News & Features Feedback
New This WeekAround TownMusicFilmArtTheaterNews & FeaturesFood & DrinkAstrology
  HOME
NEW THIS WEEK
EDITORS' PICKS
LISTINGS
NEWS & FEATURES
MUSIC
FILM
ART
BOOKS
THEATER
DANCE
TELEVISION
FOOD & DRINK
ARCHIVES
LETTERS
PERSONALS
CLASSIFIEDS
ADULT
ASTROLOGY
PHOENIX FORUM DOWNLOAD MP3s

  E-Mail This Article to a Friend
Light your fire
The calendar says it’s barbecue time, even if the weather doesn’t
BY JEFFREY KLINEMAN

Scrape off the WINTER RUST and bust out that wire brush: it’s spring grilling time. But grilling requires a regimented approach. Careful planning will, even in times of unpredictable weather, enable you to shock and awe your pals with a quick, tasty steak. The idea is to do as much as possible while indoors, and then zip outside to tend the flame. We’ve included the proper way for you to do it without catching cold.

The basic instrument upon which all back-yard brilliance is built is the Weber Kettle One-Touch Gold ($139.99), the granddaddy of all good grills. Old George Stephen was fiddling around at the Weber Brothers Metal Works one day, trying to figure out a way keep ash off his cooking, when he happened upon some old buoy parts. Thus was born the egg-shaped symbol of suburbia, and with its fight-the-flare-up cover, sturdy construction, and overall cooking flexibility, it’ll be a long time before any of you are too good for it. Pick one up at the Barbecue Barn in Arlington.

To get your grill going quickly, don’t use lighter fluid — that Girl Scout juice is more trouble than it’s worth — and eschew briquettes, which are little more than conglomerated sawdust. Instead, pick up some of the Barbecue Barn’s real Maine Maple Leaf hardwood charcoal — an aromatic mix of maple, beech, and birch ($15/18-pound bag), heap it inside a chimney starter ($11.95) from Kitchen Etc., stick in some newspaper at the base, take a match to the paper, and you’ve got a great smoldering pile in 15 minutes.

For grilling tools, we could send you out to get some fancy set of brushes, tongs, knives, and a big fork, but instead, we’ve found a much cheaper set with the one instrument you really need: a bottle opener. The Barbecue Barn’s Four-in-One spatula ($9.99) barbecue tool combines a knife, tenderizer, spatula, and church key.

Any good grillmeister knows that wet sauces are for slathering tableside, while barbecuing greatness comes from a tasty, dry spice rub. Your choice cuts deserve nothing but the most lush of coatings before they get kissed by the fire; try the Barbecue Barn’s Bad Byron’s Butt Rub ($4), a not-too-salty mix of paprika, pepper, chipotle powder, and granulated onion that can be used to coat just about any tasty meat. As Bad Byron — we’re assuming he’s the funny-looking pig on the bottle — says, " A little Butt Rub makes everything better. "

Until those long summer nights arrive, you’ll need to throw some light around — and what more festive way to do so than with six-foot kerosene torches ($11.99) from Kitchen Etc.? They’re easy to light, and with their attached snuffers, easy to extinguish — and they won’t go out in the spring rain.

You’ve managed to pull the fat off the fire just in time to beat the rain, but now it’s storming outside and you still want to sit by the grill. The Kodar Mini-Kettle ($19.99), sold at Tags Ace Hardware, is a cute little set with ketchup, mustard, and salt-and-pepper shakers that sit inside a domed Weber replica. See? You can have your grill inside, too.

To get your food and equipment in and out quickly, use oversize baskets (prices vary) from China Fair. And finally, just so your friends remember who’s provided these treats, put your own brand on your cooking — literally — with the Williams-Sonoma steak brand ($39.95). Leave in the fire for a few minutes and you’ll be able to sear your initials onto the T-bone ... or your fraternity brothers’ shoulders ... or the neighbor’s dog ...

Where to get it:

• Barbecue Barn, 9 Dudley Place, Arlington, (781) 646-8473.

• China Fair, 2100 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 864-5030.

• Kitchen, Etc., various locations; www.kitchenetc.com.

• Tags Ace Hardware, Porter Square Shopping Center, (617) 868-7711.

• Williams-Sonoma, various locations; www.williams-sonoma.com.



Issue Date: April 17 - 24, 2003


Archive of our Urban Buys
Back to the News & Features table of contents.
  E-Mail This Article to a Friend

home | feedback | about the phoenix | find the phoenix | advertising info | privacy policy | the masthead | work for us

 © 2003 Phoenix Media Communications Group