George Foreman is famous for having a punch to the body that could make the toughest boxer double up. He named all five of his sons George, and created a grill that is more waffle iron than barbecue. I’m not a big fan of putting meat in the waffle iron, but he also sells a more traditionally styled grill. I’ve had mine for many years now and even bought a second just to make sure I have a backup in case of apocalypse. I have a real barbecue as well, but there are times when between weather, darkness, and housing constraints, starting up a fire outside just ain’t gonna happen. The important thing is knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the tool.

There is only one weakness I’ve found, but it is a big one. You miss out on that flavor of smoke and char you get cooking over flame. My secrets to mitigating this are simple: Smoked Peppers and soy sauce. For the peppers I recommend smoked pimenton from Spain, or smoked pasilla de Oaxaca. For lighter fare like chicken and fish I may use toasted sesame oil. The trick with the soy sauce is that if you pour it on while the grill is hot it adds a smoky flavor as it sizzles.

On the positive side, the grill gives you more spicing opportunities.

• Without the smoke flavor overpowering any spices you may use, you can get a lot more creative.
• The grill is teflon, so cleanup is easy provided you have a reasonably large sink.
• Temperature control gives you more consistent results.
• No fuel to purchase and store. Just plug it in.
• Grill in the convenience of your kitchen while you prepare the rest of your meal.
• The grill channels the fat and juice to a central container. I use this for gravy.