Grilling rack

Abstract

A food grilling rack provides a frame defined by a plurality of connected side walls forming a closed geometric shape. The frame includes a lower corrugated sheet that provides multiple troughs, each trough having a lowest portion. The lower sheet is attached to at least some of the side walls. An upper sheet of material is supported (e.g., removably) above the sheet of corrugated material. There are a plurality of openings in the upper sheet of material, each opening being vertically aligned with a lowest portion of a trough. In one embodiment, the frame includes a pair of flanged members attached to a lower corrugated sheet that provides multiple troughs, each trough having a lowest portion. A sheet with openings slides into the frame aligning the openings with the lowest part of the trough. A food stuffing apparatus provides a receptacle having an interior, an upper end portion with a larger opening and a lower end portion with a smaller opening, and a tapering portion in between the upper and lower end portions. A plunger is provided having a head, a lower end portion with a shaft having a lower pushing surface and a joint that joins the head to the shaft. The pushing surface has a larger diameter portion, the shaft tapering above the pushing surface to a smaller diameter portion above the pushing surface in the upper one half of the plunger.

1 - 79 . (canceled) 
     
     
         80 . A method of preparing and grilling stuffed food articles comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a food stuffer, the food stuffer including:
 (i) a funneling portion, the funneling portion including
 a body having a body interior, 
 the body having an upper portion with an open top, 
 and the body having a lower end portion, connected to the upper portion at a connection joint, 
 the open top having an open top perimeter and 
 the lower portion having a dispensing outlet with a dispensing outlet perimeter, 
 the dispensing outlet perimeter being smaller than the open top perimeter, 
 the upper end portion having an expanding cross sectional area between the connection joint and the open top, 
 the lower end portion having a generally cylindrical shape, and 
 a handle attached to the body; and 
 
 (ii) a plunger, the plunger including first and second ends, the second end having a second end perimeter that closely conforms to the dispensing outlet perimeter; 
   (b) providing a plurality of peppers, each of the plurality of peppers having a longitudinal axis and pepper cavity, along with an upper opening providing access to the pepper cavity, and vertically orienting each of the plurality of peppers;   (c) placing a first quantity of stuffing into the body interior of the funneling portion;   (d) after step “c”, while a user's first hand supports the funneling portion via the handle such that the dispensing outlet is placed inside a cavity of a first pepper of the plurality of peppers, a second hand of the user causing the second end of the plunger to move through the body interior via the open top with the second end passing through the upper portion and becoming closely spaced to the dispensing outlet, thereby causing stuffing from the first quantity of stuffing to exit the dispensing outlet and enter the cavity of the first pepper of the plurality of peppers;   (e) after step “d”, while the user's first hand supports the funneling portion via the handle, the user's second hand retracting the plunger second end upwardly from the dispensing outlet causing the second end to move away from the dispensing outlet, and next the user's second hand causing the plunger second end to move downwardly toward and becoming closely spaced to the dispensing outlet, thereby causing additional stuffing from the first quantity of stuffing to exit the dispensing outlet and enter the cavity of the first pepper of the plurality of peppers;   (f) repeating steps “d” and “e” with up and down movements of the second end of the plunger relative to the dispensing outlet until the cavity of the first pepper of the plurality of peppers is substantially filled with stuffing from the first quantity of stuffing, wherein the dispensing outlet is moved upwardly relative to first pepper of the plurality of peppers; and   (g) after step “f” placing the dispensing outlet in a cavity of a second pepper of the plurality of peppers and reciprocating the second end of the plunger relative to the dispensing outlet until the cavity of the second pepper of the plurality of peppers is substantially filled with stuffing.   
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein plunger is linearly reciprocated up and down during steps “d”, “e”, and “f”. 
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the second end of the plunger passes through the dispensing outlet during steps “d”, “e”, and “f”. 
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the user's hand causes the dispensing outlet to be raised during steps “d”, “e”, and “f”. 
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the dispensing outlet located in the cavity of the first pepper of the plurality of peppers is raised relative to the first pepper during steps “d”, “e”, and “f” at the same time as the user's second hand causes the second end of the plunger to be lowered. 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the second end of the plunger has a frustoconically tapered area with first and second ends of the tapered area having first and second cross sectional areas, and with second end of the tapered area being closer to the second end of the plunger and with the second cross sectional area being larger than the first cross sectional area of the tapered area. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the lower end portion has a constant interior diameter from the dispensing outlet to the connection joint, and the upper portion of the body having a curvilinear area between the open top and the connection joint. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein in step “b” the plurality of peppers are arranged in a rectangular array format, and steps of “c” through “f” are performed for each of the plurality of peppers until each of their cavities interiors are filled with stuffing. 
     
     
         88 . A method of preparing and grilling an elongated pepper food item comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an elongated pepper food item stuffing apparatus, the elongated pepper food stuffing apparatus including:
 (i) a hopper, the hopper having
 a receiving end with a receiving opening,
 the receiving end having a sloping section, 
 
 an ejecting end with an ejecting opening,
 the ejecting opening being smaller than the receiving opening, and 
 
 a connection joint between the receiving end and the ejecting end, and 
 a hopper interior located between the receiving opening and ejecting opening, 
 
 (ii) a baton, the baton having
 an elongated body with first and second spaced apart ends; 
 the second end having an area that closely conforms to the area of the ejecting opening; 
 
   (b) providing an elongated pepper food item having a longitudinal axis and cavity, vertically orienting the elongated pepper food item, cutting the elongated pepper food to create a food item opening providing access to the cavity;   (c) placing quantity of stuffing in the hopper;   (d) while a user's first hand supports the hopper, a second hand of the user moves the baton in the hopper interior such that the second end becomes closely spaced to the ejecting outlet thereby causing stuffing to be discharged from the ejection outlet and enter the cavity of the elongated pepper food item; and   (e) while the user's first hand supports the hopper, the user's second hand moves the baton up and down relative to the hopper thereby causing stuffing to be discharged from the ejection outlet and enter the cavity of the elongated pepper food item until the enough stuffing has entered the cavity of the elongated pepper food item to substantially fill the cavity.   
     
     
         89 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein the baton is reciprocated up and down linearly during step “e”. 
     
     
         90 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein the second end of the baton passes through the ejecting outlet during steps “d” and “e”. 
     
     
         91 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein the ejecting outlet of the hopper is inserted into the cavity of the pepper in step “d” and is raised relative to the cavity during step “e”. 
     
     
         92 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein a handle is attached to the hopper and the user's first hand supports the handle during steps “d” and “e”. 
     
     
         93 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein the ejecting outlet located in the cavity of the elongated pepper food item is raised relative to the elongated pepper food item during step “e” at the same time as the user's second hand causes the baton to be lowered relative to the hopper. 
     
     
         94 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein the baton has first and second baton ends, and a frustoconically tapered area with first and second ends of the tapered area having first and second cross sectional areas, and with second end of the tapered area being closer to the second baton end of the baton and with the second cross sectional area being larger than the first cross sectional area. 
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein the ejecting end has a constant interior diameter from the connection joint to the ejecting outlet.