Easy Asian Grill Summer: Charcoal Braziers, Yakitori Sauce plus 3 Grilling Recipes

Kids have fun summer projects and so should adults. For summer 2023, I’m focused on relaxing and charcoal grilling. My goal: an easy Asian grill summer.

Why charcoal? I don’t do it enough. For work-related recipe testing, I rely on a gas grill and indoor cast iron stovetop grill.

However, cooking over charcoal yields a smokey goodness that’s superior and primal. It’s how Viet people and countless others grill all over the world. I wanted to challenge myself a little (but not too much), and my husband has been my grilling pal. This post covers our findings:

1. A solid charcoal grill for Asian grilling

2. Four versatile recipes for you to play with

3. Chicken thigh deboning video tips

4. A grilling gameplan

Vietnamese Grilling Gear

Traditionally, cooks in Vietnam use a bucket-shaped clay brazier called bếp lò than (“charcoal stove”) that was designed to hold a wok, not for grilling. There are versions for grilling nowadays but they are smallish, designed for tabletop fun.

People get clever. The Hanoi street vendor below used a wide metal pot (or wok?) for holding the coals. Prior to this shot by food stylist Karen Shinto, the cook used an electric fan to ready the coals. I was sitting ten feet away waiting for our lunch.

My bottom line: Regardless of grill used, keep things simple. There’s no need to go big or get complicated.

A Clay Grill that Delivers

I looked at metal satay grills and they were too big or flimsy. Most were for professional cooking. I just wanted to cook for 2 to 4 people at a time.

Wanting a clay housing that mimics old school cooking in the motherland, I bought the Fire Sense Yakatori (sic) diatomite clay grill. We’ve used it for several weeks and been surprisingly impressed. (My comments are not sponsored in any way; however, links to Amazon many result in a modest referral fee for me.)

⚡️ For less than $50 on Amazon or Balkene (the maker; check open box deals), the grill really performs. The grill in action:

• Steady heat and stays cool. The clay housing contains diatoms (basically, silica) to retain and conduct heat well. Remarkably, the outside stays cool. Also, you can easily move the food to hot or cool spots. I have lifted the grate with my bare hands while the fire is going.

• Charcoal confidence builder. The learning curve is moderate. We’ve made super tasty food, despite the flare ups and times when the tofu slid off the skewers. I’ve had no big failures. In fact, I’m eager to charcoal grill more.

• Little charcoal and starter required. One session using regular Lazzari mesquite lasts about 45 minutes. To grill for hours, burn long lasting charcoal, like Thaan brand. A neutral starter like Masterbuilt is good.

• Less mess. Let the grill completely cool before emptying the ashes into a bucket or bury in soil (avoid acid-loving plants). The gentle cooking doesn’t burn food onto the grates; they clean up like new with soap and warm water. Wipe the clay housing clean with a damp sponge or paper towel.

• Not too big or heavy (20 pounds). It’s low key to keep around.

Its cons:

• Size. A charcoal chimney cannot fit. We use hand fans plus starter. Because there’s not much charcoal involved it doesn’t take much time to ready.

• Unfired clay. Treat it kindly and avoid exposure to rain or a hose.

Do you need need a special grill to grill Asian style?

Heck no, but it’s damn fun. For these recipes, you can use a bigger grill. But, to ensure that morsels don’t fall through the grates, consider using a meshy or large-hole grate. For example, Daiso sells reusable grates of varying sizes for $1.75.

Or, grill indoor with a cast iron stovetop grill pan like Le Creuset’s square grill. Your cook time will vary and you may need to oil the grates before cooking.

Easy Asian Grilling

To experiment and practice charcoal grilling, I wanted one versatile sauce that could go on animal and vegetable. Yakitori sauce (more svelte than teriyaki) fit the bill. Here’s what I made and the recipe are below.

• Yakitori Sauce (tare) is a sweet-salty glaze for chicken but it’s great with vegetables, tofu, and even Viet-style lemongrass pork (more on a later post).

• Chicken Skewers with thighs, drumsticks, or hearts. Use breast, if you like.

• Mixed Vegetable Skewers of summer squash and mushrooms.

• Grilled Tofu. So easy with different tofu firmnesses. No need to skewer!

BUT, when you need skewers, get flat or sturdy (thick) skewers to avoid burnups and burnouts. Daiso has flat metal and bamboo skewers. Longer flat metal skewers are available on Amazon. Or, go for thick round skewers sourced from a Middle Eastern market. Kebab people are expert and picky about skewers.

This post took weeks to prepare. Thanks in advance for understanding my need to paywall the content that follows.