By Melissa Chang

Many luxury homeowners are investing in high-end grilling products. Courtesy of Viking

Free-standing and easily portable grills are among the newest and most streamlined offerings from Weber's Q Line.

For "serious" entertaining outdoors, only gourmet appliances will do. Stainless-steel selections by Viking include a wok station (inset), a multi-flame gas grill, a warming drawer for bread, a stovetop burner, a built-in fridge and a chilled beer dispenser. Courtesy of Viking

Cooking over a live flame has been a favorite pastime of alpha males throughout the world for the last half-million years or so, when the first Homo Erectus discovered fire and learned to enjoy the smoky taste of cooked meat. With the evolution of the human race, the myriad dishes and items that can be created with this method has also expanded and evolved-not just meats, but also vegetables, seafood, poultry and even fruits.

Barbecuing is usually considered to be a summer pastime, but thankfully, in Hawaii the weather allows us to indulge in it year-round.

Many use the terms grilling and barbecuing interchangeably, although they're very different. This is because the same piece of equipment - the barbecue grill - is used for both the high-heat, quick-cooking method of grilling, as well as the low-heat, slow-cooked method of barbecue.

Whether one prefers grilling or barbecuing, it's important that every backyard chef has the right products and tools.

Most avid barbecuers swear by their Weber Kettle, the world's best-selling charcoal grill. The deep, covered kettle grill doesn't just protect the goods from the weather; it creates an oven in which foods are roasted by the indirect charcoal heat.

"Weber is far superior to other products I've seen on the market," says Hardware Hawaii's Lawn & Garden Manager Anthony Cabebe. "Weber puts quality behind their product and doesn't take the cheap route, so their gas and charcoal grills are rugged and durable."

Cabebe says that Weber's new Q Line -from the Weber Char Q and Q 100 (gas) grills up to the Q 300 series - are impressive. "My friends like the portability of the smaller grills, and the larger Q 300s perform like a full sized grill, except you can pack them up and put them away."

Even in bad weather, advances in indoor techniques have made this universally popular cooking style available to anyone with a hankering for it. One of the popular items at Sub-Zero/Wolf is the Infrared Char Broiler, which can reach 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit in just five minutes, eliminating lengthy preheating time.

"The high heat sears the meat, caramelizing the outside and intensifying the flavor within," explains chef Carol Nardello of Sub-Zero/Wolf. "While cooking, the drippings hit the infrared broiler and immediately incinerate, making for easy clean up. This feature makes entertaining easier and more enjoyable."

On the other hand, since fish and vegetables require lower temperatures than meat, Nardello recommends using a Wolf Blank Plate (included with the char broiler), which enables the heat to be lowered for proper cooking.

She adds, "Proper ventilation is needed when barbecuing indoors with the infrared char broiler. For optimal performance in wall hood applications, a Pro 27-inch deep wall hood is recommended. Wolf also recommends a higher CFM (cubic foot per minute) blower for char broilers within the blower system of the hood for indoor grilling."

Another high-end manufacturer in barbecue grills - among other appliances - is Viking Range.

"They're not cheap, but those who can afford our grills say they add value to their homes," says Al Lum, territory manager for Viking Range/The Gene Schick Co. "Our smallest grill is 30-inches wide and our largest one is 53 inches."

The latter is the same size grill that Diamond Head Market & Grill owner/chef Kelvin Ro has in his rooftop kitchen, which is also equipped with a Viking series of other outdoor appliances, including a searer, wok, refrigerator, ice maker, rotisserie grill and smoker.

"What I have is a little extreme; a grill is probably what most people only need," Ro smiles. "But in Hawaii, it's all about the backyard bash, and I can throw a lavish one up here."

New Viking grills have 110-volt ignition with automatic re-ignition, interior and control panel lights, counter balanced hoods for easier closing and opening, and larger porcelain grates made to sit higher off the flame for the best grilling.

Beyond the thrill of the grill, homeowners are also now investing in Viking's smoker.

"It's like the old Japanese kamado," Lum explains. "The exterior is stainless steel but inside it's totally ceramic, and it can reach a temperature of 700 F as quickly as it takes the charcoal to get hot. These products aren't going to end up for curbside bulk pick-up every four to five years; these are made to last a life time."

While barbecue talk can seem intimidating, it's now easier than ever for a novice to learn to cue up their grilling knowledge. Williams-Sonoma in Ala Moana Center offers a wide range of recipe books, from classic grilling and barbecuing to their "New Healthy Kitchen" series, which explores lower fat and vegetarian recipes that even a caveman would savor.

The associates at Williams- Sonoma have noticed certain accessories are gaining popularity with each passing year. One of these is their cedar planks, a set of four for $14.95 - one simply soaks the planks in water, then places the food on the planks and lays the planks over the grill for a unique flavor. After each use, simply break off the charred ends and the planks can be reused. It's important to remember that while cedar planks are available at hardware stores, those pieces are treated with harmful chemicals and are not meant for cooking.

Just in time for summer, the store has introduced some new items for avid grillers.

• Several new barbecue sauces have joined the standards on Williams-Sonoma's shelves to bring variety to consumer palates, including smoky bacon, spicy mango, three mustard, and authentic bourbon and black pepper.
• Many find the clamp-on LED grill light, a battery operated, stainless steel gooseneck lamp, invaluable when cooking past sunset.
• Another favorite is the vertical chicken roaster, which lends a modern, classy twist on the famous beer can chicken recipe. One can add beer, wine or herbs to the vertical cone to liven the flavor of the chicken that comes out moist and crisp every time.
• New mesh stainless steel fry pans are attractive and easier to handle than traditional grill baskets.

"When grilling fish or vegetable slices outdoors, using a grill basket is helpful and less wasteful," Nardello points out. "The basket keeps the food intact and enables an easy flip when turning the food over to grill on the reverse side. Squash, eggplant, peppers, and mushrooms are delicious when cooked this way."

Whether you are an omnivore or a vegetarian, inside or out, cooking over an open flame can yield tasty results.

If you want to try your hand at barbecue in the footsteps of Homo Erectus, tri-tip is a good cut to start with. It is the tender triangular section at the bottom of the sirloin, and has a rich, beefy taste. HS