NOTE: The hood must remain partially open on covered
grills with the rotisserie adapter kit. Hood stop brackets are
provided in the kit When the spit shaft is removed, the grill
may be used with the hood closed. The kit will not interfere
in any way withnormal operation of the grill.
SMOKING...For true smoke flavor, use chips or chunks of
wood from nut or fruit trees such as hickory, walnut, cherry
or apple. Soak the chips in water overnight so they will not
burn when you put them on the charcoal.
After you get the fire started, put the soaked chips on top of
the hot charcoal. Place the meat on the grid or rotisserie
spit and close the hood. Raise the grid to the highest
position and adjust the vents for low heat.
Continue adding chips while the meat cooks to maintain the
appropriate amount of smoke. Smoking is a very slow
process. Therefore, allow plenty of cooking time.
FLARE-UP...Close all the vents for at least one minute to
stop flare-up. You do not have to use water.
PUTTING OUT THE CHARCOAL...Save your charcoal to
use again by closing the hood and all the vents. The
charcoal will be put out in just a little while and the next
time you cook, you will need to add less new charcoal.
7
COOKING ON YOUR MECO®GRILL
CARING FOR YOUR MECO®GRILL
WARNING! Do not grasp the Cooking Grid with
your hands when it is hot.
1. COOKING GRID...Use barbecue mitts for handling. For
SLOWER cooking, shift the adjusting lever knobs troward the
center of the grill to raise the Cooking Grid. For FASTER
cooking lower the Cooking Grid by pulling on both knobs and
moving toward the outside fo the grill.You can adjust both
sides at the same time, or one at a time. By raising one side
and lowering the other, you can cook rare meat and well-
done at the same time.
To cook fowl and pork roasts, place the grid level on top of
the grid brackets. Turn and baste the meat frequently for
thorough cooking and to prevent drying out.
For thick meat such as this, cooking with the Hood down
provides a more uniform heat. For hamburgers and steaks,
sear the meat on both sides with the grid lowered to one of
the tilted positions. Cook rare at highest and medium in the
center.
All other cooking should be done with the grid in the highest
position. For this purpose, your Meco® grill is equipped with
an efficient draft system. (See page 3. Adjustable Draft)
2. TILT-AWAY HOOD...Leave the hood open for "Texas Style"
open air barbecuing. Close the hood for "Smoker" cooking or
when you want to hold in all the heat.
3. ADJUSTABLE DRAFT...Leave the hood and bowl vents
open for the most heat. Close the vents partially to lower the
heat. It takes a few minutes for the charcoal to react to the
vent adjustment.
ROTISSERIE COOKING...Start the fire and arrange the
briquettes as shown for indirect cooking (page 6). Do not put
the briquettes directly under the meat. Make sure you have a
drip pan ready to center under the meat. You will not need
the cooking grid for rotisserie cooking.
Slide one spit fork into the spit shaft and tighten the thumb
screw. Insert the pointed end of the shaft though the center
of the piece of meat, or though the body cavity of a fowl.
Make sure the prongs of the spit fork are securely engaged in
the meat. Slide the other spit fork into the shaft and into the
meat and tighten the thumb screw. Check for balance by
turning the shaft in the palm of your hand. Adjust if needed,
then, tighten the thumb screws securely. You may have to tie
loose sections of the meat, such as the wings and legs of a
fowl, with string to keep them out of the fire. Insert the end of
the spit shaft into the motor and let the handle end rest in the
bracket on the other side of the bowl. Close the hood all the
way and open the vents about halfway for a delicious smoked
flavor. If you do not wish to have a strong smoked flavor, pull
the hood stop brackets up as far as possible and lower the
hood to rest on the brackets. This will allow most of thIf your
grill does not have a rotisserie, you can order an adapter kit
from your dealer or from Meco®Corporation.
Ashes...Remove the ashes as soon as possible after each
time you cook. Wait until the charcoal has cooled, lift out
the ash pan and pour out the ashes. You can save the
larger pieces of charcoal for use next time you cook. Use a
garden hose to wash out accumulated grease and ashes.
Let the ash pan dry before putting it back in your grill.
For easier cleaning, line the bottom of the fire bowl
underneath the ash pan with a double layer of aluminum
foil. Make sure you leave all the vents uncovered.
Cooking grid, spit forks, spit shaft...Use a detergent and
hot water solution just as you would for any cooking
equipment. A stiff brush may be helpful in removing heavy
grease deposits.
Hood and Bowl...Dampen a cloth in hot water and a
detergent solution. Then, wipe both the inside and outside
of the hood and bowl. Wipe all areas dry before storing.
Note: Do not use oven cleaner or abrasive cleaner on
your Meco®grill. This may cause damage to the paint
finish.
Storage...After you have cleaned your grill, store it in a
clean, dry area. Leave all the vents open so moisture does
not collect inside causing rust. If you store your grill outside,
close the top vent to keep the rain out but leave the bottom
vents open. You can extend the life of your new grill by
using a heavy duty grill cover for storage.