The Barbecue season is opened. In parks and allotments, on terraces and balconies, millions of Germans are already sizzling like world champions. Many are very classic: grilled sausages, marinated steaks, baby corn. But more and more barbecue fans are interested in culinary experiments. With the right gadgets you can conjure up juicy, smoky and tender meat and fish delicacies. You shouldn’t miss the following barbecue trends for 2024.
Not everyone can or wants to buy an opulent gas or charcoal grill. Anyone who likes to fire up the grill frequently on the go needs something handy to carry in their backpack. Something different than the three-legged disposable grill from the discount store around the corner. The plug-in charcoal grill from Fennek is mobile and stylish at the same time. Eight dishwasher-safe pieces plus bag. Pack size not much larger than a tablet. The stainless steel grill to go weighs just over two kilograms. Fennek also supplies the right Pilsner. Here you can get the Fennek Original Grill to go.
Grill lighter, coal, grilled food and of course the grill fit in the Fennek backpack.
Not brand new, but also a barbecue trend in summer 2024. The food to be grilled does not end up on the grate as usual, but on a block of salt. This consists of extremely compacted salt crystals that not only absorb and store heat well. They also give off heat very well. From the salt itself, only a subtle note reaches the grilled food. These salt planks are particularly recommended for fish and seafood. But steaks and fillets also cook on the antibacterial surface. A salt stone from grillart is available here.
Pulled pork and other “pulled” meat are no longer an insider tip. When it comes to grilling, however, not too many people dare to import barbecue from North America. There, alongside spareribs and beef brisket, it is part of the “holy trinity of grilling”. And for the sacred moment of cutting up the grilled meat (e.g. pork shoulder), you need either two forks or so-called meat claws (also called pulled pork claws). True to the motto: Into the flesh! Here is a pair of stainless steel meat claws from Rösle.
Ribs, sausages, fish and vegetables are usually grilled and eaten very quickly. Unfortunately, the work-and-pleasure-after thing doesn’t really work when grilling. Because only if you take some time to clean the grill afterwards will the meat taste good next time. If you would rather drink one more beer instead, you could try using a grill mat. The smart BBQ helper from Komoto is made of fiberglass fabric and coated with Teflon. The principle is simple: place the mat on the grill grate, grill the food on it, sizzle as usual, and you’re done! The mat can be cut to the desired size with scissors and is dishwasher safe. All in all, a really clean thing. A nice side effect: mini sausages, bacon or other small treats no longer fall through the grate as easily. The Komoto grill mat is available here.
The topic of vaccination is on everyone’s lips for well-known reasons. And that’s all you can do with a baster. However, here you prick the meat and refine it from the inside, for example with a delicious marinade. If done correctly, this not only takes the taste but also the consistency of the meat to a new level. The baster is particularly suitable for poultry. So it’s a must when stuffing the turkey at Thanksgiving in the USA. But grilled meat can also be pimped up and made juicier with a little skill. Here’s a baster from Best Utensils.
Even years ago, the grill master would have received puzzled looks. Indirect grilling using cedar wood boards is now almost “in vogue” and a popular alternative to traditional grilling directly on the grill. The wooden planks are first placed in water for two hours so that they can soak up, do not burn and can also be used at the next barbecue event. Then the soaked boards and the grilled food go straight into the heat. Only when it is steaming and crackling do you pull the fish or meat board out of the heat and into the indirect area. Here you can find the set of 3 Red Cedar Wood Planks by SJ.
The big guns will be brought out for the next barbecue trend in 2021. It’s about cast iron rings, also known in the grilling community as BBQ disks. The fire plates are round and have a hole in the middle. It is grilled on kettle grills or round fire bowls that are suitable for grilling. The idea: The grilled meat lands on the cast iron outer ring, while the charcoal and embers remain visible through the hole in the middle. This looks chic and has another nice side effect. The grill master doesn’t necessarily have to stand alone at the fire. There is space for several grillers who can put on their delicacies and grill themselves. This fire plate from WiMi weighs just under 17 kilograms.
This grilling trend has also spread across the pond to us in Europe. Like the cedar boards, the wood chips, whether cherry, oak or maple, should first be soaked for at least 15 minutes. Then the smoker box comes into play. Because that’s where the wood chips end up. Close the flap and put it on the grate. The chips will smolder after about 20 minutes and the smoke can develop. This simple way of refining grilled food with a smoky aroma works with both gas and charcoal grills. On kettle grills, the lid should be closed so that the smoke doesn’t disperse to the winds.
Annoying disposable grills that only leave behind rubbish, environmentally harmful lighter fluids, mountains of meat and sausage. None of this is sustainable. But what doesn’t really fit together at first glance is increasingly coming into focus with the sizzlers. Something is happening, especially when it comes to charcoal. This is how organic bamboo charcoal briquettes are created from upcycling bamboo waste and shavings. They don’t just get very hot. They also last up to six hours and leave less ash than regular charcoal or briquettes made from other woods.
This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.
