Every year around this time warnings issue forth from consumer groups, government agencies and safety experts telling us that outdoor cooking equipment is for outdoor use only. As logical as this seems every year people drag gas and charcoal grills into their homes, sheds or garages to cook on or to heat a room. Unfortunately, this means many people die. Gas and charcoal grills and smokers can produce large quantities of Carbon Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide will kill you very quickly. So DO NOT use outdoor cooking equipment indoors or in enclosed spaces. Carbon Monoxide has no odor and can fill a room in minutes.
While you are at it you might want to pick up a Carbon Monoxide Detector just to be on the safe side.
It's lightly snowing outside right now. The five day forecast has cold temperatures and occasional snow for the near future and I'm planning on prime rib this weekend. I've been accused of being crazy most every winter for more than a decade now when it comes to my outdoor cooking projects. However, there is weather that can shut most any cookout down (usually high wind).
Most statistics tell us that more people are grilling year round, but my question isn't do you cook out in the winter, but does the cold affect how you cook out. It's one thing to throw a couple of chops on the grill in the cold, but an entirely different thing to smoke a brisket for a dozen hours over a hardwood fire. So, let us know what (if anything) you do differently when the mercury takes a dive.
POLL: Do you Cook Outdoors Differently in the Winter?
1) Doesn't affect me!
2) I cut back a little
3) I cut back on big items like rotisserie cooking
4) Grill it quick and get back inside
5) I'm not going out there, its cold!
Hit the comment button below to tell us your cold weather
Finding the right gift for your outdoor cook isn't really all that hard. There are thousands of products out there that would do the trick. I have here a few suggestions that should help get you pointed in the right direction to find the perfect gift.
Photo: Rasmussen Iron Works, Inc.
