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It’s got everything: how to grill the perfect T-bone. Succulent chicken from around the world: Jamaica, Senegal, Brazil, India, Thailand, Uruguay. A perfect meeting of fire and ice: Fire-Roasted Banana Splits. Includes FAQs, problem-solving tips, and comprehensive notes on equipment, ingredients, marinades, rubs—even a chapter on thirst-quenchers to serve while you’re busy fanning the coals.
1. BE ORGANIZED
Have everything you need for grilling-the food, marinade, basting sauce, seasonings, and equipment-on hand and at grillside before you start grilling.
2. GAUGE YOUR FUEL
There's nothing worse than running out of charcoal or gas in the middle of grilling. When using charcoal, light enough to form a bed of glowing coals 3 inches larger on all sides than the surface area of the food you're planning to cook. (A 22 1/2-inch grill needs one chimney's worth of coals). When cooking on a gas grill, make sure the tank is at least one-third full.
3. PREHEAT THE GRILL TO THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE
Remember: Grilling is a high-heat cooking method. In order to achieve the seared crust, charcoal flavor, and handsome grill marks associated with masterpiece grillmanship, you must cook over high heat. How high? At least 500 degrees Farenheit. Although I detail this elsewhere, it is worth repeating: when using charcoal, let it burn until it is covered with a thin coat of gray ash. Hold your hand about 6 inches above the grate. After 3 seconds, the force of the heat should force you to snatch your hand away. When using a gas grill, preheat to high (at least 500 degrees Farenheit); this takes 10 to 15 minutes. When indirect grilling, preheat the grill to 350 degrees Farenheit.
4. KEEP IT CLEAN
There's nothing less appetizing than grilling on dirty old burnt bits of food stuck to the grate. Besides, the food will stick to a dirty grate. Clean the grate twice: once after you've preheated the grill and again when you're finished cooking. The first cleaning will remove any bits of food you may have missed after your last grilling session. Use the edge of a metal spatula to scrape off large bits of food, a stiff brush to finish scrubbing the grate.
5. KEEP IT LUBRICATED
Oil the grate just before placing the food on top, if necessary (some foods don't require that the grates be oiled). Spray it with oil (away from the flames), use a folded paper towel soaked with oil, or rub it with a piece of fatty bacon, beef fat, or chicken skin.
6. TURN, DON'T STAB
The proper way to turn meat on a grill is with tongs or a spatula. Never stab the meat with a carving fork-unless you want to drain the flavor-rich juices onto the coals.
7. KNOW WHEN TO BASTE
Oil-and-vinegar-,citrus-, and yogurt-based bastes and marinades can be brushed on the meat throughout the cooking time. (If you baste with a marinade that you used for raw meat or seafood, do not apply it during the last 3 minutes of cooking.) When using a sugar-based barbecue sauce, apply it toward the end of cooking time. The sugar in these sauces burns easily and should not be exposed to prolonged heat.
8. KEEP IT COVERED
When cooking larger cuts of meat and poultry, such as a whole chicken, leg of lamb, or prime rib, use the indirect method of grilling or barbecuing. Keep the grill tightly covered and resist the temptation to peek. Every time you lift the lid, you add 5 to 10 minutes to the cooking time.
9. GIVE IT A REST
Beef, steak, chicken-almost anything you grill-will taste better if you let it stand on the cutting board for a few minutes before serving. This allows the meat juices, which have been driven to the center of a roast or steak by the searing heat, to return to the surface. The result is a juicier, tastier piece of meat.
10. NEVER DESERT YOUR POST
Grilling is an easy cooking method, but it demands constant attention. Once you put something on the grill (especially when using the direct method), stay with it until it's cooked. This is not the time to answer the phone, make the salad dressing, or mix up a batch of your famous mojitos.
Chapter 2: Thirst Quenchers
Cooking over a hot grill can work up a powerful thirst, and pit masters world-wide know that there are more ways to quench it than with beer. Here, then, is a mix of coolers—with and without alcohol—to accompany any barbecue.
Chapter 3: Warm-Ups
Set your barbecue off to the happiest start with a selection of appetizing openers: Silver Paper Chicken, Honey-Glazed Hong Kong Wings, Shrimp Mousse on Sugarcane. Or how about a smoky Grilled Corn Chowder? They’re all so good they taste like the main event themselves.
Chapter 4: Blazing Salads
Salads play two roles in the world of barbecue. Some, like Grilled Vegetable Caponata and Grilled Pork with a Sweet-Tart Dressing, are themselves grilled dishes. Others set off a grilled dish perfectly. You need go no farther than this chapter to enjoy both kinds.
Chapter 5: Grilled Bread
From irresistible Grilled Garlic Bread Fingers to Catalan Tomato Bread to from-scratch Tandoori-Baked Flat Breads—whether ready-made or homemade, the grill gives bread unmatched flavor and crispiness.
Chapter 6: Whats Your Beef?
Texas-Style Barbecued Brisket and Brazilian Stuffed Rib Roast; Florentine-Style Steak and Bengali Shish Kebabs; Saigon Market Beef Sticks and Korean Grilled Short Ribs. Beef on the grill—savory, succulent, sensational—a perfect match of food and fire.
Chapter 7: High on Hog
Time to go whole hog! Cook up the tenderest North Carolina Pulled Pork or fieriest Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin. Feast on Pork with Moorish Seasonings, Sweet & Garlicky Pork Chops, or finger-licking Memphis-Style Ribs.
Chapter 8: A Little Lamb
So many of the world’s barbecuers love to grill lamb that it’s no wonder the selection of dishes is outstanding. Try Cape Town Lamb from South Aftrica, “Onion Water” Lamb Chops from Afghanistan, and The Real Turkish Shish Kebab from Turkey (of course!)
Chapter 9: Ground Meat, Burgers & Sausages
The U.S. might have the best burgers, but wait till you taste the ground meat concoctions the rest of the world has to offer—Indonesian Flying Fox Satés, Oasis Kebabs from the Middle East, The Original Karim’s Seekh Kebab from India—proving that the appeal of flavorful ground meat is universal.
Chapter 10: Bird Meets Grill
The world loves a great grilled chicken, and here are some recipes to help you achieve greatness: Chicken Satés Served in Lettuce Leaves, Sea Captain’s Chicken Tikka, and Bahamian Grilled Chicken, to name a few. But don’t overlook other birds that cook up deliciously on the grill, as well—check out the recipes for quail, duck and turkey.
Chapter 11: Water Meets Fire: Fish on the Grill
Fresh fish, perfectly grilled, is spectacularly succulent. Don’t miss Whole Grilled Snapper with South African Spices, Grilled Sea Bass with Fresh Artichoke Salad, Grilled Salmon Kiev, and Grilled Sole with Catalan Fruits & Nuts.
Chapter 12: Hot Shells: Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops, and Clams
Grilled Spiny Lobster with Basil Butter, Scallop Kebabs with Pancetta, Lemon, and Basil, Oysters with Horseradish Cream, and enough shrimp recipes to keep the barbie fired up for weeks. Here is shellfish at its best!
Chapter 13: Vegetarian Grill
No longer only just for meat-eaters, now you can serve up a complete range of vegetarian dishes at a barbecue, including The Original Grilled Pizza, exotic Tabdoori Peppers, a lush Provençal Dagwood, and steak-like Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches with Basil Aioli.
Chapter 14: Vegetables: Greens Meet Grill
There is probably no better way to heighten the natural flavor of a vegetable than by grilling. Proof is no farther away than Georgian Vegetable Kebabs, Catalan Grilled Artichokes, Argentinean Grilled Eggplant, Chorizo Grilled Mushrooms, and wonderfully warming Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Dipping Sauce.
Chapter 15: Rice, Beans, and Beyond
Most of the world’s great grilled dishes are accompanied by flavorfully prepared grains and beans. Dig into Persian-Style Steamed Rice and Quick and Smoky Baked Beans. And for something less expected, how about a Yorkshire Pudding on the Grill?
Chapter 16: Sidekicks: Pickles, Relishes, Salsas, and Slaws
Bring on the condiments—those savory, fiery, sweet, and utterly satisfying go-withs that dress up any barbecue. Central Asian Pickles, Onion Relish with Pomegranate Molasses, Pineapple Chutney, “Dog’s Snout” Salsa, and Tomato Peanut Sambal will add pizzazz to even the simplest grilled chicken, steak, or fish.
Chapter 17: Sauces
All great pit masters are judged on their barbecue sauces and you’ll match the best of them with this far-reaching collection. From a sweet-sour Basic Barbeque Sauce to a contemporary Ginger-Plum Barbecue Sauce to a mouth-scorching Portuguese Piri-Piri, there are plenty to match any grilled dish.
Chapter 18: Rub It In
Memphis Rub and Indian Roasted Spice Powder; Mexican Smoked Chile Marinade and Teriyaki Marinade; Roquefort Butter, Ketjap Butter, and Bourbon Butter Basting Sauce. A full selection of rubs, marinades, butters, and bastes add zip to even the simplest fare.
Chapter 19: Fire and Ice: Desserts
No great barbecue is complete without a great dessert. Whether you end with a final flourish on the grill or with a luscious frozen dessert, you won’t go wrong. Don’t forget to leave room for Fire-Roasted Apples, Balinese Grilled Bananas in Coconut Milk Caramel, Persian Lemon and Rose Water “Sundae” with Sour Cherry Syrup, and Coconut Ice Cream.
“For aspiring gourmets of the grill…there is only one book: The Barbecue! Bible” –The New Yorker
“The results will whisk you around the world, without ever having to leave your grill.” –The New York Times
Singapore
1. Rinse the wings under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Make 2 or 3 deep slashes, to the bone, in the meaty part of each wing. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate while you prepare the spice paste.
2. Combine the shallots, garlic, ginger, and chiles in a food processor and process to a smooth paste. Add 1/4 cup of the oil, the soy sauces, and five-spice powder and process until smooth.
3. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a wok or small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring constantly, until thick, brown, and very flavorful, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
4.Add the cooled spice paste to the chicken and turn the wings to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for at least six hours or as long as 24 (the longer the better).
5. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
6. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Arrange the wings on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until the thicker wing sections are o longer pink near the bone, 12 to 16 minutes in all.
7. Transfer the wings to a serving plate and serve.
Makes 16 whole wings; serves 4 to 8 as an appetizer.
Australia
1. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Set aside while you prepare the marinade.
2.Combine three tablespoons of the sesame oil, the rice wine, soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds, chile sauce (if using), and five-spice powder in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Stir in the garlic, ginger, scallions, and shrimp to coat, then cover and let marinate in the refrigerator, for 30 to 60 minutes.
3. Prepare the grill to high.
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the marinade to a bowl and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil. Pour the marinade into a saucepan; remove and discard the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites, using the slotted spoon. Bring the marinade to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, uncovered, to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. When ready to cook, oil the grate. Arrange the shrimp on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on the outside and firm and pink inside, about 2 minutes per side. Brush the shrimp with the glaze as they cook.
6. Transfer the shrimp to serving plates and or a platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
1. Preheat the grill to high.
2. Peel the pineapple, cut it in half lengthwise, and remove the core. Cut each half lengthwise, and remove the core. Cut each half lengthwise into quarters. You should have 8 pieces.
3. When ready to cook, arrange the pineapple pieces, bell peppers, and poblano chile on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until nicely charred on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
4. Cut the cooled pineapple into 1-inch dice. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1-inch dice. Combine the pineapple, bell pepper, poblano, scotch bonnet, ginger, onion, cilantro, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a serving bowl and toss gently to mix. Correct the seasoning, adding more lime juice or sugar as necessary; the salsa should be highly seasoned. Serve within 3 hours of making.
Makes 6 to 8 cups, enough to serve 6 to 8
Anonymous
Posted June 16, 2008
The holy grail for grillers! Excellent easy recipes that work!
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Posted May 5, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Have not found a bad recipe in all I have tried. By far one of the best Barbeque books in print.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 13, 2002
this is a wonderful book. it not only has great recipes, it goes deep into the fundamentals of all types of grilling. i learned more from this book than i have learned from thirty years of experimentation, just buy it.
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Overview
From “America’s master griller” (Esquire), here’s the biggest, baddest, best salute to our passion for barbecue, now in a full-color edition. A 500-recipe celebration of sizzle and smoke, Steven Raichlen’s award-winning The Barbecue! Bible unlocks the secrets of live-fire cooking with top dishes, the tastiest sauces, and insider techniques and tips.
It’s got everything: how to grill the perfect T-bone. Succulent chicken from around the world: Jamaica, Senegal, Brazil, India, ...