Monster grill

[LadyinRed]

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http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/p...406300308/1005

Monster grill
Backyard barbecue behemoth created from 1,200 pounds of steel, sweat and spirit

By Cassandra Mickens
Staff Writer
June 30, 2004

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The affair between David Baumhower and a grill ignited 20 years ago. Baumhower, 42, stole his father?s grill and took a trip with a few friends to the now-dilapidated Barnes and Norris cotton gin in downtown Northport for a weekend getaway.

?My daddy, Bob Baumhower Sr., built a big monster of a grill on his farm in Eutaw, and we would cook anything -- chicken, ribs and even things that you shouldn?t put on the grill," he said.

?That?s how it started -- with experimenting."

Baumhower?s affair has gained him the respect of local residents and the ?grill masters," as he likes to call people who have mastered the art of grilling.

?Everybody in the world knows David," friend Harold Appling, 69, said. ?He?s got a unique way of cooking."

Baumhower comes from a long line of experimenters who have been bitten by the grilling bug. His brother, former University of Alabama defensive tackle and Miami Dolphin nose tackle Bob Baumhower Jr., owns Wings Sports Grille, a popular restaurant chain in Alabama.

But David Baumhower, who is not in the food business, did not know how well-received his grilling skills were until a friend requested that he cook ?a bunch of butts" for a July 4 celebration. He says he was surprised at how many comments he received that day. This was only the beginning of more requests for Baumhower and the grill that would revolutionize his abilities.

The ultimate grill

When the grilling industry started to make changes, Baumhower and Appling began to brainstorm about the ultimate grill.

Their brainchild is now in the driveway of Baumhower?s home on Main Avenue in Northport. Held up by four thick steel legs it looms: a 1,200-pound all-black steel ?monster grill." Its appearance has led children to compare it to a spaceship waiting to beam up to its home planet. Many say the grill looks like a ?big ol? spider," if the spaceship/sdoesn?t suit their taste, Baumhower said.

?It?s an overgrown, overweight backyard grill," he said.

He and Appling fashioned the grill after the classic oval-shaped Weber grill. Appling said the construction took three weeks of hard work and trial-and-error.

The top and bottom of the grill are made out of pressurized tank heads, while the lids are made of three-H steel, Appling said. Because the grill is so heavy, they added a counterweight to help lift the lid.

?David could lift the lid at first, but he didn?t like to," Appling said.

The two met when Baumhower was dating Appling?s daughter. Although the couple have gone their separate ways, Appling and Baumhower remained friends.

?He split up with her, but he didn?t split up with us," Appling said. ?He does a good job. He?s a fine, fine boy."

Baumhower?s nephew, Evan Mathis, plays football for UA. Football season is another opportunity to break out the grill. For every home game, Baumhower and the monster grill take a weekend excursion to the Capstone. Huge tents are set up in front of Barnwell Hall on Bryant Drive for ?one heck of a tailgate party with family and friends of the Alabama players."

To the Crimson Tide team, Baumhower is known simply as Mr. Dave. Following the game, the players make their way to the grill and clear out any food that remains.

?I can always count on them for soppin? the plates," Baumhower said.

The gifts from the grill are not limited to Crimson Tide fans. Tailgaters from opposing teams flock to the tent as well. Grill masters stop by to admire the grill and to talk about their own grills back home.

?It?s like a man talking about his prized horse," he said. ?He?s proud of it, and he thinks his grill is better than yours."

The grill has basked in the glow of a national spotlight. When television crews arrive in Tuscaloosa for games, the grill always catches their eye, so much so that ESPN did a story on it. Sportscasters and cameramen always stop by for some of Baumhower?s barbecue when they are in town.

Appling said the reaction from people towards the grill is like nothing he has ever seen.

?Everybody?s eyes get big because they have never seen anything like it before," he said. ?He?s had a lot of fun and positive controversy with that thing."

The Griller?s Eye

Baumhower said nobody barbecues without the griller?s eye. It is something no grill master can avoid.

?Having red eyes at the end of the day from the barbecue smoke is called the griller?s eye. You can?t barbecue and not have the griller?s eye. That?s a trait."

Baumhower has participated in several cooking contests in the city, but thinks the events have gotten away from what real grilling is all about. To him, grilling is not about abstract masterpieces and flashy garnishes.

?It?s not real cooking anymore," he said. ?It?s gotten away from that. I?m going to stick to the good ol? boy cooking. I know at the end of the day that I fed good food to a lot of people and had a good time."

Good ol? boy cooking is exactly what Baumhower will continue to do, just him and his grill. But in the meantime he plans to tackle another grilling challenge.

?I would like to master a good sauce one day," he said.

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Roll Tide!
Kristi-LadyinRed
LadyinRed's Bama Page: www.LadyinRed.net

[TommyMac]

Now that's a grill that'll stir the blood of any Southern male.

[TiderinVA]

I have to admit that I have some serious "grill envy".