It’s a great way to discover what’s cutting-edge in the world of live fire cooking—and check in with old friends, like Robyn Lindars from GrillGirl.com, who was kind enough to give us a recipe for Reverse-Seared Steaks with Cowboy Butter. See below.
Hearth, Barbecue and Patio Expo
The hottest new grill isn’t a grill at all: it’s a griddle. Make that many griddles. It seems like all the manufacturers now have one—high-style griddles by Fire Magic, Napoleon, and Coyote.
Portable griddles perfect for tailgating—like the new Rooster griddle from France. (It comes with a dedicated bun warmer—that is burger buns!)
Griddles with thermostatic controls, like the Twin Eagle, which enables you to dial in the surface temperature to the precise degree.
Griddles with arced lids that function like griddle domes, like The Halo, so you can cook your food both from above and below—the griddle equivalent of indirect grilling.
As for grills themselves, Fire Magic has launched an impressive electric grill, the EL500, which achieves temperatures of 700 degrees and comes with, what else, a griddle. Condo dwellers take note!
Elsewhere, I saw gas grills with red, blue, and turquoise trim—a welcome switch from the ubiquitous stainless steel of most high-end gas grills these days.
The Hottest Pizza Ovens You Need to See
The home pizza oven craze shows no sign of abating. I liked the high-style designs of OVENEAT from Italy—both portable ovens and full-size standups available. I also like the -multi-function, pellet-fired RAD pizza oven, which doubles as a, you guessed it, griddle.
Charcoal’s Big Comeback: Cool New Grills & Fuels
Charcoal grilling is back with a vengeance—with cool new grills and impressive new charcoals. Among the former is the Thaan grill—a smart-looking, black, hibachi-style grill from Thailand. It fits on a tabletop and comes with a bar grate, mesh grate, and, yes, a griddle.
And to fuel it, Thaan makes a variety of sustainable charcoals, from a high heat, slow burning Thai-style charcoal to Western-style oak large lump charcoal and high dessert blend briquettes.
Speaking of charcoal, we ran into our old friend, Stebin Horn, formerly of the wood-burning KUDU grill. He sold his interest in KUDU to start the African Charcoal Company, specializing in sustainable lump charcoal and hardwood from South Africa. What makes these fuels sustainable? They use subtlety-scented acacia wood. The more you burn, says, Stebin, the more you rid South Africa of a pest tree that impedes the growth of other native species.
While we’re on the subject of wood, fire pits were much in evidence, including a massive multi-function and exceedingly handsome unit from Sea Island Forge. (Yes, it comes with a griddle attachment.)
Then there’s the Cowboy Cauldon Co, with its Ranch Boss and Wrangler models—impressive metal fire bowls hung from sturdy iron tripods.
To light all this charcoal and wood, there’s a new generation of grill blowtorches. Like the VMAX-550, which looks like a cross between a power drill and a rocket ship. And the Grill Gun from GrillBlazer, which resembles a 44 Magnum and sounds like a military flame-thrower.& Both will light your charcoal or wood in minutes.
Smart Tools & Accessories
Of course, there were no shortage of grilling accessories at the show. My host at the show was ChefsTemp and they’re working on some very cool thermometers and heat controllers for charcoal grills—both will communicate with your smart phone.
Another accessory that caught my eye is the new heat-resistant grill gloves from Grilaz. Textured on the palm side and smooth on the back side, the Grillaz has a feature so useful, you wonder why no one thought of it earlier: a loop on the back of the glove for easy removal. If you’ve ever struggled to pull off slippery food gloves, you’ll appreciate this feature.
And to boost the flavor of your food—as if smoke and fire weren’t enough. You can now buy aerosol duck fat, made by Cornhusker Kitchen. Spray it on grilled corn, chicken and duck breasts—just about anything. Speaking of which, check out the recipe below of a Reverse Seared Steak, that utilizes the duck fat, from our friend Robyn Lindars from GrillGirl.com.
A huge thanks to ChefsTemp for inviting us to this year’s Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Show! It was a blast exploring the latest in live-fire cooking and cutting-edge gear. From high-tech griddles to sustainable charcoal, the future of outdoor cooking has never looked (or tasted) better. Now it’s your turn—which of these innovations are you most excited to try? Let us know on social media!
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