As anyone experienced with barbecuing would be quick to tell you, not all grills are created equal. The right grill with the right fuel can make it that much easier to cook your food to perfection, creating a distinctive flavor that everyone will love.
While typical American BBQ grills are certainly serviceable, grilling traditions from other parts of the globe have become increasingly popular in recent years. This is especially true of South American grilling techniques from places like Argentina and Brazil.
Now, genuine Argentine grills — also known as Santa Maria grills — are available right here from Kitchen & Bath Authority. Tagwood BBQ grills are designed to deliver the ultimate grilling experience, and are sure to completely transform your next gathering with friends or family. Here’s what you should know about these dynamic, exciting grills.
What is a Santa Maria Grill?
First, it may help to understand how a traditional Argentine grill differs from what we’re used to in the United States. Santa Maria grills use a deceptively simple design that gives the cook total control over cooking temperature and more.
Grilling is much more than just a hobby in Argentina — the term “asado” refers to both the style of preparing the meat, as well as the social event associated with the barbecue. Beef, chicken, pork, chorizo and more make up the menu. Each chef has their own technique, adjusting factors like cook time and distance from the coals based on their personal preferences.
These grilling traditions date back to the era of the “gauchos”, or cowboys, of Argentina’s Pampa region, who drew from Italian cooking traditions to prepare the meat that was available to them while on the range. Over time, these grilling customs evolved into a big part of the natural culture, and simple grilling techniques led to the development of more refined Santa Maria grills.
Santa Maria grills feature a flat grill grate mounted over a box or “brasero” that houses the fuel. The grills use either charcoal or wood, though many cooks prefer flavor-infusing woods such as pecan, hickory, or red oak. This creates smoky fires, while allowing cooks to achieve high heat.
Most importantly, the grates used in Santa Maria grills are height-adjustable. A crank wheel raises or lowers the grill grate as needed, giving the user total control over the cooking temperature. Moving the grate closer to the fire sears the meat, while raising the grate away from the coals makes it easy to perform slow cooking. This is paired with a component known as the firebrick, which spreads heat evenly throughout the grill, while reducing heat transmission to the grill’s outside panels.
The Tagwood Story
Unsurprisingly, Tagwood BBQ grills grew from a passion for this style of grilling. Founders Juan Vinci and Walter Afonso were born and raised in Argentina, where they and their friends grew up watching family members work at Argentine Santa Maria grills. The asado was a way of gathering together with loved ones — both for enjoying a great meal and participating in the grilling experience.
Even as they went into entrepreneurship, this passion for grilling stayed with them. After many years of successful business experience, Vinci and Afonso decided to use their passion for grilling to design their own Santa Maria grills.
In an email, Vinci explained how Tagwood loves to focus on actual grillers by observing them and understanding their problems to come up with innovative and creative solutions. As grilling fanatics themselves, they want to ensure that each cook who uses their grills has a great experience.
Rather than taking a “mechanical engineer” approach to designing grills, they put themselves in the shoes of the end user. They use their own knowledge and experiences to consider what would make the grilling experience even better. Quite often, ideas for designs or add-ons come as they use their own products!
By using high-quality materials and designs, Tagwood aims to help more people grill like a pro, allowing them to achieve the unique, savory flavor that is only possible with Argentine asado grilling. Ultimately, this allows grillers to create their own asado traditions, bringing family and friends together for good food and good times.
Tagwood Grills & Accessories
Here at Kitchen & Bath Authority, we are proud to offer several Tagwood BBQ grill products to help you transform your cooking space.
The TAGWOOD BBQ BBQ01SS Ultimate Series 67 Inch Argentine Free-Standing Charcoal Grill with Lid is made from 304 stainless steel. This grill utilizes three separate grilling areas. The main grate uses the Argentine height-adjustable system, while the griddle and secondary grate provide a great space for cooking vegetables and other sides. In total, the grill boasts 871 square inches of cooking space.
The top lid can be closed to capture more heat for roasting meat. Firebricks on the bottom and right wall spread heat evenly, while the brasero firebox helps light up wood or charcoal that much quicker. Swivel casters allow you to move this grill wherever you want, while added features like a water drain system, side table, and bottle opener provide extra functionality and durability. Backed by a 5-year limited warranty, you can count on this grill to deliver delicious results time and time again.
The TAGWOOD BBQ BBQ03SS Ultimate Series 67 Inch Argentine Free-Standing Charcoal Grill is another excellent mobile grilling option. 731 square inches of total grilling space are spaced across four separate grilling areas. In addition to the height adjustable main grate, the secondary grate, and griddle, this grill also comes with 8 S-shape meat hooks. These meat hooks allow you to smoke or slow cook a wide variety of food — a popular technique in traditional Argentine asado.
This variety of grilling options gives you true versatility for your barbecuing. You could slow-cook a half of lamb over the course of several hours, or quickly fire up some burgers. Rounded grill grates provide an optimal grilling surface that is easy to season and clean. As with other Tagwood products, this grill comes with a UV-resistant grill cover, as well as a steel shovel and coal rake made from 304 stainless steel.
If you prefer a built-in grilling solution, the TAGWOOD BBQ BBQ05SS Ultimate Series 48 Inch Built-In Charcoal Grill is the perfect fit. The smallest of our Tagwood grills, it still offers an impressive 561 square inches of total grilling area, with an interchangeable griddle, height adjustable grates, and 8 S-shape meat hooks.
As with other Tagwood products, this grill is made from 304 stainless steel for premium durability and functionality. Round grates, a gaucho-style brasero for lighting charcoal or wood, and firebrick integration make it easy to achieve the grilling results you want, whether you’re cooking salmon or a rack of ribs.
For the ultimate high-end grilling experience, you can’t go wrong with the TAGWOOD BBQ BBQ02SI Chief Series 63 Inch Argentine Free-Standing Charcoal Grill. This grill boasts six separate grilling surfaces, giving you the versatility needed to let your cooking creativity run wild. In addition to the height-adjustable main grate, this grill also features two swivel secondary grates and griddles, a warming rack, a height-adjustable asador (grilling basket), and 16 S-shape meat hooks. The result is a total 1,384 square inches of grilling space.
The grill also features a spacious area beneath the cooking surface for storing firewood or charcoal, as well as a vent hood for funneling smoke away from the cooking area. This attractive design is, of course, made with 304 stainless steel, and includes all the add-ons found in other Tagwood grills, such as a side table attachment, firebrick bottom, gaucho-style firebox, round grates, and more, all backed by a 5-year limited warranty. It’s the perfect addition to your backyard.
In addition to the grills themselves, Tagwood also produces several grilling accessories to further improve your cooking experience. The TAGWOOD BBQ BBQ10SS 35 Inch Stainless Steel Working Table gives you a spacious, mobile prep area. This heavy duty countertop with a height-adjustable lower shelf makes it easy to transport food out to the grill, or to cut and season your meat. This prep table provides a total of 835 square inches of workspace, giving you all the space you need to get things ready for the grill.
Though they are also included with each Tagwood grill, you can also purchase the TAGWOOD BBQ BBQ11SS Stainless Steel Shovel and Poker separately. At 35 inches long, these handy tools allow you to work at any part of the grill without getting too close to the fire. Manufactured with 304 stainless steel, you can have confidence that they will last just as long as the grill itself.
Get Your Grilling Supplies From Kitchen & Bath Authority
If you’re ready to shake up your standard grilling experience, Tagwood BBQ grills are a great place to start. Argentine asado could easily become your new favorite method of grilling meat, vegetables, and more!
As with all other products sold on our site, you can have confidence that these grills will meet — and exceed — your quality expectations. Our customer support team is also readily available to answer any questions you might have about these BBQ products.
Of course, we strive to make these and other purchases more affordable with free shipping, as well as deals and promotions that are regularly offered on items throughout our store, with additional exclusive deals being made available to those who join our membership program.
No matter what your future BBQ plans look like, Kitchen & Bath Authority makes it easy to turn those grilling dreams into reality. Place your order today so you can start grilling!
