What is commonly called a hibachi was inspired by the Japanese shichirin. Hibachi combines two Japanese words, "hi," meaning fire, and "bachi," which means bowl. Because hibachis were also occasionally used to grill food or heat a pot of tea, they were classed as barbecue grills when they were first marketed in the United States. Hibachis are used to heat Japanese homes. They can be converted into kilns or forges with the addition of a blower. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Tradition
Hibachis were invented in China, where they were used for home heating. They became popular during Japan's Edo period (1603 to 1867), due to the sometimes bitter Japanese winters. At the time, they were called "shichirin," which means seven rin. Seven rin was the cost of the fuel used to fill the shichirin once. Shichirin were often placed in a larger wooden or ceramic frame, about the size of a Western coffee table, set in the center of the room. The frame had a preparation surface at one side for cutting meat and vegetables into thin pieces, and the brazier portion of the hibachi would be set down inside the center. A grill placed over the hibachi allowed the homeowner to keep a pot of water boiling for tea. After the fuel burned away, the shichirin could be emptied by pulling it out of the frame by its small wooden handles.
Techniques
Stick a skewer into the end of a strip of steak, then skewer slices of squash, small cherry tomatoes, chunks of onion and quarters of green pepper in between additional folds of steak. Cut meat and vegetables thin, turn them once or twice, and plate your food while it is still hot. Place the skewers on the hibachi grill top. Turn the skewers after one or two minutes. The short distance between the coals and the grill surface make the hibachi ideal for searing steaks and vegetables. Searing seals in juices, preserving and enhancing flavor. Vegetables and fruits seared on a hibachi keep more of their vitamins and minerals intact.
Safety
Hibachi grills create high, intense heat in a small space. Place your hibachi on top of a broiler pan to prevent burning, cracking or bubbling your counter or table. Your hibachi can also be placed in the sand or on top of three or four flat sandstone rocks. Make sure the area where you use your hibachi is well-ventilated. If used indoors, run an exhaust fan or place a box fan in a nearby window, pointed out. Do not use a hibachi inside a small, closed space such as a van, due to the possible buildup of carbon monoxide gases. Use long skewers and metal tongs when cooking on your hibachi. Keep a bucket of ice water handy in case you burn your hands or fingers while using your hibachi. Remove most if the fat from meats before you begin cooking. This prevents grease from dripping onto your coals, which could cause a flash or flareup.
Arts and Crafts
Use your hibachi as a mini kiln. Make small items such as cups, salt and pepper shakers, and knickknacks. Use coarse clays such as Jiki-tsuchi and Bizen-tsuchi. Dry each piece to leather hardness with a hair dryer. Fill the hibachi with charcoal and let it burn until it glows. Place your pottery pieces on the grill for 15 minutes. Remove the grill and lay them directly in the ashes for another five minutes. This makes greenware. Remove your greenware pieces from the ashes using tongs and allow to cool. Glaze each piece as desired and return to the grill. Fire pieces one at a time on top of the grill. Use the blow dryer to help the charcoal burn hotter, Keep pieces in the heat until the glaze melts. Allow the fire to die out, then remove the pieces and wash away any excess ash.
Forging Steel
Cut a 2-inch diameter hole in a cast iron hibachi using a cobalt hole saw. Insert an 12-inch long, 2-inch diameter piece of black steel pipe through the hole so that about 2 inches of pipe is inside the hibachi. Use duct tape to attach a hair dryer to the other end of the pipe. Make a slight groove in a chunk of 4-inch-by-4-inch post wood tall enough to sit under the blow dryer, to support it. Fill the hibachi with green coal and chucks of hardwood. Turn on the blower, then heat your steel till it glows orange. Hammer to the shape desired while still glowing orange. When steel reaches red, stop hammering. This "turbo hibachi" has been used by beginning blacksmiths for many years. While it is not effective for long pieces, such as swords or ornamental wrought iron fence pieces, it is fine for making jewelry, small decorative pieces and knives.
Tags: they were, your hibachi, 2-inch diameter, blow dryer, charcoal burn, each piece, Fill hibachi
