As the nation hunkers down into backyard parties and along beaches and parks to watch the fireworks this weekend, some grand old American traditions will also proudly be on display: barbecuing and grilling.
Even these favorite summer activities are taking advantage of technology, although it’s not to everyone’s liking.
“Technology has both helped and hurt barbecue and grilling,” said Robert Fernandez, editor of the BBQ-obsessed blog, Get Your Grill On. He and 17 writers crank out a Fourth of July’s worth of barbecue advice year-round.
“Most of the serious competitive and backyard barbecue folks I know are purists,” he said. “We cook in simple contraptions,” whether it’s a “garbage can,” or a Weber kettle, a water smoker, an offset smoker, “or a custom-made cooker that costs thousands of dollars.
“Now in the grilling world, technology has changed everything,” he said. “Gas rules as a simple, quick and easy method to grill. But gas adds no flavor to the food. To me, this technological advance made it easier to cook, but took all the flavor and excitement out of outdoor cooking.”
Char-Broil has come out with its infrared RED grills ($599 and $899 at Home Depot), “which uses TEC technology for heat sources on their grills,” Fernandez said.
With TEC technology, a stainless-steel burner emits infrared heat, with temperatures up to 900 degrees. A layer of glass above it evenly distributes the heat. A stainless-steel cooking grate sits on top of that to create “an oxygen-free zone” that extinguishes possible flare-ups.
Char-Broil's Big Easy infrared, oil-less turkey fryer ($150) is “a great innovation in outdoor cooking,” Fernandez said. “No oil, no mess and great fried foods.”
Better gas for grilling
Gas grilling is the biggest dollar category in the grilling industry thanks to our “busy lifestyles.” said Ernie Boys, Weber’s vice-president of product development.
Boys said one direction Weber took was adding chimney starters — cylinders filled with sawdust cubes or pellets that help light the charcoal — to its line of products.
The company also developed a gas ignition system to help light charcoal — one of the biggest challenges of grilling and barbecuing. That little shortcut helps make the cooking process a little easier, while still retaining a purist's intent for taste.