I wanted to grill some burgers, but the gas grill has been long neglected since I got my Weber Bullet. It would take more time to clean it up just for some burgers than time allowed. A George Foreman grill is quick– burgers in five minutes– but lacks that certain something that gives a good burger character. Looking out the back door, there was the Bullet and just enough charcoal leftovers for a quick cook.
I assembled the Bullet, bottom vents open, and placed the charcoal grate and ring on the brackets normally used for the lower cooking grate. I lit the Weber Chimney, two-thirds full of leftover briquets and smoke wood, which took about 15 minutes to get going. I dumped the coals into the ring, banked to one side so I could have a hot zone and a medium zone.
The whole cook took about 22 minutes to achieve medium doneness. I even toasted the buns on the far edge away from the coals. After the burgers came off, it was just like any other Bullet cook– close it up and let the coals go out.
What have we learned? The difference between a bland burger and a great one is about 27 minutes.