Father’s Day Barbecue Wish List

Well, it’s hard to believe it’s already going to be Father’s Day again. So much has been going on and the time just raced by.

I’m a dad who has also been in the barbecue business, having owned a restaurant for over 10 years. With Father’s Day around the corner, I’d like to share the kind of gifts I would want that make me happy 😁 and maybe the dad in your life might like too.

So here’s my personal Father’s Day wish list. I hope you get some inspiration.

A Smoker/Grill

For anyone who loves to barbecue (I mean the true meaning of barbecue here, meaning “smoke”) or grilling, we all love getting new equipment. I’m here to tell you, we aren’t complete unless we have multiple smokers or grills.

I’m a big fan of Pit Boss. They make some outstanding products that really work and they don’t break the bank.

The classic Weber is also one of by favorites because of the back to basics simplicity

Cool Accessories for Weber Kettle Grills

For guys who already own a Weber kettle grill, or are new owners of one, these are some cool additions to consider. I personally love to rotisserie cook whole chicken, quail, rabbit, for anything that fits on a rotisserie rod. I have one on my larger grill and it comes in pretty handle for that. The kit below includes the holders for the charcoal to keep it out from under the falling juice.

The Skewer Ring is also a pretty handy tool. Ordinarily, skewers would share the grill space with other items you’re grilling/smoking, like burgers or steak. With this tool, you could actually grill the burgers below with the skewers above if you wanted.

A Cool Thermometer

A good thermometer is a must have. While you don’t have to use one for grilling or smoking, I like to. For grilling, I cook to 131 degrees for a good medium rare. Without probing, it’s easy to blow past that on a hot grill. For smoking, I usually don’t probe unless I’m using new or unfamiliar pit.

Here are a couple of probes that I like:

A decade ago, buying a $150 thermometer with wireless technology might have seemed laughable. Not so these days. When smoking the perfect brisket overnight or a juicy medium rare prime rib roast, we like to do that without standing over a hot grill, please.

Quality Charcoal or Wood Chunks

A bag of coal or wood chunks sounds like a pretty depressing gift. That is, unless you’re into grilling and smoking and understand that these are the keys to cooking great burgers and smoking perfect brisket. I’m a big fan of hickory and used it exclusively in my restaurants. It just never disappoints. You can use other wood, like oak or some of the sweet woods like apple or cherry, but the versatility of hickory is time tested.

Cheers

Finally, those who know me know that I’m a big fan of great beer and great whiskey. That’s always a great gift for me. If that’s an option for you, you can’t go wrong. Here are some of my favorites, and I have a pretty wide taste, but this is a fairly subjective topic.

Any of these, or an equally good pilsner or lager go very well with good barbecue. Again, any choice is a good one.

So, to all the Father’s out there, enjoy the day. Be with your families. Enjoy each other and some good food.

Smoke matters.