Vehicle tailgate cooking apparatus and method

Abstract

Disclosed is a cooking apparatus capable of insertion into a vehicle tailgate cutout used for cooking food. In embodiments, the invention relates to vehicle tailgates having a cutout specially adapted for receiving the cooking apparatus inserts disclosed herein and vehicles with vehicle tailgates disclosed herein. The invention also relates to methods of cooking food using vehicles of the present invention and methods of making vehicle tailgate cooking assemblies.

1 . A cooking insert assembly for cooking food capable of insertion into a vehicle tailgate cutout, said cooking insert assembly comprising: 
 (a) a bottom having an outer edge;    (b) a wall attached to said outer edge such that said bottom and said wall define an insert interior volume for placement of cooking means; and    (c) a plurality of connectors for attaching a cooking surface to said insert.    
   
   
       2 . The cooking insert assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a latch box connected to said wall for locking the tailgate into a vertical position and unlocking the tailgate from a vertical position.  
   
   
       3 . The cooking assembly of  claim 2  wherein the cooking means is a solid fuel or a gas fuel.  
   
   
       4 . The cooking insert assembly of  claim 2  further comprising: 
 (a) one or more gas tube inlets for introducing a gas fuel to said insert interior volume; and    (b) a burner connected to said one or more gas tube inlets.    
   
   
       5 . The cooking assembly of  claim 4  wherein said one or more gas tube inlets is located in said latch box.  
   
   
       6 . The cooking assembly of  claim 4  further comprising a side burner operably connected to said cooking assembly.  
   
   
       7 . The cooking assembly of  claim 2  further comprising a smoker cover assembly connected to said cooking insert assembly.  
   
   
       8 . The cooking assembly of  claim 2  wherein said bottom or said wall or said bottom and said wall is sloped to collect grease generated from cooking.  
   
   
       9 . The cooking assembly of  claim 8  further comprising one or more grease collectors located in said bottom for collecting grease generated by cooking.  
   
   
       10 . A vehicle tailgate comprising a cutout for receiving a cooking assembly insert.  
   
   
       11 . The tailgate of  claim 10  further comprising the insert assembly of  claim 2  in said cutout and connected to said tailgate.  
   
   
       12 . The tailgate of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 (a) a gas line for delivering gas to said insert, said gas line having a first end and a second end;    (b) a coupler attached at said first end for receiving gas from a fuel source;    (c) a gas valve control connected to said gas line second end for controlling the amount of gas delivered to said cooking assembly insert; and    (d) a burner connected to said gas valve control such that when the gas is ignited heat is generated by said burner.    
   
   
       13 . A vehicle comprising the tailgate of  claim 10 .  
   
   
       14 . A vehicle comprising the tailgate of  claim 12 .  
   
   
       15 . A method of cooking food comprising: 
 (a) providing a vehicle of  claim 13;     (b) attaching a cooking surface to said insert assembly;    (c) supplying a source of fuel to said insert interior volume;    (d) igniting said fuel to generate heat for cooking; and    (e) placing food on said cooking surface, thereby cooking the food.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the source of fuel is selected from the group consisting of charcoal, wood, woodchips, briquettes, lava rocks, propane, butane, and electricity.  
   
   
       17 . A method of making a vehicle tailgate cooking assembly comprising: 
 (a) supplying a vehicle tailgate; and    (b) cutting a portion of said vehicle tailgate to obtain a vehicle cutout tailgate for receiving a cooking insert assembly.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising: 
 (a) placing a cooking insert assembly in said vehicle cutout tailgate; and    (b) mounting said cooking assembly to said vehicle tailgate.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said cooking insert assembly is the insert assembly of  claim 2.