When one year ends and another begins, it's always fun to take a moment to look back at what happened during the year.
I am therefore taking advantage of this transitional period to tell you about my point of view on the year 2022 with regard to BBQs and BBQ Québec and to share with you my expectations for 2023.
Ready? Let's go!
What struck me most about BBQs?
2022 was a good year, but there was nothing crazy. Weber and Napoléon didn't release any crazy new stuff... not much happened. So, without hesitation, I would say that Capt'n Cook is the one that stands out. Yes, it already existed, but this is the year that we managed to bring it to Canada! 😎
Personally, I've never been a big fan of "big box" BBQs, but this one really impresses me. It's a gas BBQ that costs $500, but it's so fun for me that I can't stop talking about it to everyone! (If you want to know more about what it is and why it freaks me out, I invite you to read my article here .) 🥰
What was my greatest BBQ discovery?
Yoder's charcoal grill. I've known about it for a long time, but I never dared to try it or get one. It's really cool, very, very, very solid, and still "rough". What I mean is that, there's no thermometer, for example, so it has a little "old school" side. On the other hand, there is a lid, so you can also use it as a smoker; another aspect that makes it cool.
I would also say the new Weber Genesis with the "sear station". I had never really tried that one either, but this year, Weber came out with this model, gave it an extra burner (a burner of the same power as the others), and since I tested it, I have been using it regularly.
What are the devices and tools I have worked with the most?
Apart from the Capt'n Cook and the Weber Genesis with the "sear station" that I mentioned above, there are quite a few.
Clearly, I have to mention the PG36SGX pellet grill (or the SmokePro SGX 36 for those who are not used to speaking in codes like me 🤪) to my list, because I have one at the cottage and I spent the summer on it. Its Sidekick side burner really made me trip too.
Otherwise, despite all the beautiful machines I have cooked with, the Napoleon Prestige still holds a special place in my heart. The Napoleon Prestige Pro especially; it is the best. At home, I have a Phantom Prestige and a Prestige Pro, but although I find the Phantom really hot, the Prestige Pro for me is like… the Cadillac of BBQs. My love for this grill does not change.
And, if we go a little further than BBQs as such, I would say that by using my Sidekick I have discovered even more about cooking on cast iron (I include cast iron accessories in that too). To be honest, now, I am really comfortable cooking on/with cast iron. For example, I have no trouble cooking a steak in a cast iron pan ; something I would never do in a steel or stainless steel pan. (Oh yes, I would much rather cook it directly on the grill than do that!) There is always a little something extra; something special when the meat comes into contact with hot cast iron, it becomes like… magic. 🤩
What did I try that was new?
This year, I haven't tried much new food-wise. In fact, I've actually cut down on the number of things I eat. Unfortunately, I found out I have food allergies, so I've had to make some adjustments. But I don't want you to say "Oh no, that's not fun!" because seriously, I'm really happy to be allergic to what I'm allergic to. 😝 My favorite thing to eat in life is steak, avocado, eggs, and cheese, and that's all I eat, so as long as it's not that, I'm good. 😜
When we think of allergies, we often imagine someone who is stuck on a desert island with only 3 things to eat. It's possible that after 3 days this person will be disgusted by eating the same things, in the same way, but I'm not like that. I realized that taste is a question of chemistry and proportion, so you just have to play on that. For example, for my party, I ate 2 "rib steaks". The first one, I cooked it in a cast iron pan, in butter. "That's it, that's all." A few hours later, I sear my 2nd steak in the pan, I cut it into slices, then I put all the slices back in the pan and grilled them on all sides in lots of butter. After that, I added foie gras, let it melt, and then I put some pieces of Hercules cheese in there. I took it all off the BBQ and ate my "carnivore poutine" right out of the pan. Let me tell you, it was really "solid"! 😍 For me, food has become synonymous with energy, happiness and pleasure. So much so that I prefer to make my own food than go to a restaurant. For example, I'm a guy from Quebec, so I really like Ashton poutine, but I still don't think it beats the carnivore poutine I made for myself. 😎
In short, when we start eliminating things from our diet and we realize that how we felt before was not normal, we become like "addicted" to feeling good. We listen to our body and we make adjustments. The advantage I also have is that like it or not, my job is to make recipes, so I'm used to using my head to develop different ones and not going crazy always eating the same things, presented in the same way. When we eat, we eat with our eyes, mouth, nose, and ears (because yes, if there's noise around it makes the meal less good), and I write books, so I can't just make "duds" (even if they can taste good!); it has to be beautiful too. By doing that, it becomes much easier to eat while pleasing our body and our senses.
What is my favorite new BBQ Québec 2022 product?
My favorite is the Foldable Chimney Starter & Portable BBQ . I think it's really, really hot. I had so many great times with it this summer creating content! It's not complicated, I put it in my bag, with steaks, and I went to have a BBQ at sunset, in the woods, on a rock. To be honest, I don't think there's any fighting for that way of doing things. I mean... isn't that what life is all about? 🤩
Otherwise, the dry marinade Prêts pour le rodéo is the one I use the most. It's pretty sick with its mixture of lemon and salt. I always manage to put it in my recipes; I put it on my meat, my sautéed mushrooms, my avocados, my halloumi-style cheeses... it gives such good results! By dint of using it, I would even say that it is almost a flavor-amplifying salt; a kind of " natural Booster ". 😜
What food surprised me cooked on the BBQ?
A food, I couldn't say, but in terms of cuts of meat, on the other hand, Korean-style beef "short ribs", I think we don't eat enough of them and that it should be mandatory to eat them! They're too good and too easy to cook to miss out on. Unlike a steak, it's not cooking them really quickly that's ideal, it's rather cooking them slowly, at the beginning, for 30-40 minutes and then grilling them afterwards; THEN, it becomes excellent. To help you visualize, it requires a kind of hybrid cooking between a "short ribs" that takes 5 hours, and a steak that is ready in a few minutes.
Otherwise, I don't think I'll ever cook my tomahawks the "traditional" way again. Searing all sides of the meat, slicing it, then searing it all again, in individual slices, is a game changer, not a bit. Seriously, it no longer makes sense to me to cook my tomahawk "normally" when I can do it this way. By the way, if you want to try it too, I'll give you a recipe here . 😉
What am I most proud of in 2022?
For those who don't know, I have a daughter who was born in 2021. The fact that Ariane, my wife and the general manager of BBQ Québec, was able to take advantage of her maternity leave this year makes me happy. She did a lot of it, so the fact that the company is still running, even in her absence, I find it remarkable. We have a fire team! 👌
Apart from that, there is also the fact that we signed a first "dealer" in Florida, in the United States, with our brand House of BBQ Experts which makes me very proud. 🏆
If I could speak to my early 2022 self, what would I say?
I would like to say to myself, "Trust yourself. What you have planned will happen." It may seem a little strange to say that, but when I made my vision board at the beginning of the year, I had cut out the words "slow growth." Lately, BBQ Québec has evolved so quickly that I wanted us to take our time, for once, and to be able to see everything that is happening. Of course, I wanted us to have growth, but I wanted us to control it. All year long, I was stressed because I was looking at the numbers, but in fact, looking back, I got what I wanted: a year where our growth was not "abnormal"; a "transition" year. I think this is the first time that this has happened to us and it feels good.
I'll also take this opportunity to make a small aside to say that I'm really grateful for the success we've had and the contribution of our employees. I've already read that about 1 to 2% of companies don't make it past the 10-year mark, and in 2023, BBQ Québec will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Touch wood, but we should be okay to get there. 😜 Yes, business is going well and we work with great people. We even have employees who have been there since the beginning, so that's a very, very, very big source of pride for me and the whole team. It's thanks to people like them, who believe in us, that we're able to move forward and that touches me. (Thanks gang! 🤘)
In short, if I could talk to myself, I would say, "Listen to yourself and listen to what life is sending you. Listen to what your body is telling you and "enjoy the rest."
What are the new trends coming in the world of BBQ?
I feel like the rise of pellet BBQs will never stop. In the beginning, pellet BBQs were just "there"; BBQs among others. For about 15 years, pellet BBQs could also be used as smokers and that was pretty good. Then, Camp Chef came along with the Slide and Grill, which meant that pellet BBQs could now also sear food and give gas BBQs a bit of competition. Then came WiFi (pellet BBQs now dominate the WiFi world!), then lights... Now, it's gotten to the point where people no longer need charcoal or gas BBQs, because their pellet BBQ has and does everything! Over the years, there are always more technologies that will come into this and it will continue. Get ready, it's going to be incredible!
Otherwise, I expect that eventually electricity will replace gas, but we are still a long way from that.
From a food point of view, I notice that people are eating better and better. We can see it because we are cleaning out our dry marinade and sauce products. Sugar is plummeting in everything and spice mixes are on the rise, precisely because there is much less sugar in them than in sauces. And there, people are not only looking at sugar! They are also paying attention to the amount of sodium in the products they buy, the types of oils used, etc. There are quite a few changes happening there.
Finally, another trend that I notice is that yes, people realize that they have to cook well to eat well, but they also realize that cooking time is as important as eating time. People who BBQ, what they like is not the food (even if we all know it's good 😜), it's cooking it. And more and more people are aware of this. Taking advantage of cooking time allows you to create beautiful lasting relationships, to connect with children... it's beautiful and I'm happy that people are becoming aware of it.
The world of BBQ will therefore continue to evolve, both in terms of machines and products, and to gain more and more followers, believe me.
What recipe should you absolutely try in 2023?
You really need to make beef short ribs (especially if you've never tried them!). They're really easy to make and they taste amazing! Many people don't dare to try cooking short ribs because they look complicated, but they're really easy to do if you follow and respect the recipe instructions. Seriously, you shouldn't be shy about trying them. "Let's goooo!" 😎
What do I expect from 2023?
I wish you and me a lot of fun and a lot of BBQ. I also hope that there will be even more awakenings to the benefits of BBQ; to the fact that it is not just a cooking method, but that it brings several things. It is a unifying element, it is a great way to create memories, to save money… it has many positive points.
Education about food is growing, but I also realize that people are not aware of how to eat to have maximum energy. So I hope that this information will spread more, because once you control your energy and know how to do it, you are hungrier. For example, I usually eat once a day, but I eat as much as anyone else. When I eat, I would even say that there is no one who can lean on me! And, if I eat ice cream one night, well the next day I don't feel bad, because I know that I will use up my energy. In fact, my body is happy because it says to itself "Hey! Sugar! That's easy energy to use up!" So if I move or do some cleaning, it won't be long before I use up my energy battery. But that's something people have to learn to work with, which brings me to my next point.
One of the things I want to do in 2023 is to pass on my knowledge about nutrition, but without forcing information on people (not to do it like vegans [often] do, let's say, if I may use an image). People want to see good recipes without being told what they should do or eat and that's the approach I want to take. When it comes to nutrition, no one thinks the same and tastes are all relative, just like the effect that food has on our bodies. So I don't want to make propaganda or be anti-something, I just want to promote the things I do that are good for health. Be careful! I still think that tasting "short ribs" should be mandatory. 😜
Anyway… On that note, I can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us, and I can assure you that we have a lot of crazy projects and products to show you in the coming months! 😎 Stay tuned!
Thank you 2022, but it's time to make way for 2023. 😏
Happy New Year and Happy BBQ to all! 🔥