Flavor Intensifier
e all know that food that’s cooked outdoors just tastes better. That’s why so many RVers pack along a barbeque. It’s always fun to take in the aroma that permeates the adjacent sites, encouraging others to cook outdoors or come looking. Portable gas grills and griddles are probably the most popular among RVers heck, the Blackstone has developed a cult following and products offered by companies such as Way Interglobal’s Greystone line are a hit with outdoor enthusiasts, as well.
That said, RVers are always looking for something different and the proliferation of pellet grills on the market is spurring big interest from RVers looking to do something a bit off the beaten path. In fact, some companies are targeting RVers with new, compact models, and even RV manufacturers have noticed. KZ RV, for one, will be including a pellet smoker on certain of its Durango fifth wheels for the 2023 model year.
And they work wonderfully. I know. Sometime back I purchased one. The product I settled on is the Green Mountain Grill Davy Crockett model ($349), which was designed for RVs. This model runs on 120-volt AC or 12 volts DC power, making it suitable for boondocking and tailgating. The legs fold up into a handle for convenient lifting and loading. The grill is not lightweight, but I can lift it high enough to put it into the storage compartment in my fifth wheel (where it doesn’t require a huge amount of space, which is a deal-breaker for RVers short on storage area).
The wood pellets are readily available at home improvement and hardware stores and online, but my choice is the Traeger brand sold at Costco ($19.95 for a 30-pound bag). These pellets go a long way, depending on how high you turn up the heat; the grill will run from 150 to 550 degrees, depending on the type of meat that you wish to cook/smoke. The grill starts with a push of the Power button and, once the temperature comes up, you simply push the Up or Down arrows to select the desired temperature. It doesn’t get any easier than this.
Over the years I developed a few maintenance and cooking habits that improve function and cooking efficiency. The flame box needs vacuuming periodically as the ash builds up over time; ignore this step and the ignition will fail and the box will not cook accurately. The pellet hopper holds more than enough for at least a half-day of smoking and — when I cook salmon or a greasy meat, for example — I also use a silicone barbecue mat to prevent the meat from sticking to the grill. This promotes easy cleanup afterward without compromising flavor.
The nice feature of the Davy Crockett model is that it’s small enough to be considered a portable but still has a large cooking surface. One more tip: If you are going to leave it outside, invest in a cover.
It won’t take long to get addicted to cooking on a pellet grill while on the road — and you’re certain to make new friends.
