Don’t Get Grilled this Holiday Season; Find the Perfect Gift for that BBQ Friend

As the holiday season culminates this year, we will all be filled with joy – and a whole lot of food. In fact, good food, friends and family are some of the greatest joys in our lives. So when it comes to giving gifts this season, why not “fill” your friends and family with joy by giving them something that they can use to make good food? I recently had the chance to try three amazing BBQ products, and I think any BBQ lover would light right up for these unique gifts.

The Ribalizer – The first one I got to try was the Ribalizer. Mark Vinci, the inventor of the Ribalizer, wanted to make a great rack of ribs without all the hassle and mess of smoking, baking, or boiling the ribs. He wanted to smoke and cook them on a gas grill without drying out the ribs, so he created a cooker that fits right on the grill and cooks the ribs in a shorter time.

Personally, I loved the idea. So I tried it myself. The Ribalizer is very simple. It consists of a bottom aluminum pan, a stainless steel wire rack and separator to hold up to six racks of ribs, and a top aluminum pan for steaming.

I rubbed the ribs down with my favorite spices and jalapeno BBQ sauce. I placed the ribs in the separators, added wood chips to my gas grill for a smoky flavor, and let that work of art smoke on medium-high heat for 45 minutes, with the top pan off so they absorb that smoky deliciousness.

After 45 minutes, I opened the grill, placed the top pan on for steaming, and let them sit for another hour and fifteen while I watched the game and had a beer with some friends. It was almost too easy.

After a total of two hours, and a little skepticism about how they would turn out, the ribs came out piping hot and cooked to perfection. No crumbly, dry meat. No falling off the bone. No angry Broncos fans. Just tender, savory meat with a hint of smoky flavor and the spice that I love. I would seriously recommend this product to anyone looking for a simple solution to making delicious ribs, and the best part is that you get the rack along with four pans for only $29.95 on their website. Now that’s one hell of a grill! Er, deal.

GrillGrates – The second product I got to try was called GrillGrate. This one I was a little more skeptical about because the whole idea was to basically put another grate on top of the grate you already have on your grill. If there is already a grate, why would I want another one? Well, I found out why pretty quickly.

After doing a bit of research, I saw that the GrillGrate actually conducts infrared heat through its aluminum ducts better than any other metal grate out there. By doing so, it heats up more evenly than a normal grate, allowing the food to cook more evenly as well. No more having one steak medium-well and the other coming out raw.

The design not only amplifies the heat, but it also blocks “flare-ups” from happening on your grill that might char the meat or veggies. The valleys between the grates retain juices from the meats, so you get a tender, juicy steak or a savory, evenly cooked burger.

Did it work? Yes, it worked great! No pun intended folks. I cooked both a burger and a steak with the GrillGrate, and they were both delicious. The thick rails where the food sits allow for a deep sear and bold flavor. The meat cooked evenly and seemed to hold more juices in than a normal grate, and I didn’t have to watch the heat quite as much without the flare-ups I normally had. Surprisingly, this is a great product, and I would recommend it to anyone buying a gift for that grilling perfectionist in your life. In fact, you should send me another one too! Check it out for $39.99 at www.grillgrate.com.

The BBQ Dragon – The final thing I got to do with BBQ was to unleash the dragon. I’m not kidding. The BBQ Dragon “breathes fire” into any charcoal grill that needs help heating up.

OK, so it doesn’t actually shoot fire – it’s not a flamethrower you pyro. It’s a device that you can clip on to any charcoal grill that will continuously blow air onto the charcoal to speed up the heating process. Within 10 minutes, a grill that normally takes 30-45 minutes will be ready to cook whatever scrum-diddly-umptious meal you have planned for those BBQ die-hards that always raid your house over the holidays.

Yes, I tried it myself. Yes, it blows air. Big whoop, right? Well, it has multiple settings to control just how hard it blows, so if you need to take your time, you can. I was able to start the charcoal, turn on the BBQ Dragon to a lower setting, and actually talk to my friends while it heated up-although I did enjoy sitting and watching those puppies turn red faster than ever-instead of worrying when the grill would be ready. Within 15 minutes, I had a piping hot grill and a lot of testosterone around me asking where their burgers were.

I think this product is fantastic for any of you BBQ people-pleasers that want your grill ready but still want the unique taste of a charcoal grill. You’ll have dinner on the table in no time, and won’t have to worry about constantly checking the grill to see if it’s hot yet. But try to keep it hidden, that way your friends just think you’re a grill master and can heat up charcoal at light speed. Grab one for you and a friend for $59.95 at www.BBQDragon.com.

Happy grilling folks, and happy holi-glaze to you!