We love our Sapling Evaporator for making maple syrup in the early spring. When we designed the Sapling, we set out to create an old-time, barrel-style evaporator to make maple syrup. Something beautiful, efficient, and easy to use. And we succeeded!
Then we thought to ourselves, how can we make this beautiful piece of equipment useful all year round? From there we designed the Sapling Grill Package, the Sapling Smoking Package, and the Sapling Wood-Fired Bread and Pizza Oven Package. We’ve since pushed the boundaries of what we can do on the Sapling from grilling and smoking, to making apple cider syrup, to baking bread, and even brewing beer. The possibilities are endless!
Grilling on the Sapling
Grilling on the Sapling is easy. The Sapling Grill Package has grill grates and a grill lid to fit the Sapling Evaporator. This turns the Sapling Evaporator into a 30″ x 20″ grill. An expansive grilling space to make food for large groups or even meal prepping! We often use it to grill meats for parties at our homes. We’ve fit 14 pounds of chicken for grilling, a 15-pound turkey, 40 sausages (veggie or meat)… you get the picture.
It takes a bit more time to get the grill going and a bit more cleanup time. But the results are so worth the effort! You can grill on the Sapling Everything Grillwith wood or with charcoal. If you are using soft wood, wood gets hot quicker and is suitable for searing, and you can be ready to grill in 10 minutes or so. Charcoal is going to take you at least 20 minutes to get to grilling temperature.
Wood or Charcoal
Depending on what we’re making, and how much, will determine if we use wood or charcoal. If we are aiming for that wood-fired taste, like with a nice steak, we’ll use wood. If we are grilling up rounds of burgers for a party, we’ll rely on the constant slow burn of charcoal.
Whatever combustible you choose to use, to get started, all you need to do is to get your fire started in the sapling firebox. A word of caution, you only need a few pieces of wood in the sapling to get a grilling fire started. Trust us, we’ve overcooked a beautiful steak by assuming a small fire didn’t give off much heat!
Some digital grilling thermometers have an ambient temperature thermometer, as well as one that goes directly into what you are cooking. This is a great way to figure out when your sapling grill is up to heat. However, we’ve been grilling for years, and often can’t be fussed to get our thermometer out. Whatever method you choose, when your grill is up to heat, it’s time for the magic to begin!
Once the grill is up to heat, toss on your grillables of choice! We’ve had loads of grilled veggies, grilled fruits, chicken, burgers, and even hoards of hotdogs on our Sapling Grill. What you cook is up to you! Below we highlight a few of our favorite things to grill on the Sapling.
House Maple BBQ Sauce: Mix equal parts maple syrup, ketchup and apple cider vinegar. Add Worcestershire sauce and red pepper flakes to taste. Brush sauce on whatver you are grilling on your Sapling Everything Grill, and serve more at the table!
Sapling Grill Recipes
One of our favorite things to grill on the Sapling Everything Grill is chicken wings. The wood fire brings a depth of flavor to the wings that is unbeatable, and the large surface area provides enough room to make it the star of the show. Pair with a spicy maple glaze, or go for the traditional Buffalo wing style with cayenne pepper sauce & butter.
Here are a few more of our favorite things to whip up for our friends and family on the Sapling Everything Grill:
MAPLE AND BLACK PEPPER PORK CHOPS
3 Tablespoons butter or olive oil
3 Tablespoons shallots, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
2 cloves garlic, mnced
2 teaspoons freshly and coarsely ground black pepper
6 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons coarse salt
4 pork chops
In a small saucepan, combine the butter or oil, shallots, thyme, garlic, and pepper. Cook over low heat until the garlic is golden brown. Stir in the vinegar, maple syrup and salt. Continue to cook until slightly thicker and then remove from the heat. Lightly oil grill grates over medium heat. Lightly salt the pork chops on each side and grill for 6 minutes per side. Brush the glaze on both sides of each pork chop. Grill until the pork chops have an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
GRILLED MAPLE, PINEAPPLE AND JALAPENO SLAW
1/2 fresh pineapple, sliced into 1″ rounds
1 jalapeno
2 cups shredded green and/or red cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup mayo (vegan or otherwise)
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoons celery seed
Slice jalapeno the long way and grill jalapeno and pineapple over high heat until they are charred on both sides. This will take around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix vegan mayo, rice wine vinegar, dijon mustard, cilantro, maple syrup and celery seed and set aside. Remove the seeds from the jalapeno pepper and mince. Dice the pineapple. In a large bowl mix pineapple and jalapeno with cabbage, carrot, and dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.
Happy sugaring, smoking, grilling, and baking, from our family to yours!
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