Great grilling is fun, and it also puts great food on the table. Here are some new products that serve both purposes:
• Made of natural wood chips from San Antonio orchards, Kaufmann Merchantile’s Texas BBQ’s Smoking Bags infuse grilled foods with smoky flavor. The 4-ounce hand-stiched reusable bags last up to four hours and come in three varieties: Texas Pecan, Texas Mesquite and Texas Hickory. $4.95 at kaufmann-merchantile.com.
• A great piece of meat calls for an equally great sauce. Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi has partnered with West Texas sauce-maker Daddy Sam’s to create a limited-edition Cabernet Sauvignon-infused grilling sauce. Wiith a molasses-based recipe, Woodbridge Wine ’Cue Sauce works just as well as a marinade on meats and veggies as it does on fruit. $6.99 at Amazon.com.
• The best way to tell meat is done is by temperature. Redi-Chek’s Infrared Thermometer takes an instant read from as far as 10 feet away and up to a foot in diameter via a laser. All without contacting surfaces — just point, shoot and keep enjoying your beer. $79.95 at Crate and Barrel.
• All-Clad’s Stainless Steel BBQ Set allows home cooks to get serious about grilling. Kept safe from the elements in a sturdy metal carrying case that also makes for easy transport, the set includes four essential grilling tools. $119 at macys.com.
• Grilling purists swear by charcoal, but what a pain to get the coals going. And, man, does lighter fluid stink! Both are problems solved with the Bison Airlighter, which combines a high-velocity, 4-inch flame with a jet-air-stream to ignite charcoal grills instantly. Its long design also keeps fingers safely away from the fire. $79.95 at thebisoncompany.com.
• Grills usually come in two boring finishes: black or stainless steel. The Weber Q 1200 grill brings six brilliant colors to your backyard. Perfect for smaller meals (it has 189 square inches of cooking space), it features a split cooking grate that allows grillers to remove half of the grill grate and replace it with an optional ($45) cast-iron griddle for cooking foods such as eggs or veggies. $199.99 at Lowes.
Gretchen McKay: gmckay@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1419 or on Twitter @gtmckay.
First Published: May 20, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
