The first time we bought a BBQ that had a side burner, I thought it was a pretty cool feature. Then, I think I used it only once or twice during the life of the Q. I would be willing to bet that most of our readers have never used theirs either. Of course One of Seven and Mooby used theirs extensively during their kitchen reno.
Our current unit has a pretty unique side burner that I was determined to use. First off, the heater element claims to be infra red. I’m not sure exactly how that works, as the propane is fed through a ceramic honeycomb which gets pretty darned hot. Atop the heat is a pot grate and a two sided cooking plate. This cast piece has a griddle surface on one side and ribs like a roasting pan on the other.
We prefer to use our air conditioning as little as possible during the summer, so it is nice to be able to cook side dishes on the burner. Whether it is a pot of boiling water for taters or a buttery pan for carrots or mushrooms, having the heat outside the kitchen is a good thing. Lately though, we’ve been using it for other things. The ribbed side is awesome for cooking bacon, as there is no mess in the kitchen and the bacon fat just runs off the griddle into a neat little cup. Today we even made some funky grilled ham and cheese sammiches, featuring our rustic bread, mixed cheeses and a healthy dollop of dijon.
So the next time you fire up the Q, think about cooking your side dishes on the side burner. You paid for it, you might as well use it!
