Tailgating season brings out the barbecue lover in us all. We particularly like to toss a few ribs on the grill and add a few burgers for the children. Then I can kickback and just chill while the grill does the work. But not all tailgating grills are qualified for the duty. A wimpy or messy grill just won’t work. Fortunately, there are some awesome portable grills for tailgating that are easy to cook with and won’t create a huge mess.
A couple I really love are the Weber Q 220 Grill and the Weber Smokey Joe Gold. Both of these grills are well-designed and compact, with plenty of grilling space but without the hassles of wimpy grills. There is no doubt, Weber has been manufacturing some of the finest grills available for decades. Weber knows their stuff – and they are made in the USA. In these times, that has real meaning.
So, why choose a Weber for tailgating? Which Weber is best for you?
The Weber Smokey Joe Gold is the gold standard in portable charcoal grills. Most importantly, this grill gets hot and grills like a dream. The unique air flow is a huge step up over the Weber Silver, since it won’t get all clogged up with ashes. You need a good air flow to properly cook on a charcoal grill, and Weber’s kettle design and great venting system do the trick beautifully. The Gold edition of the Smokey Joe is also really nice because the lid locks on for travel – no more charcoal all over the inside of your car. The lid lock doubles as a windshield so the wind won’t blow ashes all over your food.
The Weber Q 220 is a gas grill. You can use it with the small camping propane tanks or get the adaptor and use a twenty pound tank. It has a large grilling surface and a cast iron grate so you can be sure your steaks will sear, not boil. The engineering is flawless, allowing great airflow and focused heat so it heats up quickly. You can be sure it will get hot fast so you can BBQ your stomach’s delight and still be ready for the game. All you need to do is turn the knob and let it cool, so there is no waiting for the charcoal to extinguish.
Whichever grill you favor, you can rest assured you will get the quality that will last and the design that makes it easy to use. Tailgating with a great grill is just a whole lot more fun. Now, if you need to grill on a balcony without flame, you need a Weber electric grill. But for tailgating, these two can’t be beat.
you don’t need to do all that. Just push the button to light it. When the built-in temperature guage shows that it is ready – sear your steaks. Then, turn down the heat, push the steaks off to one side so they get indirect heat, add some corn on the cob, and let the steaks finish while the corn roasts. Pour some salad mix into a bowl, add a few cherry tomatoes, then sit down and put your feet up til the food is ready.
