· 3 min read
What is a Josper grill? Charcoal cooking and wagyu at Sfumato
The Josper is a closed charcoal oven-grill. Here is how it works, why it suits Australian wagyu, and what we cook in ours in Business Bay.
Look into the open kitchen at Sfumato and you will see a black steel box with a glow behind its door. That is our Josper, and it is responsible for some of the most-ordered dishes on the menu, from the wagyu ribeye to a humble head of cauliflower.
A grill and an oven in one
The Josper was created in Barcelona in 1969. It combines a charcoal grill with a closed oven: the charcoal burns inside an insulated chamber and, because the door is shut, the heat builds up to around 300–350 °C while the smoke stays in. Food cooks fast, takes on the flavour of real charcoal and keeps more of its moisture than it would on an open grill.
For a kitchen, that means two things. Meat gets a deep crust in very little time, and vegetables pick up a smoky character that is hard to achieve any other way. It also means the cooks have to be precise; at that temperature a minute too long shows on the plate.
Why it suits wagyu
Australian wagyu with a marbling score of MB4 and above has fine streaks of fat running through the muscle. Under intense, dry heat that fat renders quickly, basting the meat from the inside while the outside chars. The Josper’s closed chamber helps keep that richness in rather than letting it drip away into flames.
- Ribeye, Australian wagyu MB4+ — with wild mushrooms, chimichurri and a green peppercorn sauce.
- Tenderloin, Australian wagyu MB4+ — with bone marrow bordelaise, charred leek and crispy shallots.
- Wagyu garum burger — caramelised onion, American cheese, herbed fries and plum ketchup.
Not only meat
Some of our favourite Josper dishes have no meat at all. Miso cauliflower is roasted whole in the charcoal heat, then dressed with stracciatella, pickled mustard seeds, romesco and chimichurri. At breakfast, the Sfumato Breakfast comes with a Josper-roasted tomato that tastes nothing like a pan-fried one.
How to order
For two people, a good approach is to share one wagyu cut with a couple of sides — the French fries with caviar and crème fraîche, pommes aligot or grilled king oyster mushrooms with miso and hazelnuts — and start with something from the raw bar, such as the seabass ceviche or the beef tartare. Tell us how you like your meat cooked; the team will advise on the right temperature for each cut.
The Josper section is part of our à la carte menu, served from noon at the ME Dubai in Opus Tower. You do not need to book, but for larger tables a WhatsApp message helps us prepare.
