Cast Iron Hibachi: The Best Travel Grill

Recently an impromptu road trip had us looking for a simple way to roast a couple bratwurst and hotdogs. Sure we could have taken our somewhat bulky gas grill along with us, but that seemed like a whole lot of bother just to put a nice char on a few wieners.

We wanted the added flavor of real charcoal grilling, but again it seemed wasteful and troublesome to deal with the quantity of hot coals left from firing up even the most modest of BBQ grills.

For our picnic, admittedly conceived at the last minute, we settled on a cheap throwaway grill that amounted to nothing more than a tin foil baking pan filled with match light briquettes and covered with a thin stamped metal mesh grill.

It got the job done, what more can you ask of a $2.50 disposable grill. As we waited for the coals to ignite and get that nice even gray glow I got to thinking, is this the best way to do it?

Problem number one, the cooking surface was in contact with the burning charcoal. Controlling cooking temperature was impossible. There wasn't even enough empty space within the grill to shift most of the heat to one side, giving you the option of indirect cooking.

Secondly when we were done cooking there was this sealed pan of hot burning charcoal to deal with. We had water available to extinguish it, but that isn't always an option.

Then there is the issue of when it's all said and done you have trash to dispose of. The whole idea of "disposable" goes against the grain as the world gets buried deeper and deeper in trash.

A memory from my child hood came to mind. I remember a small cast iron portable grill called a Hibachi that used only the smallest amount of charcoal. The one from my past was square with a grill surface just large enough for a couple hamburger patties. With a handful of briquettes you could do your grilling with a minimum of mess to take care of.

Unable to find exactly the same style of Hibachi, I settled on one with two independent grilling surfaces. A quick click of the mouse and Ebay had it on the way to my front door lickity-split. It didn't take long to realize that this was going to answer all the short comings of the disposable unit.

1. It was still quite small and easy to store.
2. Constructed of good old solid cast iron this little unit will last a lifetime.
3. Adjustable grilling surfaces mean you don't burn the food.
4. You only need to use enough charcoal to do the job.
5. It's large enough to use indirect heating if you choose.
6. Modestly priced, at $30 including shipping it's a bargain for a portable grill that will last a lifetime.
7. It's ecologically correct, you don't throw it away after use.

Whether you're a van dweller, or Rving on the Cheap, when it comes to cooking the perfect Coney this is a good way to go.