Téodor's recipe for Flavor Burgers have saved many a cookout at which I have been an attendee. Jesus--you should be thankful that you've never had to eat any food prepared by my mum. Bless her heart, she just doesn't think food's "done" unless she cooks the holy hell out of it. I never liked burgers growing up...and there's little wonder WHY, since they had the same flavor and texture as a god damned hockey puck.
I have suffered through enough nasty grilled meals to be shameless about shooing my mum out of the kitchen and rescuing the cheap grocery-store meat Téodor-style. Grated cheese, Worchestershire sauce, mustard, a bit of fresh garlic, cracked pepper and salt. Hey, I'm an adult now, so she can't beat me with a wooden spoon if I piss her off. I just remind her that I'm going to be the one picking out her nursing home. Heh!
And of course there is always the beer standby for brats. I prefer to parboil them in some beer (some of my friends use Guinness, but I for one cannot stand to put a can to waste in such a manner. Instead, I sacrifice a cheaper brew for the brat cause). Although some people are fans of keeping them hot in boiling beer after they come off the grill, I feel that this affects the crisp-factor to an unfavorable degree. Parboiling in beer keeps 'em tasty and helps reduce the splitting factor by at least ten.
So, yes. You wonderful people and the Achewood cookbook have given me some brilliant ideas for the grilling season. I just got home from a cookout at my dad's place. A good time was had by all. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch "kitty TV" as I chill with my Scottish Folds and watch them destroy the kitty-tree-palace that I bought for them.
<3