Tuscan Grill Tools, Tips and Techniques Discuss Tuscan Grill in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; FYI- Found a nice Tuscan Grill, designed by Steven Reichland, at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for $39. Sure comes in ...

[Jim Bob]

FYI- Found a nice Tuscan Grill, designed by Steven Reichland, at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for $39. Sure comes in handy when cooking steaks or burgers in the brick oven. If you don't have that store in your area, simply Google it and you can order on line. Shipping is about $7.00.
Jim Bob

[christo]

You can buy the same grill here at the FornoBravo store.

Sounds about the same deal - $40 plus shipping.

I bought mine from James and we love it!!!

super for grilling some chicken to go on the pizza!!!!

Christo

[Jim Bob]

Christo,
Thanks. I was able to get a nice one. But my question is what type of tool are you using to turn steaks over on this Tuscan Grill? It won't be good to keep pulling the entire grill out every time I need to turn meat over. If I used clamps they would have to be 3' long or longer.
Any ideas?
Jim Bob

[christo]

Hi Jim Bob,

All of our ovens are different, so this may or may not work for you. I also must admit - I have on occasion pulled the grill out into my entryway to flip numerous small things like squash quarters. For things like chicken breasts or steaks I'm able to leave it in.

I pull my tuscan grill as close to the entry way as possible, while keeping it entirely in the oven. I rake coals in under the grill from the fire and leave ta small fire heating up in the back of the oven if I'm cooking pizza later.

Before cooking, I pull it out with the gripper and wipe or spray it down with cooking oil. I prefer cooking oil over olive oil for this. It really helps to keep the chicken from sticking.

I place the grill back in the oven and put the meat on the grill.

That makes it a short reach to grab steaks or chicken with barbeque tongs for me. My oven has a flared opening so there is some elbow room to allow for the flipping.

I keep a piece of foil ready to keep the entry way from getting grease stains - the oven floor burns off but the oven entry does not get hot enough (normally) to burn off any grease that may drip.

I'm sure I was not much help - but I like my grill - esp when grilled chicken pizzas w/spinach, pinenuts and chris's special sauce are coming up later!

Christo

[Jim Bob]

Christo,
Thanks a lot. It does help. One reason I am interested in cooking steaks on the grill is that I can get the temps up real good to sear it well and leave it med rare inside. Ruth Chris's Steak House and Flemings Steak House(best steaks in Memphis) use a Salamander oven to cook their prime meats. These ovens can reach 1600 degrees and they create the finest seared filets that simply melt in your mouth. The only thing they use to baste them with is a mixture of real butter, fresh garlic, and Italian Parsley. It puts a great crust on it.
I want to try to simulate those steaks by cooking them at a temp as high as my oven will reach, probably 900, especially if I need to pull the grill towards the entry to use.
Thanks again and I will let you know how they turn out.
Jim Bob

[asudavew]

If you could find a loooooooooong one of these or build one, it would probably be a great tool for flipping your steaks.

They are supposed to be really handy for the standard BBQ, although I have not tried one.

Dave

[Wiley]

Dave,
I have used one of these at a friend's BBQ grill and the idea is great. I did find that the pigtail hooked the wrong direction by my reckoning. To me I want to hook the meat in a clockwise motion and flip the meat so that it rotates clockwise as well.

I suspect it was designed by a left handed person as some sort of secret revenge against having to deal with tools designed for right handed people.

Wiley

[Jim Bob]

Dave,
What's wierd is I have one of those hanging from Weber Performer grill and have never used it!! Great idea, just forgot I had it. But Wiley is correct, some devious left handed person designed it.
Jim Bob

[Raoul Duke]

Problem with the hooks is that they break the surface of the meat and that's what searing is supposed to accomplish.

[Jim Bob]

Raoul,

Yes that is true, but I will hook the filet in the end or side of the steak to turn it, and if I cook it correctly, will only have to turn it that one time and it will be crusty on the outside and medium rare on the inside!! Pizza is one thing, and I do look forward to trying different recipes, but a good medium rare prime beef filet is the top of the charts for me. Getting hungry just talking about it.
Jim Bob