When it comes to barbecue tools for summer, you likely already have a classic propane grill, an old-school charcoal smoker, or maybe even a wood-fired pellet grill in your backyard. While there’s nothing wrong with those methods, this summer, why not try a new approach to your backyard cooking? We recently got our hands on the Burch Barrel, and it’s one of the most intriguing grill designs we’ve ever used.
First off, the Burch Barrel design looks so badass, you’ll want to clear a marquee spot in your backyard to show this thing off. It stands tall (up to 84 inches), it’s built like a tank, and it radiates serious grill-master potential. It has serious utility, too. It accommodates multiple types of fuel, including charcoal, hardwood, wood chips, or a combination of those. It also functions as a grill, smoker, and a firepit. That means you can use the Burch Barrel to sear steaks and burgers, smoke ribs and tri-tip, and then pull off the grill grate for a relaxing bonfire paired with dessert and drinks. Try that with your propane grill.
While many backyard grilling setups will place the barbecue off in the corner, away from the social action, the Burch Barrel is meant to be a focal point for people to gather around.
“Burch Barrel was designed to make cooking and food the centerpiece of the backyard,” Roby Burch, CEO of Burch Barrel, tells Men’s Journal. “I wanted something where me and my friends and family could cook—anything from steaks, burgers, pizzas, and more—around an open fire with everyone together instead of one person at a grill 20 feet away. It’s all about being together.”
But it’s not just a fancy piece of yard art—the Burch Barrel is built to last and make mouthwatering meals. It’s constructed with powder-coated, high-grade steel and aluminum components, and it comes with several innovative features. There’s a sturdy lock-collar lid with a pistol-grip slider that allows you to make adjustments to the heat without having to remove the food from the grill. Its Trackster Heat Control Rails feature nine height settings for the coal bed, which gives you the flexibility to go from high-heat searing to low-heat smoking and baking on the fly. A hanging hook on the underside of the lid allows you to suspend food to get that perfect slow roast.
Its Everlevel tripod is very simple to adjust on any surface, and its ultra-precise stoker vents make it easy to adjust the temperature (an external thermometer mounted on the lid also helps). It even boasts double-walled insulation so the inside stays piping hot while the outside remains cool to the touch.
Overall, our favorite aspect of the Burch Barrel is its versatility. Whether you’re a charcoal fanatic or hardwood enthusiast—or anywhere in between—you can cook whatever you want, however you want. And when you’re done with your meal, you can toss in some firewood and enjoy drinks around the campfire with your guests.
But even the best grill won’t make up for subpar meat, so we’d suggest pairing your Burch Barrel with products from the E3 Meat Co. delivery service. Co-founded by cattle rancher Jake Gross and former MLB player Adam LaRoche, this Fort Scott, KS-based company sources some of the highest-quality meat on the market. Everything the brand offers is grass-fed and grain-finished, and it’s sourced from animals given absolutely no hormones, antibiotics, or steroids.
E3 has it all: bone-in prime rib, ribeye, tomahawk steaks, New York strip, tri-tip, burgers, hot dogs, and so much more. If beef is a staple on your grilling menu, then E3 should be your one-stop shop for stocking your freezer this summer. Better yet, you can get everything delivered right to your door.
E3 meats on a Burch Barrel grill—backyard cooking doesn’t get better.
[Burch Barrel: $1,195; burchbarrel.com]
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[E3 Meat Co.: Prices Vary; e3meatco.com]
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