Reasons to fire up this Lunar New Year

As friends and relatives flood your home for the annual reunion, here’s why we think the grill can heat up your lunar celebrations and reignite the age old celebration.

1. Amplify the classics

If you’ve always thought that grills are just for ribs, sausages and steaks—are you in for a surprise. More than just grilling, Weber grills also give you the freedom to roast, steam, bake, stir-fry and make classic reunion table dishes with enhanced smoky flavors that only a grill can bring.

If you hop on over to our recipes, you’ll also easily find new recipes to try just for this celebration, like juicy Prosperity Lion Head Meatballs. The origins of the dish are debated—some say it’s from Yangzhou while another source says it’s a Huai’an dish, but what’s certain is that this grilled version is uniquely Weber (and so much simpler!) and can even be made on our most compact Q grills.

If you’re joining someone else’s reunion party, or simply want to bring along a homemade gift when doing your visiting rounds, a simple dessert snack like Egg Tarts will always be welcomed (we bet you didn’t think you could make these with a grill!). Requiring only four ingredients (frozen pastry cups, eggs, milk and sugar), they will definitely be a nice change from the store-bought biscuits and snacks typically served.

2. Healthy indulgence

Festive seasons are for bingeing and the Lunar New Year is no different. As you pile the Weber-grilled Char Siew onto your overflowing plate, perhaps the furthest thing from your mind is how healthy it is. That’s okay, it is hard to imagine that such delicious flavors could also be good for your body.

Despite common assumption, grilling is healthier than most cooking methods as excess grease and drippings are left at the bottom of your grill instead of pooling on your plate.

With grilling, typically healthy but boring dishes that you only ‘resort to’ when you feel the need to go on a diet are also transformed and infused with an abundance of flavors only grilling can bring. Don’t take our word for it, try dishes like our Courgette Salad!

3. No fuss cleanup

Your list of chores are endless and the last thing you want to do is to prepare a feast for a large family and have to deal with washing the pan or wok when cooking different dishes, or the pile-up of cooking apparatus in the sink when you’re done.

With grills, cleaning is a lot simpler with no complicated soaping, soaking, scrubbing and drying process needed. How? First you need to burn off food bits left on the grates by preheating your grill on high for 10-15 minutes, then just brush the grates using a grill brush. That’s it!

4. Avoid uncomfy questions with grill facts

Like… the fact that you can make desserts—like the egg tart you just served—with a grill. Nothing quite ruins the mood when nosy (though well-meaning) relatives ask you highly inappropriate personal questions. They probably don’t mean it, but the status of your relationship (or lack of) is an easy go-to when there’s an awkward lack of conversation topics.

So create your own and preserve the cheerful atmosphere by offering to share with them the finer points of cooking with a grill, like how Weber’s covered grilling results in delicious smoky flavored food that is also healthier. If you’re at a loss for ideas on what to say, just use one of our featured stories!