Schwenking (to swivel) is a southern German BBQ tradition from the Saarland. A Schwenker is a grill on which the Schwenker steak (Schwenkbraten) typically is grilled. The Schwenker consists of a fire bowl (or just a campfire) and a swinging grill hung from a tripod or in fewer cases from a gallows-like structure. Schwenkers are sometimes created from various handy materials in an impromptu fashion, but “Schwenk-Grills” can be purchased in local German supermarkets, and in DIY stores also (1). One of the biggest Schwenker manufacturers in Germany is in Idar Oberstein.
When I decided to return to Germany I wanted to take something back with me that reflected my German and American heritage; so I invented the AutoSchwenker™. It adds a modern touch of automatically rotating the grill using the heat from the fire itself. The American tradition of ‘Hot Rodding’ can be applied to anything. :)
Now my AutoSchwenker™ is being introduced in America under the name of TurboGrill™ by The American Grill Revolution. Their TurboGrill™ is designed to be attached to a 22 inch Weber® charcoal grill. The biggest benefit of the TurboGrill™ is the simplicity with which anyone can produce BBQ of this quality.
I hope you will enjoy becoming a Schwenkmeister in the future. Enjoy!