Summer’s hottest grill tools
Russ Parsons, The Times’ California Cook, has issued a reminder: Grilling can still be a simple pleasure.
Don’t let those massive and ubiquitous stainless steel barbecue grills fool you, because a plain old kettle grill fired by a charcoal chimney will give you just the heat you need for delectable, moist results. And a grill basket will keep smaller foods, such as tuna steaks and vegetables, from slipping through the grate. And you can flip the foods all at once for more even cooking. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
Silicone grill mitts are flexible and keep your hands cool for the occasional flare-up. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
A charcoal chimney quickly lights just the number of coals you’ll need for a good fire. When the coals are ready, slope them against one side of the grill. Then you can sear meats at the start and move them away for indirect heat to continue cooking through. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
A short garden hoe is perfect for arranging coals. Hardwood charcoal burns hot and clean but for meats such as pork shoulder or spareribs, you may want to use longer-lasting briquettes for low, slow cooking. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
Brushing daily will give you a clean grill that helps prevent food from sticking. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
A sturdy set of tongs lets you turn the food without breaking the skin. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
That’s not to say there isn’t room to go beyond the basics. Writer Emily Dwass puts this summer’s gadgets to the test:
Special delivery
Grease and flour this for-the-grill pizza pan before putting on the dough and toppings. Be sure to position the rosewood handle so it’s away from the fire. Without the handle, this pan also works indoors in a conventional oven.
What we thought: Gives pizza a truly special flavor. You may have to experiment with your grill to figure out the best temperature. I used indirect, medium-high heat (375 degrees) for about 20 minutes, then finished with direct heat for another five minutes to get the cheese bubbly.
How much: About $25, available only at www.surlatable.com or Sur La Table stores. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
Patio wok
The stainless-steel Cuisinart grilling wok, with a depth of 4 inches and an 8-inch-diameter cooking surface, holds a lot of food, about a pound of cut-up chicken and 3 pounds of chopped vegetables. Hand wash only.
What we thought: The handle is somewhat difficult to attach and remove. But this was just a small glitch, and we would happily use this wok all summer long, enjoying the smoky flavors picked up on the grill.
How much: About $40 at cuisinartwebstore.com or at
Stand at attention
The new stainless steel jalapeño pepper roaster has 18 one-inch holes that keep peppers upright. Use medium-high, indirect heat, with the grill cover closed. I also got good results using the roaster indoors in an oven.
What we thought: This is a terrific addition to your outdoor and indoor cooking tools. The compact size makes for easy storage. This could be a unique hostess gift when you’re invited to a barbecue, especially if you bring it filled with peppers ready for the grill.
How much: About $20, only at www.williams-sonoma.com or
Out on a limb
Rome Industries calls this 43-inch tool a Marshmallow Tree. Made of steel wire covered with nonstick coating, it has 10 branches, one for each marshmallow, and a rosewood handle with a leather strap.
What we thought: Any tool that improves the fine art of making s’mores is to be applauded. One person can be responsible for roasting all the marshmallows at once, while someone else readies the graham crackers and chocolate squares. Just don’t let kids use this unsupervised.
How much:
About $10 at www.basspro.com or www.amazon.com. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
Play ball
This plastic ball by Industrial Revolution is a portable ice cream maker designed for campsite or backyard. It comes in two sizes, pint or quart. After mixing up cream, sugar, flavoring and add-ins, you pour this into an enclosed container at one end of the ball, with ice and rock salt going into the container at the opposite end. Shake, roll or pass it around for about 30 minutes.
What we thought: A ball to play with that makes ice cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet? How cool is that? The ice cream was some of the best we’ve had. But the quart-size ball was really heavy when it was filled up. We were happy there were some weight lifters in our group who took over the shaking. Also, once the freezing process got going and it was time to scrape the sides, the ball was difficult to open.
How much: The pint version is about $30 and the quart about $40 at www.llbean.com, at REI stores or www.rei.com. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
