5 Essential Barbecue and Grilling Accessories for the Holidays
December has arrived and the holidays are just around the corner. While the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales may have come and gone, if you are looking for the perfect gift for the barbecue lover in your life or are on the hunt for some new accessories to use in the backyard, we have got you covered.
This week, I chose five products that I personally love to use and can confirm are of high quality. Here are five essential barbecue and grilling accessories you should check out this holiday season.
Grill Grates Universal Grill & BBQ Gift Set
GrillGrates can help improve your grilling experience by concentrating and evening out the heat of your grill. The Universal Grill & BBQ Gift Set works on nearly all grills, including gas, charcoal, and pellet grills. With their reversible interlocking panels, you get two grilling surfaces in one. The grill rails on one side will help you get beautiful sear marks on your food while the flat surface on the other side can be used as a griddle. Because they are constructed from hard-anodized aluminum, GrillGrates will never rust. The Universal Grill & BBQ Gift Set comes with three 15 inch GrillGrate Panels, a GrateTool, and a recipe and user guide. Buy now.
Kick Ash Basket Ring of Fire
Charcoal lovers know how great it is to cook over hot and flavorful coals but also need to deal with all of the ash that collects, preventing charcoal from breathing. The Kick Ash Basket Ring of Fire is designed for Weber 22” Kettle Grill users and allows you to quickly and easily clean up excess ash so you can maintain a better fire when you grill. The Ring of Fire connects to a stock charcoal grate and ensures your charcoal is aerated and free of ash when you cook. You can easily use lump charcoal in your kettle grill and it comes with a divider that allows you to set up two heat zones for smoking. Before your next cook, you can simply shake the ash out. The Ring of Fire is made of heavy-duty stainless steel wire and will stand up to frequent use. Buy now.
MEATER+
The MEATER+ thermometer with Bluetooth repeater is a wireless smart thermometer with an extended range of up to 165 feet. The thermometer is 100% wire-free and contains two sensors, which measure internal and ambient temperatures during your cook. The MEATER+ connects to your phone, allowing you to monitor temperatures, estimate your cook time, and plan meals. The app on your phone guides you through each step of the cooking process and allows you to select from a variety of different foods and cuts of meat. You can also set up alerts and notifications so that you know where you are in the cooking process and when your food will be ready. The wooden holder contains a charger and a wireless repeater allowing you to extend your range. Buy now.
Juniper BBQ Scraper
BBQ and grilling enthusiasts have heard all of the horror stories about people accidentally swallowing metal bristles from wire grill cleaning brushes. The Juniper BBQ Scraper was developed as a natural alternative to dangerous bristle brushes and is a 100% wire-free choice for safely and easily cleaning your grill or smoker. With each use, grooves from your grates will be worn into the scraper, allowing you to remove grease and grime from your grill. The Juniper BBQ Scraper is treated with high grade, food-safe cutting board oil, and it is heat resistant. Juniper BBQ Scraper has generously offered a 15% discount to our readers: just use the code smokesheet. Buy now.
Ultimate Burger Press Set
The Ultimate Burger Press Set is a durable, professional-grade heavy-duty non-stick plastic (BPA-free) burger press set that makes perfectly round burgers. The set comes with ½ pound and ¼ pound slider presses that can be used to make burger bowls and donut-shaped hamburgers. You can use these to make consistent, perfectly packed burgers that don’t fall apart on the grill. The Ultimate Burger Press is designed to make juicy burgers that cook evenly. The presses are easy to use and are non-stick and dishwasher safe. Buy now.
Stay tuned for more gift ideas for barbecue enthusiasts in next week’s issue of the newsletter!
Ryan Cooper (BBQ Tourist)
Co-Founder, The Smoke Sheet
—The title of Master Series Overall World Champion at this year’s KCBS World Invitational goes to Smoking Butt Heads from South Carolina. (Photo courtesy of KCBS)—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
The Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) has announced the winners of its two largest barbeque competitions; the KCBS World Invitational and the KCBS Team of the Year points chase. The 2020 KCBS Master Series World Champion is Todd Smith of Smoking Butt Heads from Wellford, SC. The Master Series Team of the Year was awarded to Brad Leighninger of Gettin’ Basted from Springfield, MO. KCBS also announced numerous other year-end winners. READ HERE
A terrible fire has caused severe damage to House Park Bar-B-Que, Austin’s oldest continuously operating barbecue restaurant. No injuries were reported. The BBQ joint opened its doors in 1943. Owner John Sullivan said he intends to rebuild after the fire and has created a GoFundMe page to help raise money to rebuild. READ HERE
Celebrity Chef David Chang recently won $1 million for charity on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the first celebrity to ever win it all on the show. Chang’s charity of choice is Houston’s Southern Smoke Foundation, which has been instrumental in providing emergency financial assistance for people in the hospitality industry during crises like Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. READ HERE
Jordan Jackson, who once ran the pits at one of Texas’s best BBQ joints—Bodacious Bar-B-Q, in Longview, was interviewed by Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn about his recovery from alcohol abuse and how he is restarting his life after walking away from Bodacious. Jackson is now working for Aaron Franklin in Austin, an unusual move but one that makes sense for the moment. READ HERE
One of the strangest stories of the week concerns Toronto BBQ joint Adamson Barbecue. Owner Adam Skelly reopened his restaurant despite a ban on indoor dining under COVID-19 restrictions, and he was arrested in the process. READ HERE
ADDITIONAL READS
Cheap Eats Host Ali Khan Braves the Line at Snow’s BBQ Reopening
BBQ All Stars: Melissa Cookston Launches Online Store Featuring BBQ from Top Pitmasters
Henry’s Barbecue In Austin Is a Small Food Truck With Big Dreams and a Great Burger
Cheese Is Returning to Barbecue-Joint Menus in Houston
Where to Find Big Beef Ribs in Fort Worth, Texas
A Green Chile Barbecue Sauce So Good, SC Pitmaster John Lewis Bottled It
At New Restaurant, Boston Chef Avi Shemtov Mixes Southern Barbecue with Israeli Spice
Pork-free Barbecue Joint Moves into Longtime Dunn’s Bar-B-Que Spot in Richmond
New York's Prime 6 Charcoal Heats Up ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’
—A recent collaboration at Austin’s Leroy & Lewis involved cooking a $2000 A5 Japanese Wagyu Brisket.—
WATCH
Leroy & Lewis Cooks a $2000 A5 Japanese Wagyu Brisket — Evan Leroy
When Jess Pryles called up Evan Leroy and Bradley Robinson of Leroy & Lewis to collaborate on cooking a Double 8 Cattle Co. A5 full blood Japanese Wagyu brisket, they just couldn’t say no. Their signature foil boat turned the fatty crust into a beefy chicharron and the lean portion of the brisket was the most ridiculously marbled cut of beef they had ever seen. WATCH HERE
LISTEN
Arnie Segovia — Grab ‘Em in the Brisket
In this episode, the crew from Grab ‘Em in the Brisket chats with Arnie Segovia, better known in the barbecue world as ArnieTex. Arnie is one of Texas’ top competition cooks and was the first inductee into the International Barbeque Cookers Association Hall of Fame. After a career in sales and management, Arnie shifted his focus to full-time competition cooking and over the last five years has become one of the winningest cooks on the Texas circuit. LISTEN HERE
READ
Best Places to Eat Near I-95 from Washington D.C. to Florida — John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog
With winter on the horizon and more people driving rather than flying due to the pandemic, barbecue enthusiast John Tanner has updated his list of alternatives to fast food for those driving south (and back north) along the East Coast. He shares his favorite spots for barbecue from Washington D.C. to Florida near the I-95 corridor. Some highlights include 2fifty Texas BBQ in Virginia, Parker’s Barbecue in North Carolina, Shuler’s Bar-B-Que in South Carolina, and more. He also has updated his post to include suggestions from readers. READ HERE
—Standing Rib Roast is a delicious and juicy cut that is perfect for the holiday season. (Photo by Melissa Reome)—
Standing Rib Roast by Grill Momma
By Grill Momma
For this week’s Recipe of the Week, we chose this recipe for Standing Rib Roast from Grill Momma Melissa Reome. Melissa explains everything you need to know about Standing Rib Roast (often called Prime Rib). She describes many different ways you can cook a Standing Rib Roast, including her favorite method of reverse searing for the ideal end result. She cooks the rib roast at a low temperature for an extended period of time and then finishes it off with a quick sear at high heat.
—Many of the largest barbecue events of 2020 have been canceled or postponed.—
In light of the constantly changing coronavirus crisis, we are leaving our events section blank for some time. Many events in 2020 have been canceled or postponed thus far. We’ll be updating our events section on our website with the most up-to-date information as we have it.
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