Lodge Sportsman - why I stopped, why I started again

[radshop]

I don't make a lot of impulse purchases, but a couple years ago I saw the Lodge Sportsman's Grill on sale at Walmart and walked out with one. But after I tried it a few times, I found that it didn't work well for me. Nothing wrong with the grill, but I do so much 2-zone and low/slow that I just found the Lodge impractical. I stuck it in the garage, and it sat there for about a year.

Now, in the last few weeks, it's my favorite grill. What changed?

First, with my teenagers starting to drive and other family changes, I'm cooking for myself a lot. I might have a plan to grill steaks for the family, and then find out that it's just me - but I still want steak. I got out the LSG and tried it again, and now I love it - and it's a fuel miser.

And I figured out that if I use my 14" carbon steel wok as a lid, it adds a lot of flexibility. One of the ways I use it is to put all the coals at 1 side and get the grates really hot. Once I have a good sear, I just open the little door and spread the coals to lower temperature, then use the wok to trap heat in for cooking the steak and veggies. In addition to holding in some heat, it seems to suppress enough air flow to significantly reduce flareups. (I've tried reverse sear, but find that sear-first seems to work better.)

Pics from last night with a 14 oz. strip steak cooked medium-rare and cauliflower.

[DWCowles]

I need to get mine out soon and fire it up.
Great pics!

[radshop]

Well... what's taking you so long? We want pics!

[DWCowles]

I have what they called "to many cookers syndrome"

[RonB]

Great way to innovate.

[Mudkat]

Cool setup. Iron and wok. Looks great!

[Mr. Bones]

'Tiny Cookers' can be a real blast!!!!
I use em a Lot!!!

[JeffJ]

Same here, brother!. The Jumbo Joe and 14.5 WSM (not just a smoker) see most of my work during winter, which encompasses nearly half of the year up here in Michigan.

[radshop]

I'm on a roll - No holding me back now!! Tonight, dinner for 2: Lamb chops and asparagus.

[Mr. Bones]

Lookin Delicious!

[radshop]

There were no leftovers!

[BourBonQ]

Way to improvise and adapt!

[JeffJ]

and overcome.

[radshop]

[Slow clap] JeffJ

[Steve B]

Dang you had me when you said LSG. But the Lodge Sportsman Grill is not an LSG. LONESTAR GRILLZ
I will say that, that little grill is really cool though.
Really nice cooks. 👍

[radshop]

10 yard penalty for illegal use of abbreviations!
I'll check the glossary in the future.

[Troutman]

So funny my first cooker was a small habachi not much different from that Lodge. It could cook a mean ribeye, and like you said, it was only for me anyway. Sometimes big things come out of small packages!!

[kamadoRob]

The wok is brilliant! I use mine a lot as a 'camp stove'. Coffee pot and then a rectangle cast iron pan or griddle for cooking breakfast. It does do a great job of searing a steak though. I love mine but haven't used it in a while. I think it may be time to get it back out again.

[FireMan]

This is more of the value, of the price of admission. Cool.

[Henrik]

That is a nice little rig. Great food too, I tend to eat just meat + veggies nowadays.