BBQ season is well upon us with summer and warmer days around the corner. A true grillmaster, however, knows that not everything can be prepared on the barbecue, including delicate sauces or delicious side dishes. Quality cookware should serve more than one function and can complement your existing BBQ setup.
From preparing delicious cornbread in a Dutch Ovens or reducing delicate sauces in sauciers or a enamelled cast iron skillets, there are a few must-have pieces of cookware you need before you get grilling this summer. These pieces of cookware can either be used on the side burner or back in the kitchen, allowing you to prepare a complete meal for family and friends full of diverse flavours.
Here are five pieces of cookware you need to compliment your BBQ and step up your grilling game ahead of the summer.
The Alpine Collection
The Alpine Outdoor Collection brings versatility, performance, and style to outdoor cooking. Designed to work seamlessly together, these cast iron pieces help you create a variety of memorable meals: from crispy smash burgers and stir-fried veggies to melty dips, flavourful sauces, and even pizza straight off the grill.
Each item in the collection is built to handle high heat and open flames, making it easy to sear, sauté, griddle, or simmer outdoors with confidence. Whether you're hosting a backyard cookout or camping under the stars, the Alpine pieces turn any setup into a fully equipped outdoor kitchen.
Crafted for durability and heat retention, these grilling essentials ensure consistent results and unlock new ways to enjoy your favourite recipes beyond the kitchen.
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Dutch Oven
The Dutch Oven is a great piece of cookware to complement all your grilling needs and can be used to prepare a number of delicious side dishes. This iconic piece of cookware is ideal for slow cooking ingredients in one pot while you are grilling. The set-it-and-forget nature of the Dutch Oven makes it a great complimentary piece of cookware and allows you to focus on the grill as it cooks food evenly.
The Dutch Oven has earned a reputation as a kitchen workhorse over the years, accommodating various cooking techniques and styles, including braising, baking, searing, sautéing, and boiling. This pot is a perfect piece of cookware to get started and can be used to prepare cornbread, cobblers and decadent mac and cheese recipes among other favourite side dishes.
Its self-basting cycle ensures a tender and moist final dish, complementing grilled meats and vegetables to perfection. The Dutch Oven introduces a much-needed contrast to the smoky flavours of the BBQ and can quickly become a grilling staple this BBQ season.
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Saucier
Mastering the art of grilling meat and other BBQ favourites is only the first step of becoming a true grilling connoisseur. Preparing delicate sauces for the final dish is arguably the next one. In many ways, complimentary sauces inject a new layer of flavour, elevating the grilled goods to another level.
A saucier is perfect for reducing delicate sauces for the main course as the meat and vegetables are being grilled. Its rounded sides make whisking sauces easier, while the pan’s ergonomic stay-cool handle offers complete control and a confident grip no matter the temperature. The saucier’s rounded bottom ensures the sauce does not get stuck on the corners of the pan and does not get burned.
This piece of cookware is compatible with any heat source, including induction. Whether you want to prepare a collection of dipping sauces, or side dishes, the saucier is a great piece of cookware to step up your grilling game.
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Braiser
The braiser is the perfect piece of cookware for all meat lovers and is a great way to contrast the BBQ’s smoky flavours with a tender final dish. This piece of cookware is extremely versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes that cannot be done on the grill including Italian rosemary and roasted pepper focaccia or braised beets.
Beyond preparing complimentary dishes, the braiser can be used as the first step before grilling. This pot can slow cook ribs and ensure they are completely tender before browning them on the BBQ for a rich, smoky flavour and inch-perfect grill marks. The braiser ensures all the natural juices from the meat are separated from the fat, using wet and dry heat to create the ideal environment for its ingredients.
A braiser is traditionally used to prepare rougher cuts of meat, breaking them down by initially searing them. The ingredients are later submerged in aromatic liquid and slow-cook until the meat is ready to be grilled.
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Roasters and Grills
Summertime may be the ideal BBQ season, however, cooler temperatures and bad weather should not exclude the possibility of grilling altogether. Roasters and grills are the perfect way to simulate the outdoor experience from the comfort of your own home, whether you are rained out or simply want to recreate the BBQ feel all-year round.
Grills offer home cooks and chefs alike an easy way to inject texture and colours to a dish while removing excess fat from ingredients due to its distinctive grill lines on the surface of the pan. These ridges allow fat to flow off meat in the same way an outdoor grill would and offers superior heat retention, cooking food evenly.
Similarly, the roaster exposes ingredients to a consistent heat source and can be used to prepare larger dishes, including lasagnas and homemade casseroles. Roasting uses indirect, diffused heat to cook its ingredients, enhancing existing flavours through caramelization and browning on the surface of food.
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Cast Iron Skillet
The cast iron skillet is yet another versatile piece of cookware that can be used to supplement your grilling experience. From preparing proteins and vegetables to desserts, adding a cast iron skillet to your grilling arsenal will help you this summer. This piece of cookware is ideal for giving otherwise classic recipes a smoky flavour and is capable of withstanding the highest of temperatures.
Its enamelled cast iron construction offers superior heat retention and can be even used on the grill alongside the main course. In addition, cooking fish in a cast iron skillet on the side burner is a popular alternative to preparing it inside, eliminating any odours that may linger in your home.
The cast iron skillet is extremely durable as a natural patina builds on its base over time. This patina serves as a protective layer against chipping and peeling and allows you to whisk ingredients with ease, creating a nonstick coating.
Buy nowGet grillin'
Whether you want to prepare a dish for the whole family or entertain guests on a beautiful summer day, barbecuing is as good an excuse as any to gather around the grill and enjoy a delicious meal. Any true grillmaster knows that grilling meats and proteins on their own is not enough for a complete dish.
These are just a few pieces of cookware that can help level up your grilling game and diversify your recipes with the minimum of fuss. The Dutch Oven, sauciers, skillets, and braisers all offer their own ways to prepare side dishes or standalone recipes while the grill is still hot. When the weather isn’t so welcoming, by contrast, roasters and grills can be used to recreate the outdoor experience without sacrificing flavours.
Visit a Le Creuset boutique or shop online for more pieces of cookware that can complement your BBQ and get grilling while the sun is still out.
