Take your baking to the grill
To be creative on the barbecue takes having the right tools
I’m hoping the barbecue will become as much of a cooking rage this summer as baking bread was this spring. Truth be told, I’ve gone through 48 pounds of flour in the past few weeks — baking sourdough bread every day and giving it away. My neighbours probably think I am running a bakery out of my townhouse.
Now that the back deck is cleaned and set up for summer, I’m eyeing my old gas barbecue and thinking about taking some of my baking and cooking outside. I’m intrigued with baking on the grill (think homemade pizzas and hamburger buns) and using a smoker for adding flavour to my famous Montreal-style bagels. To be creative on the grill takes having the right tools. This year, there is no lack of new summer barbecue products to help the homegrilling enthusiast create Instgram-worthy fare. I’ve shopped around online and found a few of the hottest grill and accessory trends that will inject excitement to your outdoor culinary adventures.
HOT GRILLS
As always, the gas grill remains the most popular way to cook outside, but a few years ago, electric grills became an important option, especially for townhouse and condo dwellers. Last year also saw a return to charcoal cooking on authentic charcoal barbecues. This year, it’s all about the smokers, which are primarily fuelled by pellets. A barbecue that can smoke, grill and rotisserie is the on-trend cooking option for the king or queen of the grill.
Lowes has introduced the Weber Smokefire EX4, a stylish, not-too-big wood pellet grill that’s both a lowslow smoker and a high-heat searing grill. Special features include Flavourizer bars that distribute heat evenly and an ash and grease drawer that’s easily removable. It also comes with the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub, an app that helps monitor and guide you through many grilling processes. This has got me dreaming about baking, grilling and smoking those Montreal-style bagels for Sunday brunches!
Smokin’ accessories
Just like baking inside, I’ll need a few things to make my outdoor baking a success. A solid pizza pan is first on my list, and I found a great one at the best price. The Camp Chef Cast Iron Pizza Pan ($31) from Walmart is a 14-inch diameter seven-pound seasoned cast iron model with small decorative handles for lifting. It’s also great for rolls, pancakes, bagels and flat-top grilling, which means it will be my sidekick for most of my outdoor baking.
Styling garb
Every chef at the grill deserves an apron, especially for basting, working with marinated foods or baking. If you plan to be spending a lot of time at the grill this year, treat yourself to a top-of-the-line apron that will protect you from heat and keep all your tools at hand. The Boska Grey Leather Pocket Apron is my choice for a summer’s worth of grilling. Made of split leather in the Netherlands, it’s easily cleaned with a wet cloth. The more you wear it, the softer the leather becomes and the more comfortable it is to wear. Perhaps the ultimate Father’s Day present? At $300, this Dad better be grilling and smoking a lot of bagels!