Portable Kitchen Cooker (PK Grill) - Cast Aluminum Can't Be Beat

I am enjoying the heck out of my Portable Kitchen Outdoor Cooker AKA PK Grill. I grew up on a PK (which still works great after all these years), but I could not find one when I first went looking for grills. The reason I couldn't find a PK was because the company closed up, but another avid griller got in touch and worked out a deal for his family to revive the classic grills that work great and last virtually forever.

What makes the PKs different is that they are made of cast aluminum. That is kind of like cast iron but not so heavy and also cast aluminum does not rust. But, the long life and heat conduction are there. So, it is a brick house of a grill and much more versatile than most on the market.



Although the Portable Kitchen is called portable, it is sure not a tailgater size. It is full sized, but the body comes out of the frame. So, we do take it on the road with an SUV or truck. Since the frame does not fold or collapse down, it would difficult to transport this one with a car. But, if you have a really big car, the cart might fit in the trunk or back seat.



The PK is great for traditional grilled foods. The heat conduction is fabulous, so you can get those grill marks from a high sear temperature if that is what you are looking for. Many charcoal grills do not do that. This one does, since the heavy duty grates get nice and hot.



We grill steak, burgers, chicken, and brats on the PK.



And, we also use the Portable Kitchen as a smoker. Yes. It does work great for that. You just offset the coals (put them on one end) and then use the vents to lock in a temperature. The PK holds the heat and does a super job smoking.

The last smoke we did with the PK was MOINKs. Those are meatballs wrapped in bacon. They are smoked slow for around an hour and a half and taste like heaven. They are now one of my boys' very favorite grilled foods.

Grilled Hamburgers and Boneless Chicken Breasts in the Rain

Grilling out Hamburgers and Boneless Chicken Breasts and Tenders in the Rain

My students had been asking, all semester, about when I was going to grill out for them. I think they were joking, but my small New Media class was the right size for a nice May cook out. I thought, "Yep. Let's do it."


Had to Keep Everything Covered with it Raining

Initially I was going with hand patted hamburgers and hot dogs, but one student asked about bringing some chicken. I told her that I'd just change the menu. Grilled boneless chicken breasts or tenders are easy.

The chicken was even more popular than the hamburgers with this crowd. I think I will have to give the credit on that to the sauce, Firefighters Barbecue Sauce. That was a real hit. It's tangy and works great on chicken or anything else that you might barbecue.

I did the burgers on the Portable Kitchen PK charcoal cooker and the chicken on the City Grill. With two meats going at once and chicken more delicate, I wanted better heat control, so gas made sense for the chicken. The charcoal added flavor to the beef. It adds flavor to chicken as well, but the trade off on convenience was a good idea especially since it rained while I was grilling.



Might Not Be Obvious - But It's Pouring the Rain on Me and the Grill

The Portable Kitchen Grill is cast aluminum, so it has excellent heat retention. That's good, because we had a gully washer right as the hamburgers started to sizzle.

Rain drops the temperature and can also dampen the coals. By keeping the lid closed a good portion of the time, I was able to complete the grilling. A few burgers were undercooked, but the students just let me know, and we put those back on the grill for a couple of minutes.

A good grill chef will roll with the punches and also make sure guests know that it's fine to speak up. If you have kids, you probably know this (-: Adults are more likely to keep quiet. But, an interactive griller can get everyone involved and comfortable.


My Girls - I Don't Have Any of My Own so Enjoy Some Girl Giggles at Gatherings

All the students offered to help, and I took them up on it. There's a lot to carry and do at a cook out. Extra hands make a world of difference. I've never understood the "keep out of my kitchen" or "stay out of the grill area" mentality. I love the company and also fewer trips back and forth to the truck or kitchen.


Let's Get This Fudge Under the Little Shelter, So It Does Not Get Wet

For dessert, I made homemade peanut butter fudge. That may seem a strange choice, since fudge is more often a holiday treat. My peanut butter fudge recipe is so quick (5 minutes on top of the stove), so when I need a splurge type dessert, that's what I make. It also ends up being the recipe I'm asked for most often.