before throwing on the fruit and spray the grid with a light cooking oil.
Fruit needs no seasoning or addition- just cook on medium until your desired tenderness and serve warm.
A dollop of ice cream is a perfect end to that hot fruit.
If you’re feeling adventurous, experiment with nutmeg or cinnamon and alcohol instead of the lemon water marinade. You’ll have a big flare up once you throw the fruit on the grill so beware if you like how you look with eyebrows.

There are so many recipes available for vegetarian meals but not as many that offer meals you can actually cook on the grill. I’m always on the lookout for a good grill recipe to try and you can follow my Pinterest board here.

For today, though, I’ve compiled some meatless recipes that look absolutely delicious.

Two options for an entree:

Grilled Eggplant and Pesto Burgers

Tofu Kebabs with Cilantro Sauce

Outside the box take on grilled sides:

Caramelized Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salsa

So, how does Meatless Monday sound now?

Think you might try it? If so, let us know!

Happy Spring!!

-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest.

Do you Ship to Canada?

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Grill Girl

It’s Easier Than Ever to Grill in Canada!

It’s pretty warm down in Georgia today and we think – we HOPE – that the warm weather is here to stay.

Every now and then, we get a call from a grilling devotee from our northern neighbors across the border – hello Canada!!

Well, we think everyone everywhere should repair their grill instead of buying new, so we’ve done a lot of work to save our Canadian customers more money and make it easier to get parts for their grills.

The North American Free Trade Agreement ensures that grillers across North America can buy, sell, and ship parts to each other without fees and duties that can really rack up a bill.

There’s only one caveat – the parts have to be made in North America to qualify. That’s why it’s great a majority of our most popular parts are indeed manufactured here in the USA.

Doesn’t it look like a lovely day to grill?

So, in a word, yes. We DO ship to Canada!!

-GG

Buyer’s Guide to Gas Grills

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Grill Girl

Spring is so close we can taste it.The world outside is defrosting and the biggest craving grill fanatics have is a hot juicy burger with some perfect sear marks. Dripping like icicles… yum.
Of course, we are the biggest fans of repairing your grill and keeping it out of the nearest landfill. If you’re even slightly curious as to whether or not you could refurbish your grill, give us a call. We are friendly and we answer the phone 🙂
However, sometimes you just need a new grill. We did some research and found that when reviewing grills, Consumer Reports looks at these aspects:

Preheat performance: Evaluates the temperature and evenness over the grill’s surface after a 10 minute preheat using thermocouples. It also gives an indication how quickly the grill reaches its maximum temperature.
High temp evenness: Evenness of heating over the grill’s surface at the highest setting, using thermocouples.
Low temp evenness: Evenness of heating over the grill’s surface at the lowest setting, using thermocouples.
Indirect cooking: This indicates how well the grill will slow cook foods when only some of the burners are on and the food isn’t placed directly over the flame.
Convenience: Evaluates construction and materials, and useful accessories such as electronic ignitor.

These are great things to know when you’re looking at the purchase of a new grill, because of course, how the grill cooks is one of your top concerns. However, being in the repair business, we have a different view of grills and would like to share some other things to keep in mind.

Get the Grill You’re Happy to Own

Do the Hood Test:

First, firmly grip the handle of the hood. Instead of opening the grill, shake the grill from left to right. How does it feel? Is the handle firmly in the hood? Is the hood firmly on the grill? Does the grill move a lot when you do this? Do any parts of the hood or body warp with the left-to-right movement?

Why? If the “casting” is not actually casting but just sheet metal, you will be able to tell how thin the metal is with this test. The thinner the metal, the faster it will corrode, even if it’s stainless steel!! You will also get a feel for how the grill is made – are the parts put together well, will they hold up on the drive home, the journey to your patio or backyard?

Do the Weight Test:

Grab the grill with both hands and gently lift to see how hard it is to lift. If you can’t lift it, tilt it backward (carefully!) by lifting the front with both hands. Note if anything shifted. If anything shifted, try to determine what it was. Open the grill and lift the cooking grids -how heavy are they?

Why? The heavier the grill, the more material used to make it. The more material, in most cases, the longer it will last. The heaviest part of a grill will be the body and this is a good indicator of what kind and how much material is in the grill. It’s okay if some things shift slightly (like the cooking grids or heat plates) but most things should stay in place with a bit of movement. Even some cooking grids are made of sheet metal, formed into grids. These rust out the most quickly.
** THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE WEIGHT OF THE HOOD ALONE**
While it may sound conspiratorial, it’s true – grill companies put heavy material such as lead into the handle of the grill hood so it feels nice and sturdy when you open it! We wish we were kidding.

Do the Manual/Model Test:

Is there a manual in the grill you’re looking to purchase? Can you find the model number on the grill itself? Does the model number on the grill match the model number on the manual? (This is especially important if you buy a floor model grill).

Why? You will need your manual to use your grill to it’s maximum potential. KEEP YOUR GRILL MANUAL!! Additionally, if you plan to use this grill for more than one season, there’s a high likelihood that you will need to purchase some part or accessories. You’ll need the correct model number and if you can’t find it now, you won’t be able to find it when you’re on the phone with the friendly representative asking for it.

Do the Customer Service Test:

Call the number of the brand of the grill you’re looking at. If you get in touch with them, tell them you’re looking to buy one of their grills and which do they suggest?

Why? In this industry, many manufacturers don’t bother to pick up the phone. If you ever need anything from them, it’s important to know if you can get in touch with them. If you do talk to someone, this question will be different from most they get. You’ll have a chance to see how honest or helpful they are.

The sad truth for far too many people is they don’t know to look for these things and instead they find themselves looking once again for a new grill just a few years down the road.

If you’ve ever sought service from our company, you know we have our customers in mind when we pick up the phone. That’s why we’re so excited to announce that we will be selling grills in addition to grill parts this season.

You can trust the grills we list on our website the same way you’ve learned to trust our help and grill repair.

If you can’t repair your grill or are in the market for a new one, visit and feel free to email us with feedback! The grill website is still a work in progress but we’re too excited not to share!

Fire up that grill this weekend!

-GG

Pancake Day – Pancake Burgers

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Grill Girl

Grilled Pancake Burger

It’s Mardi Gras. Some people refer to this as pancake day because pancakes were a great way to get rid of the indulgent things in the house like flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. Whether or not you give up something indulgent for the Lenten season, we think it’s a great excuse to eat pancakes.
Well, we saw a recipe for savory “pancakes” as the bun for a burger over at jamesvsburger.com. We wanted to see how it tasted with a classic pancake that had some sweetness to it.
Of course we kept the bacon.

Season Ground Beef – we used Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper

I like to roll the ground beef into balls to help regulate the size, then they’re easy to smash into round patties

You’ll need to heat the grill with the griddle on it. We started that early because it was cold here today

Start the bacon on the griddle and grill burgers on the remaining space

When the bacon is done, start the pancakes on the griddle using the bacon grease

I used the warming rack as a holding space for the cooked pancakes. They stayed warm and crispy

The Result

See those grid marks from the warming rack?

Then we had a party. #pancakeday Happy Fat Tuesday!

You’ll Need:

Pancake mix and ingredients needed to follow directions (We used the “just add water” version)
BACON
Ground Beef
Burger seasonings of your choice (we used cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and ground black pepper)
Monterey cheese (optional)

Directions:

Make burgers
Grill bacon on griddle
Grill burgers
Make pancake batter (according to box)
Grill pancakes on griddle in bacon grease
Assemble
Enjoy!!

Happy Fat Tuesday Y’all!!
-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest.

No Grilling like Snow Grilling!

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Grill Girl

Polar Vortex. As defined by wikipedia: “A polar vortex is a persistent, large-scale cyclone located near one or both of a planet’s geographical poles.”

I also looked it up on Urban Dictionary, but I do not recommend that to my lovely readers. 🙂

Basically it’s cold. It’s cold everywhere, even in our usually tame state of Georgia.

If you live in a state that has closures and general mayhem due to this kind of weather, it’s easy to get cabin fever. During this nasty weather, we’re going to get grilling and want you to do the same!

But always grill using the caution that gas and flames require!

grill fires

Have fun and be careful!

-GG

Retro Recipe Monday – Polynesian Shrimp

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Grill Girl

Polynesian Shrimp – Retro Recipe

A couple years ago we helped a good friend move his grill parts business out of his gigantic warehouse. He was downsizing/partially retiring. We inherited some real gems. Among the treasure was a stash of recipes and cookbooks from the 70s and 80s. Use skewers to make this an easy Polynesian shrimp on-the-grill!

polynesian shrimp retro recipe

Polynesian Shrimp Ingredients:

1lb fresh or frozen shrimp – peeled and deveined, 6-8 bacon slices – cut in half, 1 banana, 1 6oz can pineapple chunks, brown sugar or honey, fish marinade (see below)

Polynesian Shrimp Directions:

Soak shrimp in marinade for 1hr. Wrap shrimp in bacon slice before placing on skewer. If very small shrimp are used, wrap 2 or 3 together. Alternate shrimp and fruit on skewers. Brush with honey or brown sugar. Place on grill and cook, turning and basting frequently with remaining honey or brown sugar, for 12-16 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and bacon is crispy.

Fish Marinade:

Equal parts white wine, soy sauce, and salad oil. Note: lemon juice may be substituted for white wine.

Enjoy it! And I think “salad oil” would be olive, or canola oil. Not 100% sure on that..

Enjoy!!

-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest.

10 Things You Never Thought of Grilling

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Grill Girl

10 Things You Never Thought of Grilling, But Should

Spring has officially sprung here in the South, although we are still getting a few cold and gray days. On days like today, where it’s just chilly and drizzly enough that you don’t want to go anywhere, I often find myself daydreaming about the wonderful things I could cook if it weren’t so darn dreary outside. So while I wait for the rain to pass, I put together a list of 10 things you never thought of grilling. I thought I would share some of my favorite and slightly unorthodox things to grill with you. It’s also a great moment to remind you that you can get tons of fun accessories to make your grilling easier and better right here.

peaches - on the list of 10 things your never thought about grilling

1. Pineapple and Mangoes

I know some of you are looking at me like I’m crazy right about now, but trust me on this. Cut a fresh mango into medium sized chunks. Do the same with your pineapple, or use canned pineapple chunks. Slide these on a shish kebab, alternating mango with pineapple. Grapes are nice with this too—pretty much any fruit can be used. Grill on low to medium heat for about ten minutes with your grill cover open. The fruit should start to crisp up on the outside, but remain tender on the inside. These are great for dessert or a special treat!

2. Pound cake

One of the great things about grilling is finding new ways to spice up old recipes. For a new take on an old favorite, toss a few slices of pound cake on a grill heated to high heat and cook for five minutes per side. Keep the lid down. Serve warm with fresh berries, vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with honey. For a great pound cake recipe check out this grilled pound cake with pineapple salsa and tequila whipped cream on Epicurious.

3. Peaches

Some fruits take to grilling better than others. Peaches are a fool-proof grilling fruit. For the most basic grilled peaches, cut four or five peaches in half and remove the pits. Brush each side with melted butter. Grill them on medium heat for about five minutes on each side. They should become soft and nicely charred. Grilled peaches go great with pork and can be easily spiced up and modified. Try sprinkling them with cinnamon or brushing with your favorite BBQ sauce instead of butter. The possibilities are endless! They make a great side dish to any summer meal, but go especially well with BBQ ribs.

4. Meatloaf

I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of leftovers. It just feels so…desolate. But when you can take a leftover and make it into a whole new meal, I’m game. Enter a grilled meatloaf sandwich. Warm up a slice of leftover meatloaf on the grill. Toast a few slices of sourdough bread alongside it, add some lettuce, tomato, and red onion, and you’ve got yourself a grilled meatloaf sandwich to please even the pickiest of eaters. If you don’t have a stand by meatloaf recipe, try this one from Food.com.

5. S’mores

This is great if you’ve got little ones who you may not want gallivanting around a fire. Kids can help assemble the s’mores before handing them off to a grown up to grill. Just sandwich a marshmallow and piece of chocolate between two graham crackers and wrap in tinfoil. Grill the tinfoil bundles four to five minutes on medium heat, or until the marshmallows have melted. In fact, we highlighted this in our Facebook Page.

6. Clams

One of my favorite parts of visiting my grandparents was going clam digging with my grandfather. We would spend all day at the beach, and when the sun set go home and grill up everything we found. Grilling clams is simple and easy, even if you decide to go with store bought clams instead of fresh caught. This recipe from Bonappetit.com is delicious, and definitely worth a try for anyone who enjoys seafood.

7. Pizza

A homemade grilled pizza is a world away from your classic delivery not-super-healthy options. Start out using a pita bread as your pizza crust. Brush each side of the pita with olive oil. Grill one side for three to four minutes on medium-high heat, then flip it over. Top this side with tomato sauce, shredded cheese, pineapple, or any topping of your choice! Cook until the cheese has melted, and enjoy!

8. Nachos

I love nachos. You can do so much with them! There’s something really exciting about taking a basic junk food and making it into a delicious, healthy meal. Grilling nachos gives them a smoky deliciousness that oven-made nachos can’t even come close to. My favorite recipe is this one from Bobby Flay for The Food Network. It’s a little more effort than you usually expect to put into nachos, but it is well worth every moment.

9. Green Tomatoes

I live in Georgia, and for better or worse this means everyone and their grandmother will be munching on fried green tomatoes for most of the spring and summer. They’re a decent little snack, but everything needs a little variety. It’s easy to grill tomatoes, and they’re much healthier grilled than fried. If you want to take your tomatoes beyond simply grilling and munching try this recipe from Good Housekeeping.

10. Artichokes

This recipe from CarolinesCooking.com requires a little more than just tossing artichokes on the grill, but the effort is worth it. Grilling artichokes in the final step locks in flavor that would be lost simply boiling the artichokes, and gives them a unique texture. They go great with grilled chicken of any kind, or with fettuccine alfredo.

So, are you inspired to fire up your grill and try something new? I hope so. What was your favorite on the list of 10 things you never thought of grilling? I’m currently looking over the above and doing an inventory of the ingredients in my fridge/pantry…

I think I have stuff to makes s’mores…

Enjoy!!

-GG

Turkey Day!! Thanksgiving Turkey on The Grill

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Grill Girl

this turkey on the grill article was updated june 2021

Anyone out throwing a turkey on the grill this Thanksgiving?

I looked around at some recipes and it seems to me that you cook a turkey on the grill pretty much the same way you cook a turkey in the oven. The only difference is that you’ll get some really amazing flavor from using the grill. What you’ll want to order now is some gas grill smoking chips. Before you begin, preheat your oven and gather supplies. Completely defrost your turkey before putting it on the grill. You’ll also need an aluminum drip pan and some seasonings. We recommend picking up a bottle of white wine as well because it adds a great base of flavor if your pour some in that drip pan. Grab your preferred seasonings for the outside of your turkey and that’s about it!

Here are the basic tips for turkey on the grill:

1) Use a medium-high heat setting on your grill.

The heat definitely needs to be indirect so MAKE SURE the heat tents or briquettes that cover your burners are in good shape!!

2) Place an aluminum pan

on top of the briquettes or heat tents in your grill and directly under your bird. This pan will catch the juices and evaporate them back for more deliciousness.

3) Season the bird

with salt, pepper and oil, or anything else you normally use and tie the legs as normal. (Cook your stuffing in the house).

4) Place the bird in the grill breast side up.

5) Grill for 11 to 13 minutes per pound

(instant read thermometer should say 180 degrees F and the juices will run clear).

6) Let it stand for 15 minutes

before you carve it and serve it to all those amazed faces.

Check out this video from the Grill Girl where she puts her turkey on a grill!

Yup, you’re the bomb!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Y’all.

-GG

Master your turkey on the grill this Thanksgiving

This turkey was smoked on a grill at my very own house.
(and it was fantastic)

If you haven’t noticed, we’ve started carrying a line of grills on our website made by the company Modern home Products!

WHO?

WHAT?

WHY?

Here are a few general rules about vegetarian grilling.

Tofu Tofu is a great meat replacement. With its hearty consistency, you can highlight it on the grill and not miss the meat you’re avoiding.

Veggies You’re probably used to slicing up some onions and throwing them on the grill packaged up in tin foil. Keep your vegetables out of aluminum on Meatless Monday so they can be grilled heroes of the night.

Fruits Throw some fresh fruit on the grill to bring out the sweetness and add a perfect healthy end to your Meatless Monday

For today, though, I’ve compiled some meatless recipes that look absolutely delicious.

Two options for an entree:

Outside the box take on grilled sides:

So, how does Meatless Monday sound now?

It’s Easier Than Ever to Grill in Canada!

Get the Grill You’re Happy to Own

Do the Hood Test:

Do the Weight Test:

Do the Manual/Model Test:

Do the Customer Service Test:

The sad truth for far too many people is they don’t know to look for these things and instead they find themselves looking once again for a new grill just a few years down the road.

Directions:

Polynesian Shrimp – Retro Recipe

Polynesian Shrimp Ingredients:

Polynesian Shrimp Directions:

Fish Marinade:

10 Things You Never Thought of Grilling, But Should

1. Pineapple and Mangoes

2. Pound cake

3. Peaches

4. Meatloaf

5. S’mores

6. Clams

7. Pizza

8. Nachos

9. Green Tomatoes

10. Artichokes

this turkey on the grill article was updated june 2021

Here are the basic tips for turkey on the grill:

1) Use a medium-high heat setting on your grill.

2) Place an aluminum pan

3) Season the bird

4) Place the bird in the grill breast side up.

5) Grill for 11 to 13 minutes per pound

6) Let it stand for 15 minutes

Tofu
Tofu is a great meat replacement. With its hearty consistency, you can highlight it on the grill and not miss the meat you’re avoiding.

Veggies
You’re probably used to slicing up some onions and throwing them on the grill packaged up in tin foil. Keep your vegetables out of aluminum on Meatless Monday so they can be grilled heroes of the night.

Fruits
Throw some fresh fruit on the grill to bring out the sweetness and add a perfect healthy end to your Meatless Monday