The Foreman Grill

For many months I have let my grilling skills languish as I cursed the inequities of apartment living. Without a balcony or yard of any sort, I was stuck eating microwave dinners. I did have a counter top grill staring me in the face, but myself being descended from a Caveman, I refused to acknowledge any non-flame options. Simply put, I assumed my Foreman Grill, despite how Lean or Mean it claimed to be, was nonetheless unable to satisfy my desire for grilled cuisine. I saved it for making toast, or perhaps crisping an entire sandwich every now and then.
However, after a recent bout with a severe case of I-Need-To-Grill-Something-itis I decided to give the Foreman a shot. I decided well beforehand that I would not pull any punches: I would treat the little guy as if it were an actual grill (except for the part where I cover the grill in flammable materials and light it on fire). The specific grill I used was the Family Size Next Grilleration and with it I set upon trying three unique recipes that I knew for a fact would be delicious -- if I had an actual grill.

Teriyaki Salmon Burgers: This recipe is simple, yet delicious. Go get yourself some Salmon burgers, marinate them for a few hours in teriyaki sauce, and toss them on the grill. Then, when they're halfway done, you throw a pineapple ring on the grill as well. Throw it all on a bun together, toss on whatever garnish you prefer, and sit down for a nice little meal.

Lemon Herb Chicken: Again, a pretty simple concept. Go get yourself a chicken breast, and marinate it in some lemon and herbs. For an even simpler route, just buy whatever marinade you please. Side dishes can be whatever you prefer, nothing else is ending up on the grill so we're going to skip ahead.

Skirt Steak: As for our beef test subject, I went with skirt steak. Again, marinate it in whatever you choose, and toss it on the grill. Feel free to throw some bell peppers or a few tomato slices along the outside of the steak, but remember your first priority is the beef so leave that in the middle.

As far as prep time goes, none of the above recipes takes longer than a few minutes, you just need to remember to throw the marinade on and put the meat in the fridge before you go to work. Stop groaning. You can pause Regis and Kelly for one second to prepare your dinner. They'll still be there when you get back.

Finally, as you may have guessed, many of the menu decisions were made because of the Foreman itself. I don't trust the little guy with a salmon filet, filet mignon, or anything that has the word filet (or any vaguely sounding french word in it) for that matter. Don't get fancy. Emeril isn't shouting "BAM!" while he throws a T-Bone on his Foreman with Family Feud blaring in the background. That's you. And despite the fact that you can't make prime rib on your little electric grill, a skirt steak is a better option than the Cheetos you were going to have for dinner.
All in all, everything turned out pretty damn good. Like any grill, you need to pay close attention to make sure you don't overcook, and the lack of a temperature control makes this even more integral to the success of your meal. The meat dishes were well done but not burnt, and even the fruits and vegetables I tried on the grill turned out juicy and delicious.

Now, Is a salmon burger or a skirt steak the best thing I've ever eaten? No. Could I have made a better piece of meat on a real grill? Probably. Is Joan Rivers a robot? No, she's legally dead but still walking, which makes her a zombie. Despite all of those undeniable facts, the Foreman Grill nonetheless did a pretty damn good job of making me three delicious, different, and all thoroughly satisfying meals. I've give big George's grill an 8 out of 10.