Camping and/or road trip enthusiasts, this is for you!
If you're like me, you know that no matter where you are, you're going to find a BBQ spot along the way. The real question on your mind is, "Where do I stop?"
Here, I will give you my advice so that you know what to bring when you want to enjoy a good BBQ meal outside; far from your residence (it can be at a park, at the beach, on the side of the road, camping...).
Let's start with the basics, the BBQ! (And, just a little FYI, the items I list in this blog are in no particular order, they are all excellent choices.)
- Weber's Jumbo Joe
This portable BBQ is very beautiful and very pleasant to use. However, be careful, even though it may be small, make no mistake, this charcoal appliance heats up like a charm! Oh yes, it can go up to 1800 °F and more without any problem!
It has a handle (a "bracket") that makes it easy to carry, a handle on the lid that makes it easy to open and close, an air vent that provides good temperature control, a plate that collects the ashes, and feet that stabilize it. What's particularly interesting, however, is its 18-inch grill, which is the same size as some "regular" BBQs, which makes it relatively spacious. (I say that, but it's really a BBQ that can be taken anywhere easily; I myself have already taken it with me on a plane, under my bench!)
Indeed, I'll take this opportunity to digress a little on its size to tell you that it is particularly excellent for those who have an 18-inch Kamado Joe at home. Why? Because it allows you to add an additional cooking space, that is to say, you can use each BBQ as a separate cooking zone, namely, a direct and indirect cooking zone. So, you preheat, for example, your Kamado Joe to 225 °F and your Jumbo Joe to 100,000 °F (ok, I'm exaggerating, but basically, you make the charcoal as hot as possible), then sear your meats on the Jumbo Joe, and finally transfer them to the Kamado Joe to cook. Since the cooking surface of the two machines is the same, the food will therefore "fit" without problem on one as on the other. It's a "win-win", as they say.
- Weber's Go- Anywhere
This grill is really handy and not too big. What I particularly like about it is its surface area of about 24 x 12 inches and its two chimneys that allow you to, really, separate the grill into two separate areas. So you can put charcoal on the left, oysters on the grill on the right, close the left chimney and open the right one, which will create a direct and indirect cooking zone, then generate a nice air circulation and, slowly, cook and smoke the oysters.
This device is very well thought out, because its "legs" can be, yes, unfolded downwards to make the feet of the BBQ, but also "clipped" around the device to make it even more compact. Indeed, you can put your charcoal in the bottom of the tank, add 2-3 firelighters on top of it, put the grill on top of the fuel, place a few "ice packs" and steaks on top of the grills (if you don't make too much of a distance), close the barbecue with the lid, then, finally, secure everything by folding the legs on top and... TADA!!! You then have a nice "suitcase" with everything in it! If you don't want to carry much, this is an ideal solution.
As the name suggests, this accessory is both a chimney starter AND a portable BBQ. It is very practical because it is unfoldable and foldable, has a nice cooking surface and is made entirely of stainless steel, which extends its lifespan.
Its conical shape also means that there is plenty of room to put coals and that the heat is released well. It is really practical: you can put it in a backpack, with some ice packs, steaks and eggs and sit on a rock to cook everything while looking at a beautiful landscape. Having done it, I can tell you that it is sick!
In short, once you have your fire cooking appliance, there are also some accessories that can be very useful to you.
To cook onions, potatoes, corn, peppers, tomatoes, apples, pears or any other fruit or vegetable, this is the accessory you need! This "rack" is really great, because it allows you to cook the outside and the inside of the food and, since it is made of stainless steel, you can even put it in the fire to cook your food and your accessory will not be "scrap".
The magic of this is that you can even bake stuffed fruits and vegetables with this vegetable holder! You can fill, for example, your peppers with pre-cooked meat with pieces of cheese, your tomatoes with Argentina dry marinade, or your apples with chocolate and marshmallow. Mmm!
A stuffed burger is always good. What's fun with a stuffer is that you can put whatever you want in your patty (be careful to always add foods that are cooked inside, though) and enjoy yourself. Plus, if you have kids, it's especially fun because they'll be able to help prepare the meal too and do their own culinary "experiments". It's really cool to see their imaginations go wild.
Just like the stuffer, this accessory can entertain children when it comes time to cook. The best part about it? By transforming the hot dog sausages into spirals, they will have a larger surface area in contact with the BBQ grill, caramelize more and, ultimately, taste better at the end. It changes the hot dog game quite a bit.
Obviously, there are plenty of other barbecues and accessories that you can have with you for your trips/outings, but I know that these will allow you to have the most fun.
Hope this inspired you!
Happy BBQ!