Down-Home Hibachi

A down-home hibachi is not really a hibachi at all.  It is actually a Weber Grill without any legs that is propped up on cinder blocks in the backyard.  Uncle Mike from Saluda, North Carolina proclaimed that his beloved old grill was a hibachi when the legs fell off, lowering it significantly to the ground.

Shoddy equipment aside, Mike is an accomplished griller whose unique method of grilling seems more closely related to Southern barbeque smoking than to the normal grilling most of us are familiar with.  Using indirect heat, steam, and smoke, he is able to cook large cuts of meat slowly while keeping the meat moist and infusing it with an appetizing smoky flavor.

Mike considers this method “grilling” because his preparations do not involve a sauce of any kind.  “Barbeque” on the other hand defines smoked meats that are cooked and served with sauce.  Instead of using a sauce, Mike uses his own blend of spices to make a dry rub.  A typical rub may include paprika, mustard powder, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin.  A little brown sugar may also be very nice in a dry rub such as this.

Instead of spreading the charcoal over the entire bottom of the grill–as one might usually do–Mike instead places the charcoal bricks only on one side of the grill, lights them, and allows them to burn down.  He then adds some hardwood chips that have been soaked in water for an hour so that they will gently smolder–slowly releasing sweet, white smoke.

A shallow pan of water is added to the middle of the grill to create steam during the cooking process and helps to keep the grilled food moist.  “Never let the pan go dry,” Mike says, “You gotta have the water.”

The food item is then placed on the opposite side of the grill–away from the heat so as to receive indirect heat from the charcoal. Then, the lid is fitted tightly on top, trapping the moisture, heat, and flavorful smoke inside the grill, transforming the grill into a little smoker oven.

Mike grilled for us whole turkey breasts on the bone, beef eye of round, and stuffed jalapenos.  The meats came out juicy and tender, with a beautiful spicy crust and fragrant smoky flavor that permeated the meat.  The jalapenos were tender but not falling apart and were also kissed with smoke. The smoke provided a wonderful compliment to spicy and fruity jalapeno chilies.

Other foods that would be “well served” by this cooking method are whole chicken, whole fish, pork butt (shoulder), pork ribs, beef  brisket, beef short ribs, lamb shoulder, leg of lamb, or any cut of meat that would be normally braised or roasted in the oven.  Vegetables such as corn, carrots, eggplant, onions, turnips, potatoes, or tomatoes work wonderfully this way, too, either skewered, sliced thickly, or left whole.

The more traditional high-heat grilling is best suited for smaller cuts of meat such as hamburgers, flank steak, chicken breasts, steaks, fish fillets, and sausages and for green vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, or bok choy.  Mike expertly grilled us some burgers and hotdogs using high-heat grilling for a succulent, deliciously charred result.

True hibachi or not, when Mike lights up his grill, you know something good is cooking.  Grilling the “Uncle Mike” way takes longer than the usual “slapping some meat on the grill,” but the succulent and smoky result is well worth the wait. And remember, you can’t rush a hibachi master!