Grill Grate tips
Since I seem to have inspired a few people to try to the Grill Grates, I feel that it is my responsibility to share what I have learned from about 15 uses so far. First let me say that I am still learning how to use them because they really do change the parameters of grilling and barbecuing. Having issued that caveat, I will say that I already know that I like them very much. So let me share what I have learned so far.
1) Buy some Weber or other brand non flammable non stick spray. (Sold at Lowes). Especially when they are new, let the Grill Grates (GG) heat up before spraying and then spray heavily just before putting whatever you are cooking on them. Do this each time, at least for the first 10 times and then as needed.
2) When you clean the grates, be careful not to scratch off the coating you have worked hard to put on the ridges. The only surfaces that matter are the top edges of the grates. Use a rounded wire brush (also sold at Lowes-no I do not own their stock!) to clean out the gullies or you will have a hodge-podge of flavors when you use them next.
3) If you are a fan of smoking, as I am, I advise that you use the minimum number of grate segments to support what you are cooking so that there will be maximal unobstructed grill area for the smoke to circulate around what you are cooking.
4) Although I have not measured this, it would appear that the ridges and air spaces between the food and gully of the GG are much hotter than the thermometer in the dome of your apparatus will indicate. So err on the conservative side with temp and times by at least 30% until you get your setup worked out. If you do not want to make burn marks where the ridges contact the food, decrease the temp and increase the time.
I can cook a 1 1/2 inch thick steak to MR in 2-3 min per side with the dome thermometer reading merely 450 deg. Fish fillets, even salmon 1 inch thick take only about 2- 3 min a side, at most, for "cooked but still comes off in scallops."
5) With GG's I no longer use the indirect cooking method unless I want something to cook very slowly, basically because I do not want to make "burn" score marks.
6) If you have a fairly liquid sauce and poor it over what you are cooking, it will, to some extent collect in the gully between the food and the GG and cause a vaporized steaming effect which I am learning to use to my benefit. The more you pour, the greater the effect.
7) Vegetables are a cinch on this, but they cook very fast. Obviously put them at an angle to the ridges so that they will not fall into the gullies. I like veggies al dente and have been doing a lot of asparagus on the GG's. I typically do them more to the periphery where I believe it is a bit cooler, BUT it takes less than 2 minutes to get them cooked and maintain a "snap". A simple starter recipe for asparagus is chop the bottom inch off of the stalk, put them in a shallow dish with some balsamic vinegar or balsamic oil and a bit of olive oil and let them sit for about 10-15 minutes and throw them on the grill for 2-3 minutes total just before everything else is done, with one flip using the GG spatula (I can flip 10 at a time with no misses). If you like caramelization, put a teaspoon or two of sugar in the liquid mixture while soaking.
8) Let the GG's cool naturally and then wipe the ridges clean when cool or before the next use.