If you have meat you will need a way to prepare and cook that meat. There are an endless array of gadgets, cooking utensils, grill accessories, pots, pans, grills, knives, and tools readily available to help turn out a perfect steak or roast.
Here are a few items I have picked out that I either want or already have and wouldn’t want to live without. If I listed everything I would never get done with this gift guide so I had to limit it a bit but here are a handful of great gifts for any meat lover.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links I may get a percentage of the sale which will allow me to buy more of this stuff for myself.
A new Grill or Smoker
Maybe the person you are looking to buy for already has a grill or smoker. You know what? They will always want more! Different grills and smokers are better for somethings than others and someone can never have enough. I have about 7 different styles on my wish list right now but here are three at the top of that list. And all three of these are under $500.
Classic Weber Kettle
This is and has been my go to for years. I use it for reverse searing steaks, cooking chicken, smoking ribs or brisket, and pretty much anything else I need to cook. If you only have one grill make it this one. At $149 it won’t break the bank and should last for a few years. Order your Weber Kettle today.
Pit Barrel Cooker
The Pit Barrel Cooker is probably one of the easiest smokers and cookers you will come across. The design will hold a consistent temperature for hours so you don’t have to fiddle with the vents to keep your temps steady. Ribs, tri-tip, turkey, brisket, pork butt… this cooker can do it all. Instead of sitting on a grate most of the meat will cook hanging from hooks which is interesting. The Pit Barrel Cooker comes with everything you need to get started and it only runs $299 which is a great price for a top quality smoker. Order your Pit Barrel Cooker today.
PK Grill
The PK Grill is one I have recently become enamored with. Instead of being made of steel like most smokers or grills the PK is cast aluminum. This allows greater heat retention and it is also rust proof. The vent configuration of the PK Grill (2 on top and bottom on each end) gives you a ton of control over your heat and air flow. You can crank everything open to sear a steak or set it up to draw smoke across your meat. These grills run about $370 so they aren’t cheap but they are built to last. Check out the PK Grill today.
Gadgets, Tools, and Accessories
If you are looking for something a bit less expensive here are a few different items that anyone who loves to cook meat would enjoy seeing in their stocking or under their tree.
Thermometers
It is next to impossible to properly and consistently cook a piece of meat without a good thermometer. Thermoworks products are consistently rated the best thermometers for a reasonable price. These three are where I would start for my thermometer arsenal. I have two of them already and am very close to pulling the trigger on the third.
Thermoworks Dot – The Dot is an awesome leave in probe thermometer that only costs $39. The precision and accuracy is unmatched for this price. Just insert the probe into the meat, set your temp, and wait for the alarm. Thermoworks also sells a variety of probes for different uses which is a nice addition.
Thermoworks Thermopop – The Thermopop is an excellent probe thermometer for only $29. You can get a temperature in just a couple seconds and you can even rotate the display to view from any angle. I use this thermometer almost every time I cook.
Thermoworks Smoke – This is the thermometer I have on my wish list. The Smoke is a multi-probe thermometer with a remote unit. You can have one probe in the meat and one measuring the air temperature. When there are any variations you can set the alarm on the remote unit to go off so you don’t have to hover over your smoker for hours. For long cooks like a brisket this will allow you to go take a nap and be alerted if there are any big shifts in your temps. I love this one.
Knives
I have never really understood expensive knives. Dropping $300 or more on a single knife has just never made sense to me when there are some awesome options for a fraction of the price. The two knives pictured above are two of my favorites. The top knife is the Dexter-Russel 6 inch boning knife and runs around $16. This is an awesome knife for trimming ribs or brisket, boning a chicken, or even slicing a whole sub-primal into steaks.
The bottom knife is the Dexter 12 inch scalloped slicer. If you are looking to slice a brisket or prime rib this is the knife to reach for. It is crazy sharp and there is very little drag while slicing. It only runs around $27. So for under $45 you can have two great knives that will hold an edge and are very durable. They can be resharpened but if it does get dull you can always just buy another and replace it inexpensively.
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
$16 and you have a pan that will last for multiple lifetimes. I have 5 different size Lodge cast iron skillets and they are some of my favorite pans. Once these are used and properly seasoned they are very non-stick and there isn’t a better pan out there for reverse searing a steak. You can use these on the stove, in the oven, or even directly on a bed of hot coals. If you know a cook who doesn’t have a cast iron skillet this is the perfect gift. Order one today.
Weber Charcoal Chimney
Anyone with a charcoal grill needs one of these chimney starters. Skip the lighter fluid. Load one of these up with charcoal, stuff some newspaper in the bottom, and light. In 20 minutes you will have a load of coals ready to go. You can even throw a grate on top and get an awesome sear on a steak. These will only set you back $15 and this is another item that any griller will love. Order your Weber Chimney Starter today.
All these items are either products I use all the time or ones I wish I had so I could use all the time. These products aren’t the fanciest but they are all products that will get a lot of use and hold up over time. Make your meat lovers’ Christmas and get a few of these items under the tree.
