barbeque

Weber Wins the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best Grill

Never underestimate what a man will do for steak. In the case of George Stephen, Sr., what started out as an attempt to protect precious meat eventually turned into the company now known as Weber, the winner of the Luxist Readers' Choice Award in the best grills category.

Stephen's inspiration came in 1952. Frustrated by the windblown flames emanating from his open backyard grill-and the resulting impact on his steaks-he decided to take matters into his own hands. He headed over to Weber Brothers Metal Works, his place of employment, and created the prototype of the dome-shaped grill that would become Weber's trademark product.

Gallery: Weber grills

Though nearly 100 million American households now have outdoor grills, the market hadn't yet exploded when Stephen invented his strangely-shaped contraption, which was pricey ($50) compared to the standard open grill ($7). His friends made fun of him-until Stephen's invention started selling. By the late 1950s the product was so successful that Stephen was able to buy his employer's factory and devote it to producing cooking surfaces.

Tags: awards-main, barbeque, barbeque grills, BarbequeGrills, luxist-awards, weber grills, winners-outdoor-entertainment

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The Best Grills for Outdoor Barbecues

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

There's nothing better during the summer months than firing up the grill and barbecuing for family and friends. Today, more than 85 million American households own an outdoor grill.

There's an enormous variety of charcoal and gas grills, which come in hundreds of sizes, shapes, colors and prices. Consumers are demanding more features on their gas grills---from side burners and rotisseries, to sear stations and infrared burners. According to a survey conducted by Weber, 61% of consumers now own a side burner, while 32% own a rotisserie and 17% have a gas grill with an infrared burner. The survey also revealed that 89% of America grill owners are using full-size grills, rather than portables.

"As dedicated grillers continue to become more experienced in cooking a wider variety of foods, the barbecue is increasingly being viewed as an outdoor appliance," says Sherry Bale, public relations director for Weber Grills. "As consumers want good value for their money during these tough economic times, they're seeing the advantages of paying for a durable grill that will stand up to punishing weather and give them years of dependable service."

To figure out the best of breed, we asked our Luxist readers to nominate their favorite manufacturers of outdoor grills. The top five nominees are:

Jenn-Air
Kenmore
Lynx
Viking
Weber

Jenn-Air is known for its precision craftsmanship and distinctive styling while Kenmore, which has a line of grills, is also well-known for its broad range of home appliances it manufactures. Lynx was founded by a group of individuals who started out by manufacturing restaurant ranges while Viking makes grills that one might expect to find in a restaurant setting. Finally, there's Weber, which is a household name that is credited with revolutionizing the backyard barbecue.

Interested in finding out what the best online meat companies are? Check out the Luxist Award's Readers' Choice Nominees for Best in Online Meats.

Tags: awards-main, barbecue, barbecue-and-grilling, barbecuing, barbeque, grill, grilling, grills, Jenn-Air, Kenmore, luxist-awards, Lynx, outdoor grills, Viking, Weber

Sweet Baby Ray's: The Fastest Growing Barbecue Sauce in America

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Services

Sweet Baby Ray's is a nominee for a Luxist Readers' Choice Award for Best Gourmet Sauces.

The company was founded in 1985 when a local Chicagoan named "Chef Larry" perfected his family's recipe for a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. He entered it into the country's largest rib cook-off ("The Mike Royko Rib-Off"). Chef Larry called his sauce Sweet Baby Ray's after his younger brother, David, who got the nickname playing basketball on the west side of Chicago.

On the day of the rib-off, Sweet Baby Ray's beat out nearly 700 entrants to come in second--an amazing feat for an unknown. Word of Sweet Baby Ray's spread like wildfire. By 1994, Sweet Baby Ray's distinctive bottle could be found on grill pits and dinner tables across the Midwest. By the end of the century, Sweet Baby Ray's sales in the U.S. exceeded 500,000 cases annually and today, is the fastest growing BBQ sauce company in America.

Gallery: Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Sweet Baby Ray's products come in a variety of favors, including: Sweet Baby Ray's Original, Sweet Baby Ray's Honey, Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar, Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy, Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chiptole and Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet Vidalia Onion. It comes in 18 oz,, 28 oz, 40 oz and 80 oz bottles.

Sweet Baby Ray's gourmet sauces are available for purchase at most large grocery store chains, including Kroger, Walmart, Meijer, Cub Foods, Albertson's, Ralphs, Vons, Safeway, Wegmans and Stop & Shop, among many others. For more information call Sweet Baby Ray's toll free line at (877) 729-2229 or email it at service@sweetbabyrays.com.

Vote for the Gourmet Sauce that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through July 31 and winners will be announced on August 1.

Tags: awards-main, barbecue, barbecuing, barbeque, gourmet sauces, luxist-awards, Sweet Baby Rays

Best Online Meat Companies

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

According to Weber, one of the leading manufacturers of grills, hamburgers, hot dogs and steak are the three most popular grilled foods.

But where are the best places to buy meats for an unforgettable backyard barbecue?

To figure out the best of breed, we asked Luxist readers to nominate their favorite online meat companies. Each of the top five finalists has one thing in common---they all offer only the finest USDA prime meat available---and they all ship to locations throughout the United States (and elsewhere in some cases).

The top five finalists are:

Allen Brothers
Chicago Gourmet Steaks
Lobel's of New York
Ottomanelli Brothers
Peter Luger

Chicago-based Allen Brothers, which provides meats to some of the best-known steakhouses in the country, while Chicago Gourmet Steaks was one of the first steak companies to offer mail order. Lobel's of New York has been owned and operated by the same family for five generations while Ottomanelli Brothers is a New York institution with customers around the world. Peter Luger---famous its steak houses---is now selling its meats to customers through a new online service.

Tags: Allen Brothers, allen brothers steaks, awards-main, barbecue, barbecue-and-grilling, barbecues, barbecuing, barbeque, bbq, Chicago Gourmet Steaks, grill, grilling, Lobels, Lobels of New York, Luxist-awards, Ottomanellis, Peter Luger, Peter Luger Steak House, steaks

Ten Best Tips for Outdoor Grilling

by Michael C.Shipton (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Outdoor grilling is a great way to prepare a feast. Nothing tastes better than a meal cooked over hot coals or even (for you non traditionalists) a good gas grill. Innovation is the secret to successful outdoor cooking. I started with gas, graduated to charcoal and did my masters in wood. Over the years I discovered that eating a great meal became that much better with the knowledge that I had gained discovering the best ways to prepare it outdoors.

1. Start with good equipment
Do your homework when opting for a new grill. It really does make a difference. Keep it clean and perform periodic maintenance to stay at the top of you grilling game.

2. Invest in a some basic cast iron pans to compliment your grilling.
Keep your cast iron pans well seasoned and never ever clean with soap. Consider using a baking soda and salt mixture to clean your cast pans. It is great for veggies and even better for some basic desert recipes like apple cobbler.

3. Preparation is the key to a great meal
Try marinading the beef overnight to make sure it take on the right level of flavor you are hoping to achieve. You might even try some Italian salad dressing or a little red wine marinade which can make a cheap cut of beef a culinary delight. For chicken and pork, consider soaking the meat in a simple brine solution made with kosher salt, brown sugar and fresh herbs of choice.

Tags: Barbeque, charcoal, main-pedia, marinades, outdoor-entertainment-pedia, outdoorkitchens

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Wines Fit for BBQ from Natalie McLean

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

The summer season stirs memories of fire pits, charcoal grills and outdoor parties which almost always include barbeque in some fashion. Of course a refreshing beer is often a great partner to grilled fare but many prefer the perfect wine. When it comes to uncommon wine pairings Natalie MacLean, and her website NatDecants.com, offers simple solutions to food and wine conundrums.

Here are Natalie's top choices to pair with your summer barbeque:

1. Canadian or Oregonian Pinot Noir with Planked Salmon
2. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with Grilled Portabello Mushrooms
3. Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon with Shish-kabob Lamb
4. Provençal Rosé with Skewered Chicken
5. Italian Chianti with Marinated Pork Chops
6. Australian Shiraz with Barbequed Spare Ribs
7. Rhðne Valley Syrah with Grilled Pepper Steak
8. Argentine Malbec with Herb-Rubbed Chicken
9. Californian Zinfandel with Grilled Hamburgers
10. German Late Harvest Riesling (or Spätlese Riesling) with Roasted Marshmallows

The gallery below offers a single selection for each pairing most often highlighting wines with scores of 90 or above. Enjoy!

Gallery: BBQ Worthy Wines

Source

Tags: barbeque, barbeque and wine, BarbequeAndWine, bbq, bbq and wine, BbqAndWine, food and wine, FoodAndWine, natalie maclean, NatalieMaclean, wine pairing, wine pairings, WinePairing, WinePairings

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The Perfect Gift for the Grilling Guy

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Gadgets, Garden

Knowing that I'm on the lookout for luxury items, my friend Cliff told me that I just had to look at Frontgate. So I did! Now that al fresco dining season is here, I decided to peruse Frontgate's grill offerings and came upon this 405-lb. beauty: the Barbeque Grill Island, made with O.W. Lee craftmanship. The wrought iron body has a black suede finish, the feet are cast iron and ceramic briquettes are included. The cooking-related facts:

50,000 BTU and a "Sure Start" electronic ignition
540-inch square grilling area, 200-inch square warming rack
Rojo honed marble countertop with 1,300+ square inches of space
Stainless steel cooking grid and rock grate
Stainless steel barbeque grill w/a 14,000 BTU rotisserie w/motor
Storage cabinet for ingredients or tools
Available in natural gas or propane

Start saving now ($6,667) for the winter gift-giving season, and order early -- shipping takes 8-9 weeks, and the grill is only available online. You might be a little late for Father's Day, but if your grilling guy has a late summer birthday, you might get one in time.

Tags: barbecue, barbeque, bbq, deck, frontgate, grill, grilling, natural gas, NaturalGas, propane, yard

Outrageous Dragon BBQ Grills

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Art

Wow. These Dragon BBQ Grills are one of those things you either love or hate right from the get-go. They're a combination of functional grill and artistic sculpture, with amazing detail. "Intense" is a word that comes to mind, and a definite requirement for owning one is being into dragons in a big way. There are three dragon grills in the collection so far, with the first one already sold for $65,000, the second premiers in Nevada in January and will be listed for $90,000, and the third remains TBA.

Via Born Rich

Source

Tags: barbeque, barbeque grills, BarbequeGrills, bbq, bbq grill, BbqGrill, dragon, dragons, grill, grills

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