We’re getting excited for grilling season, and we’ve already spent a few nights of the last few weeks by the grill with a glass of wine. After learning how to grill everything from pork chops to butternut squash in Montana at The Resort at Paws Up Cookbook Live weekend, we wanted to share some books, tools, and rubs to stock your pantry for grilling success.
COOKBOOK RESOURCES:
Some of our favorite books for learning how to grill and cook with fire include:
- Around the Fire: Recipes for Inspired Grilling and Seasonal Feasting from Ox Restaurant
- Smoke: New Firewood Cooking
- Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
- Slow Fires: Mastering New Ways to Braise, Roast, and Grill
TOOLS
Tongs: We use tongs not only when we grill, but also in our kitchen every day, whether we’re moving pasta from one pan to another or tossing vegetables roasting in the oven. We like to use the locking ones (they store easier) and have several different sizes on hand like these and these. You can’t have too many!
Grill Brush: It’s important to have a clean grill, especially if you are going to cook fish (see how to cook salmon here). A clean grill is one of the essentials of grilling.
Grill Basket: This is a great tool to use when you’re cooking things that are small and could drop through a grate, especially if you want to have some airflow. You can also make a tinfoil pouch (we do this often with potatoes), but a basket gives you the ability to grill small and delicate items and be able to visually monitor the cooking.
Towels:: This is a tool that the Dentons from Ox Restaurant in Portland say is a must. You can use towels to clean the grill with a little oil, clean your hands, or grip something that’s too hot. We constantly saw them with towels, so they practice what they preach. We’d suggest dedicating one or two inexpensive towels to cleaning and oiling the grill since it will likely stain.
Spatulas: These are super important for flipping the perfect burger, and you’ll need two to flip a whole side of salmon on the grill. We had silicone ones, but upgraded to these metal ones which are perfect for use on a hot grill.
Chimney Starter: If you are using a wood burning grill, a chimney starter is a must to get your fire started. When we lived in the suburbs and had a Weber grill, we used it all the time. It was a huge timesaver.
BBQ Sauce: We are always excited to try new BBQ sauces, but our current favorite one is this Australian Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce.