Hibachi
Hibachi
Did you know that the original use for hibachi had nothing to do with cooking. It is a traditional Japanese devcie, but actually originated in China. Hibachi are round, cylindrical, or square open containers lined with heat proof material. Their original use was for heating rooms. They came to have different uses during World War Two as soliders used them to cook.
The English use for the word hibachi is a small, portable cast iron or aluminum grill. We often confuse this with Japanese style cooking called teppanyaki. Teppanyaki is where food is cooked on iron plates usually for a crowd. The teppanyaki chefs cook food on the table with a lot of theatrics to entertain the diners.
Hibachi are wonderful little grills, very portable, great for camping or for small spaces. Cast iron is the best material. The cast aluminum tend to rust more easily and do not last as long. Cast iron when properly cared for can last a life time.
My father had one when I was growing up. He called it a fish cooker. Although it had a grate to cook on, it also had a deep pan that could be used to fry fish. We never went fishing without it. Fishing for us was usually an all day affair after a long work week. Once the fish were caught and cleaned, the fish cooker came into play. I must say the fish were delicious. The combination of fresh air and fresh caught fish cooked immediately was wonderful. If the fish were not biting, then and only then, the grill portion was employed for hotdogs or hamburgers.
These little grills are great for apartment dwellers. They can easily be used on a sturdy tabletop on a balcony or patio. You can cook anything you could cook on a traditional grill in smaller quantities. There are vents in the bottom and you can adjust the heat with those. They are large enough to have more charcoal on one side for a hotter fire and less on the other side to keep things warm or cook slowly.
To be sure your hibachi lasts a life time, proper seasoning is essential. Seasoning means to coat teh cast iron cooking surfaces with solid shortening. Some people use bacon grease or lard, but Criso works well. When it is new, the cooking surfaces need to be thoroughly washed and dried. Once dry, the shortening needs to applied generously and the grill heated for about an hour. You will need to reseason periodically especially after cooking acid producing foods like tomatoes. One the grill is seasoned, it is a non stick surface and periodic touchups with cooking sprays will keep it that way. Just wipe with rags or paper towels after use.
If you like to camp, tailgate,or just have a small outdoor area, an hibachi is a good purchase. Spring for the cast iron model. It will last forever.
