The Grill Trends To Know For Upping Your Backyard Entertaining Game

This week’s good news about masking provides the perfect opportunity to round up some friends and light up the grill. It’s backyard barbecuing season, which if anything, promises to become even more popular as pandemic-related restrictions continue to wane.

So what’s new and what’s noteworthy? Here, a rundown of the latest trends, top-ranked grills, and must-have gadgets guaranteed to take your grilling game up a notch.

THE TRENDS

Veganism: It’s Not Just for Vegans Anymore

For some, it’s a lifestyle. For others, it’s an opportunity to expand their culinary repertoire. The interest in meatless meals has created a surge in new and innovative substitutes. Among the options: cauliflower and watermelon steaks. Both can actually take on the same smoky flavor of a rack of ribs.

Global Flavors

While we may not be able to travel the world, we can still enjoy international cuisines. Grillers are turning to other countries and cultures for inspiration—Korean BBQ, Argentine asado, Japanese yakitori, and South African braai.

Low and Slow

According to Bay Area BBQ Islands, cooking meat low and slow is back and better than ever. It now incorporates a wide range of techniques including using different barbecues to control the heat or different accelerants (coal, wood chips) to keep food warm while cooking.

Mixed Method Grilling

Reverse searing is a combo of grilling and smoking—think slow-smoking a thick steak to an internal temperature of 110 degrees, then flash searing it directly over a hot fire to lay on a sizzling crust. More recent techniques range from sous vide-ing a prime rib before roasting it on a rotisserie to starting chili in an Instant Pot, then finishing it in the smoker.

THE GRILLS

Best Overall: Big Green Egg Kamado Grill

Its culinary fans call themselves “eggheads” for a reason: This popular grill heats up quickly and has multi-functioning capabilities. Cook up burgers, bake pizzas, smoke barbecue ribs—even roast a turkey.

Best Splurge: Traeger Timberline 1300

With its $2,000 price tag, the Timberline is for serious BBQ enthusiasts. Hardwood pellets and a modulating fan deliver delectable smoked and barbecued food. This splurge-worthy grill is also a smart choice: Wi-Fi allows you to control cooking temperatures, set timers, and access a huge database of recipes from anywhere. Other features include three tiers of stainless steel grates, fully-insulated construction, and a sensor to monitor pellet levels.

Char-Griller Double Play Gas and Charcoal Grill

An impressive 1,260-square-inches of grilling space lets you combine the quick convenience of gas with the smoky flavor of charcoal. This dual-functioning grill sports three main burners with heat tents on one side, an adjustable grate on the other.

Best Grill and Smoker: PK Grills Original Grill & Smoker

This charcoal-powered grill and smoker features 300-square-inches of cooking space and a rectangular capsule shape to cook everything from ribs to turkey. Aluminum construction creates a convective effect to cook food from all sides; four tents, on top and bottom, let you sear hot and fast or cook low and slow.

Best Gaucho Grill: Nuke Delta Argentinian-Style Gaucho Grill

Inspired by the age-old tradition of Gauchos grilling on South American prairies, this Argentinian-style gaucho grill gives you easy access to the coals and firebox for total temperature control. Its 547-square-inch cooking area is lined with refractory bricks to help evenly distribute heat, while an adjustable-height cooking grid lowers to keep food close to the flame.

THE GADGETS

iDevices iGrill Mini

This smart thermometer uses a wired probe to measure the temperature of a piece of meat while it’s cooking. Plus, it connects with an app on your phone to let you know something has reached its desired temperature up to 150 feet away. 

Meater+

This completely wireless meat thermometer sends a message to your phone when food is ready. It also features an advanced estimator algorithm to help plan your meal and manage your time.

Anova Precision Cooker

This ingenious immersion circulator lets you sous vide your meat and veggies before grilling them. By heating water to an exact temperature and holding it there, you can cook a steak to perfectly rare before searing it off on the grill.

Grillbot Automatic Grill Cleaning Robot

Want help cleaning up? This robot does the work for you. Simply place it on a dirty grill, turn it on, and it gets down to the task at hand. A chip inside controls the movement, speed, and direction of the brushes. An added plus: the Grillbot will sound an alarm to let you know it’s finished. 

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