Gear
Under the Hood
Essential Tailgating Grills and Equipment for the Best Tailgate Food
The confluence of fall, food, fun, and football is here. It’s called tailgating, and as far as we can tell, it’s a uniquely American phenomenon. According to the polling organization govyou.com, some 27 million of us will attend weekend tailgate parties in the last quarter of the year with millions more entertaining at home (“homegating”). If you’re part of this glorious and fanatical culture, you know how competitive the sport of tailgating is. Anyone can wear their team colors and accessorize with foam fingers,...
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Kalamazoo Cabinet Smoker and Russ Faulk, the Man Who Created It
Most grill and smoker designs have been around for decades, even centuries. It’s not often that a manufacturer comes along with something radically new. Well, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet has, and I got to test drive it during the taping of Project Smoke, Season 3. (We used it to smoke pastrami bacon and Korean pulled pork shoulder.) It’s the Kalamazoo Cabinet Smoker and it’s simply one of the most intriguing fusions of high design, ingenious engineering, and primal smoke and fire on Planet Barbecue. You’ve probably heard of Kalamazoo—the manufacturer of super premium grills that perform like Ferraris—and are priced like Ferraris, too. Kalamazoo’s first grill—the...
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How to Buy A Smoker, Part 2
If you own a charcoal grill with a tight-fitting lid, you already have a smoker. Simply set it up for indirect grilling, add wood chips or chunks to the coals, and you’re in business. (If you own a gas grill, you can add subtle smoke flavor to your food by using a smoking pouch or smoking box, but the grill’s rear vents will allow most of the smoke to escape.) There are some drawbacks, however. Because kettle grills are designed for grilling, it’s difficult to maintain an even heat at lower temperatures....
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How to Buy A Smoker, Part 1
If you’d like to take the next step toward grilling enlightenment, fall is a good time to do it. Along with back-to-school promotions, many retailers are anxious to reduce their inventories of grilling hardware, meaning potential deep discounts for you. (A few years ago, my assistant, Nancy Loseke, scored a Weber Ranch for half price.) The first step is to select the right smoker for you. There are dozens of types and hundreds of individual models. The right smoker depends on your experience, goals, budget, and how many people you usually cook for—collectively called your smoker personality. Beginner:...
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Sizzling and Sexy: Grilling with a Plancha
What do South Carolina’s oyster roasts have in common with Colombia’s arepas and Japan’s teppan yaki feasts? All are cooked on a flat piece of metal analogous to a griddle, often over an open fire. In fact, nearly every cooking culture on Planet Barbecue has a historical relationship with this simple form of food preparation, none more than Spain. In Spain, the term plancha (literally, “plate”) refers both to the device itself and...
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The Smokers and Grills of Project Smoke Season 3
Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to grilling heaven. That’s a common reaction when people step on the set of Project Smoke (this year taped at the stunning Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort in Solvang, California). If you’re a grilling or smoking enthusiast, our selection of grills and smokers is inspiring and not a little overwhelming. A religious experience the be sure. Perhaps you’ve wondered what sort of grill or smoker I’m using in a particular show, what I cooked on it, and what’s fired up in the background. Here's a guide...
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Summer 2017 Sweepstakes: Barbecue Essentials You Need Now
This summer we are bringing you the ultimate grilling essentials sweepstakes—whether you are a beginner looking to launch your grilling career in style or an experienced griller keen on expanding your summer entertaining repertoire, these tools will get you there. These convenient tools will make you look like a pro, from ultra-sharp knives from Shun Cutlery to the hassle-free ChicWrap Foil Dispenser, and expand the ways you can use your grill, from the genius raised...
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New to BBQ: Grilling Tools You Should Check Out Now
We try to keep tabs on what is new in the world of grilling and BBQ, and bring you updates when we find new products hitting the market. Below you will see a list of new gadgets and tools that are worth a look. If you have suggestions for things to add, please get in touch on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and we can add to the list! Adrenaline Slow 'N Sear Grill Convert your kettle grill into a smoker and blistering hot sear machine with this all-in-one accessory....
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Make Shun Cutlery Part of Your BBQ Arsenal
This post is brought to you by Shun Cutlery, which provided advertising support. If you’ve ever prepared our Slam Dunk Brisket, you know what it really takes to prepare this relatively simple recipe: the right tools and the patience to wait during a long, slow cooking period over low heat. With hours invested in preparation, the serving process is likely to be the last thing on your mind. But we urge you to prepare for the carving stage—next...
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Grilling in the Embers
This form of grilling is as old as humankind itself. Back before man invented grill grates or gridirons or even sharpened sticks for making shish kebabs, people cooked foods in the fire. Literally in the fire. Precisely, right in the coals. They laid root vegetables or meat directly on the embers and let the radiant heat of the coals do the cooking. When the food was ready, the ashes were brushed off. Barbecue was born. I like to call this primitive kind of grilling...
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