Ninja’s “World of Woodfire” proved to be a real smoke-show
On one of those rare, beautiful days in Auckland’s autumn, I was lucky enough to be invited to Ninja’s ‘World of Woodfire’ event at Waiheke’s picturesque Mudbrick winery. I am famously one of the worst people to invite to a barbecue. Rather than help in any meaningful capacity, I tend to hide myself away in the kitchen, drinking wine and rearranging condiments until someone cries out that kai is ready. But thanks to my newfound barbecue skills (or rather, how ridiculously easy the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker is to use), I can hold my head up high amongst the most seasoned of grill masters.
For starters, we were walked through making a bacon brownie on the Ninja Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven by none other than James Smith of The Tattooed Butcher fame. This led to two revelations – firstly that bacon on top of brownie is an incredible idea, on par with the invention of salted caramel. Secondly, that the Ninja Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven is the product I’ve been missing my whole life.
You can dehydrate fruit, create the most delicious wood-fired pizza, pop the Sunday roast on and smoke meat to perfection. If you’re anything like me and confused about the whole concept of cooking with wood fire in general, fear not, you don’t have to run out and buy a bag of charcoal. All the Outdoor Oven needed was a scoop of Ninja Woodfire Pellets and away it went. Take it to your bach, next birthday celebration, camping trip or outdoor party.
Up next was cooking a tomahawk steak on the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker. The best part of this was undoubtedly the smart probe. Simply stick the probe into your cut of meat, select what you’re cooking on the smart screen and how cooked you’d like it, then close the lid and walk away. If this is cooking, I could get used to this. We got a beep when it was time to turn the steak over, and then another beep when it was ready to eat. When I say it was the best steak of my life, reader, I am not lying. Perfectly tender, gorgeously cooked and packed with flavour. Even the legendary Mudbrick restaurant offerings paled in comparison to the cooking we were doing on their front doorstep. It felt like a 5-star meal, created from my incompetent hands.
The grill can also be used as an air fryer for all the air fryer fans out there, as well as the usual baking, roasting, dehydrating and reheating. There’s no charcoal, propane gas or flare-ups, which makes it perfect for balcony and apartment cooking. If I could have smuggled it home with me, I would have. As it stood, I managed to hijack a few recipe cards so I’ll be well-prepared for the next time I encounter a Ninja grill or oven.
For more information on the Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker or Ninja Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven, head to ninjakitchen.co.nz.
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