Grilling and Boating. Eating in Pontoon Heaven.
If you've got a pontoon boat, you own the floating embodiment of fun, relaxation and unbridled partying. If you own a grill, you have a fire-breathing, char-broiling pinnacle of summertime cuisine.
When you combine the two, it's too good for this side of heaven.
Grilling on a boat is a pleasure that most people will sadly never experience. But you're not most people. You're a pontoon boat owner.
So, let's start with the hardware. Before you buy your boat grill, research, research, research. This is not a time in your life where you want to feel buyer's remorse.
Owners of the Cuisinart Grill with Arnall’s Brackets, for example, talk about the machine like it's a twin sibling they were reunited with 20 years after being separated at birth. Do your research , some reviewers talk about purchasing a grill model with a lot of remorse. Take the time to shop around, read reviews and compare features.
Second, if you choose a charcoal boat grill, which most people do, keep your charcoal in a Ziploc-style plastic bag. Wet charcoal doesn't light, and a lack of fire makes for a pretty busted grilling experience.
Next, use ready-to-light charcoal. Spraying lighter fluid out of a squeeze bottle on a rocking boat is a bad idea for several reasons. Mostly, it could lead to you accidentally setting stuff on fire that you didn't mean to.
Finally, follow common sense safety rules. This isn't dry land. On a boat, you can't walk away from a lit grill even for a second. Never grill while you're underway unless you want hot flaming coal missiles to jump out of your grill and hurtle toward you and your children, which we're presuming you don't.
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk recipes. Once you pick your grill and learn how to operate it safely, you can, you must, you will start with these choice selections:
Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Garlic & Lemon
Tabasco-Grilled Veggie Skewers
Grilled Bone-In Bison Steaks with Crisped Potatoes
*photo credit to countryliving.com
- Amy Cabanas