As food explorers, we’re always searching for accessories to help us make great meals. We often overlook one of our most valuable tools: our knives.
Try to think of a time when you used your grill, and you didn’t use a knife. It’s probably difficult because almost every recipe we prepare requires some level of knife work.
Our first instinct is to use kitchen knives when preparing to grill, but many kitchen knives are designed for cutting vegetables and trimming smaller cuts of meat. They don’t work as well on the large cuts of meat we tend to grill outdoors. At a minimum, you’ll get frustrated when breaking a whole pork loin into chops or spatchcocking a turkey if you’re using the wrong knife for the job because your slices will be uneven or the effort needed will be hard. More importantly, a knife that’s dull from daily use in the kitchen can lead to injury because a dull knife is a dangerous knife.
This is why our All Things Barbecue team recommends building a barbecue knife kit. Start with just a few of the most important knives and add the rest based on your preferences for prep and cooking. These knives should only be used when cooking outdoors so that they remain sharp when you need them.
Types of knives the ATBBQ team recommends
Over the years, our team has done a lot of knife work and we’ve found there are a few types of knives we always reach for. The knives we prefer for grilling here at ATBBQ as well as at home are listed below.
Should You Buy a Pre-Made Knife Kit?
Some knife manufacturers see the importance of knives for grilling and are curating some great kits that have much of the cutlery we need. Buying a pre-made kit may not get you the all the knives you want or will need, but they are an excellent platform to build on. In addition, most kits come with a bag or a knife roll that allow you to store your knives and give you room to grow your collection over time.
Since knives are by far one of our most-used tools, they deserve more consideration than we often give them. When we're grilling for our friends and family, we want to use the right tool for the job and be efficient with it. This inspires confidence and helps us make better meals. When searching for grilling accessories, don't overlook high quality knives!
