How to hibachi
From simple to sublime, cooking on a hibachi is a delightful way to entertain guests and feed them at the same time.
From simple to sublime, cooking on a hibachi is a delightful way to entertain guests and feed them at the same time.
The hibachi started as a traditional Japanese fire bowl or brazier, designed to hold burning charcoal to cook food over. A table-top cooker, it has evolved down through the centuries, with different variations in various continents. Versions available in New Zealand include traditional box style, cast iron, stainless steel, and electric. You can use them to cook anything from vegetables to meats, so they are versatile and perfect for small gatherings.
Cooking with a hibachi is simple, if you follow a few rules such as these from Queensland’s Coolangatta Hotel ‘Guide to beginner hibachi grilling’.
- Experts recommend using binchotan, a dense white Japanese charcoal that stays alight for 3-5 hours and can be reused several times. You can use lump charcoal or briquettes instead. Steer clear of fire starters or other synthetic materials that will contaminate your food.
- Ingredients typically cooked include meats and vegetables, threaded on to wooden skewers, although like a traditional barbecue, you can cook a variety of ingredients. For skewers, select meats or vegetables that are softand easy to thread.
- Allow time to marinate your ingredients in sauces like soy, sesame oil, and chilli paste. The longer you leave the flavours to infuse, the tastier the final product will be. Soak your skewers in water for 10 minutes so they do not set alight.
- Heat your charcoal using a chimney starter, an open-ended metal cylinder filled with paper at the bottom and set alight. Stack coals above the paper chamber, and leave to heat for 20 minutes or until they begin to glow and flames develop. Place coals into the grill in a single layer so the heat distribution is even.
- Add ingredients and grill.
