Grill Grates for dummies??

Cal1319

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I just got a 1070 and have been having fun smoking different meats. First was chicken lolipops and then pork carnitas ect. I just got some grill grates and wanted to ask those that use them how they actually use/perform on these pellet smokers. I posted to this form because the 1070 is more or less a 590 and I know alot more people have used GG on the 590. I guess my key question is what temperatures do you set you smoker to for each piece of meat (hamburger, steaks, chicken thighs?) Do you mostly use the grate side, or flat side? Thank you for all your help!
 
A lot of how you use them depends on what you like/want. The ribbed side of the GrillGrate will give you the pretty sear lines for nice presentation and the flat side will give you a larger area of sear for more flavor. I do cooks both ways and they all turn out great for us.

As far as temps when using GrillGrates I usually go 375-400 for skin on chicken, 450-475 for steaks and hamburgers. I’ve never had a need to go higher than that. Experiment to see what you like but this will get you in the ballpark.
 
Awesome! Thank you for this information! What ballpark time frame would chicken thighs take at 375 on GG? Coming from a gasser… skinless chicken thighs flipped ever four minutes for 20min total gives us perfect thighs… thanks again!
 
Unless you're trying to impress people with fancy diamond grill marks, use the flat side for more sear which equals more flavor.
 
I agree with the other posts but don’t forget to get creative. I will use the non-flat side and place chopped onions and garlic in the trough to kick my salmon to the next level. I also like to add some pellets in the troughs wait for them to start smoking and then add the protein on top to get smoke flavor without all the wasted time. Be careful if you use this method. (Until you have some experience, do not position a lot of pellets directly under the protein in case they catch fire.) You can also get a nice light teriyaki sauce or Yoshida sauce or even ketchup and let it burn slightly so the steam/smoke flavor can add an interesting flavor to a burger. There are other uses in addition to the grill marks that are fun. I also have the GG professional version (without the drain holes) and use it often for perfect char marks on hotdogs, sausages, and other proteins (which can also be done on the vented/ported version). Another great (lol) purpose is to give them a good coating of oil and use it for cooking and searing veggies in a butter garlic sauce without the “full side” char that you get on the flat side. At the end of the day, the only limits you have will be your imagination.
 
Unless you're trying to impress people with fancy diamond grill marks, use the flat side for more sear which equals more flavor.
Or if some you are cooking for don’t like that much of a sear. There are lots of reasons to do things differently from others.
 
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i love my grill grates i typically do 400 for 80/20 burgers on the flat side and 450 on ribbed for a typical steak. one of them thick cowboy ribeyes you can kick it up to 500 without much risk of over cooking. as far as time im not sure i always use a instant read thermometer to tell me when its done. i don’t even use the recteq probes for butts and briskets anymore. i just start checking when i get close. if you don’t have a thermometer definitely get one thermopen is the best but expensive thermopro is a good option also for alot less money. chicken thighs i like to take to around 175-180 breast 165 steaks 135 pork chops (domestic) 145 smash burgers 150 (minimal pink) those are just my temps they will satisfy most people but you will need to learn what’s perfect for you over time and multiple cooks.
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Awesome! Thank you for this information! What ballpark time frame would chicken thighs take at 375 on GG? Coming from a gasser… skinless chicken thighs flipped ever four minutes for 20min total gives us perfect thighs… thanks again!
I haven’t done skinless so not sure but I’d do a flip every three minutes then check the temp with an instant read thermometer after flip # three to see where you are. Adjust your cook from there and you’ll be pretty dialed in for your likes in a cook or two.
 
I really tried to like grill grates on my 590. I just couldn't get into it. I didn't like handling them a lot after they got good and greasy. Went back to using the weber kettle for sear work. I love my 590, but have learned to accept it's pellet tendencies.
 
A lot of how you use them depends on what you like/want. The ribbed side of the GrillGrate will give you the pretty sear lines for nice presentation and the flat side will give you a larger area of sear for more flavor. I do cooks both ways and they all turn out great for us.

As far as temps when using GrillGrates I usually go 375-400 for skin on chicken, 450-475 for steaks and hamburgers. I’ve never had a need to go higher than that. Experiment to see what you like but this will get you in the ballpark.
This is what I would've recommended as well.

Additional note...be mindful that if grease from burgers (or anything that has decent fat content) drips off the grill grates that it's dripping onto your drip tray of the 590. I (unfortunately) discovered what can happen if that grease drips down into the bottom near the firepot. Not good! I was using GGs I bought for an old Weber Q3000 model on my pellet grill/smoker (an old one...not my current RT-700). There was an ever-so-slight tilt from front to back. So when the grease dripped into the channels of the GG, it drained to the back of the pellet grill...ever so slightly beyond where my drip tray would catch it.
 
I replaced the right side stainless grate on the 590 with GrillGrates. I got tired of handling them, too. But now I have a Bullseye, too with the GrillGrates kit for it, so I restored the 590 to its original glory and have the best of both worlds. I leave the GG on the Bullseye for all cooks, occasionally flipping to the flat side for better sear.
 
I ended up getting a Bullseye as well. I was going to trim my GrillGrates from the 700 to work on the Bullseye but my daughter is getting into grilling on my old Weber Summit so I gave them to her. Just picked up new set for the Bullseye.
 
Thank you all for this information! The GG come Friday. From what I have read is to get them nice and hot and then rub on onion on them to season the GG? Appreciate all the suggestions!
 
Don't forget to give frozen pizza a try. I have not cooked a pizza indoors since I got the Grill Grates. I let the pizza thaw slightly and cook at around 400-425. The thawing helps to make sure that the pizza is cooked all the way through.

Place the pizza on the grates and after a few minutes rotate it slightly to encourage even cooking and avoid burning. Repeat the rotation several times during the cooking process. The Grill Grate forks or a pizza peel make it easy to move the pizza around during the cooking process. My favorite frozen pizza is Screamin' Sicilan, Holy Pepperoni.

The onion trick works well to season the grates. I brush on a little oil as well and use the onions to spread the oil around. You should avoid using olive oil. An oil with a higher smoke point such as Avocado oil cures hard, not sticky as is often the case with olive oil.
 
Between major cleanings you can just use the GG Fork to push debris to the back of the oven. I use a wooden scraper to remove burnt on stuff before every cook. When it is time for a major cleaning, I soak the grates in soapy water for a while and then use a brush for a deep cleaning. I usually re-season the grates after a major cleaning.
 

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