Getting together with good company and sharing laughs and delicious outdoor cooking are what summer is all about. We think the hibachi could be the next secret weapon in your outdoor cooking arsenal. The Japanese have used Hibachi grills for centuries, but we they’re often overlooked elsewhere in the world. Especially by those of us who camp. Their size and simplicity allow these pint sized grills to really shine in the backcountry. .
Before we go any further let’s discuss terminology and set the record straight. Twentieth Century America did an excellent job of clumping together vast swaths of Asian culture, cuisine, and language. And, in many cases just making things up out of the blue to sound “exotic.” This is basically how the meaning of the word ‘Hibachi’ mutated from a Japanese home heating appliance, to a cooking style, and eventually a charcoal grill stateside. Americans mistakenly labeled Japanese iron griddles (Teppan) as Hibachi, and that resulted in US versions of Teppanyaki restaurants being called “Hibachi Style.” A similar thing happened when shichirin (small japanese charcoal grills) landed in the states. The centuries old Shichirin was now also a Hibachi. No one knows why it happened, but whatever you want to call them; these awesome little culinary devices blow away almost anything we commonly use to cook outdoors. (For the sake of consistency and in spite of our desire to be accurate… we’ll call them Hibachi grills for now…)
Made from ceramic (diatomaceous earth to be precise), or cast iron, hibachi use charcoal for fuel. They are really fuel efficient, as the body heats up and radiates the stored heat, helping to produce food more moist and flavorful than a gas grill can. They are the closest you can get to cooking on an open fire, but you can do it right on a tabletop in the yard, or on the tailgate of your trusty truck.
Hibachi grills come in sizes that cater to a single person or a mid sized group – they are lightweight and you can even use the small ones indoors (just be sure there’s plenty of ventilation). What will you cook on this pint sized cooking masterpiece? You could try some japanese dishes, like juicy steaks and pork, crispy chicken wings or scallops – or anything you currently grill.
The Fire Sense Yakatori Charcoal Grill comes in large and small versions. And, yes… we know Yakatori is technically Japanese street food, but this is a Hibachi (at least that’s what we agreed to call these devices earlier). The small grill measures just under 12 inches in diameter, and 7.49 inches high, which gives enough cooking space for four burgers on the top. The large version measures 17.73 inches long x 10.24 inches wide and has 157 square inches of cooking space. The ceramic body will make sure that all the heat is directed to your food, making the cooking time shorter. Just a few lumps of charcoal will be enough to cook for a few hours. Think of it as a small, lidless, Big Green Egg… that doesn’t cost a thousand dollars.
Because they are so efficient, you can even fire up hibachi for a single steak, without wasting any fuel. Unlike a Smokey Joe which needs a boat load of charcoal to get up to temperature (since heat is lost through its thin metal body), hibachi grills heat up much more quickly, using less fuel. It’s also easy to cook for a larger group – cooking times are so quick, you can just keep the food coming till everyone’s satisfied.
Marsh Allen also do a hibachi grill, but this one is made from cast iron. While it’s the same size as the larger Fire Sense grill, it is a little bit lighter. It has two air intakes, like the Fire Sense Yakatori, but includes a height adjuster for the grills so you can fine tune the cooking. The cast iron body will hold its heat for a long time, making a marathon cooking session easy, after a hard days camping.
If you run out of charcoal, you can use wood collected around camp. And later, when the night gets cooler, these grills will radiate enough heat to keep the chill off (like an actual Japanese hibachi), while you make s’mores.
If you’ve never tried a hibachi, we say give one a go – they are a versatile and inexpensive way to cook delicious food, both at home and on the move. We think you’ll love it.