Pit Boss

The ABC's of Grilling with Steven Raichlen

By Cynthia Glover

The smoke curls up in tender wisps, then billows and roils as a driblet of fat hits the fire. Cookbook author Steven Raichlen pokes and jostles bright yellow ears of corn on the grill, brushing them with vivid green cilantro butter. He carefully turns sugared rounds of golden pineapple. His shoulders lower slowly, and a calm, satisfied grin arcs across his face. It's a primordial relationship, this congress of man and fire. And it's obvious that Raichlen, who has traveled the world seeking recipes for his 1999 Julia Child Cookbook Award-winning, The Barbecue Bible, needs little more than live fire and colorful ingredients to feel at home. In Baltimore to visit his dear Granny Ethel, this former native (now resident of Florida's Coconut Grove) stops by to give us a lesson in one of summer's favorite pastimes.
         "It's the world's most universal and popular cooking method," he says. "It's very democratic. Bubbas do it, designer chefs do it, guys on their backyard patios do it." But my question is this: Do women do it? In this country at least, grilling and its uniquely North American counterpart, barbecuing, are men's work. According to Raichlen, fire does seem to be a guy thing world-over. Yet, when he regales me with tales about barbecue alley at the Mercado 20 de Noviembre in Oaxaca, it's girl grill jockeys he's talking about. Same with street food vendors in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. I'm inspired to be shy no more when it comes to this most ancient rite.
         Raichlen's recipes make it easy. Catalan tomato bread, a dish gleaned from the tables of Barcelona, is nearly effortless to make. And yet the conjoining of grilled bread, juicy tomato, and excellent olive oil is anything but ordinary. Piri-piri chicken hails from South Africa, its marinade infused with a red-hot pepper sauce beloved by the Portuguese colonists who once inhabited neighboring Mozambique and Angola. Grilled corn with shadon beni butter, is a taste-treat inspired by a popular Trinidadian herb called culantro. And the grilled sugar-dipped pineapple, an American creation, is an absolute showstopper, inspired by the grilled fruits of southeast Asia.
         Summer's here---time to fire up the grill. And hey there, girls, let's not let the guys have all the fun. The pleasure of live fire is egalitarian, and the eating sublime.

Recipes
Catalan Tomato Bread
Piri-Piri Chicken
Grilled Corn with Shadon Beni Butter
Grilled Sugar-Dipped Pineapple

Grilling Tips
Fires never burn the same way twice, but Raichlen's methods give better control. Indirect grilling is for big cuts of meat---think pork shoulder, rib roast---while direct grilling suits smaller foods like fruits, vegetables, and individual portions of meat.

Charcoal grills: Use natural hardwood charcoal rather than briquettes. It burns cleaner and hotter, and adds no chemical taste to the food. Light the coals in a chimney starter. When they're blazing red, spread them as directed below, then wait until they're covered with a fine layer of ash.

• For direct grilling, create three zones. Place a double layer of coals in one third of the kettle (hot), a single layer in another (medium), and none in the final zone (warm).
• For indirect grilling, spread the coals in two crescents at either side of the kettle. Place the food and drip pan in the center.

Recipes

Catalan Tomato Bread
Serves 8

4 fresh, very ripe tomatoes, cut in half
4 cloves garlic, cut in half (optional)
8 slices country-style bread, cut 1/2 inch thick
Cruet of extra-virgin olive oil
Small bowl of coarse kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1. Use direct grilling method. If using gas, cook on medium-high.
2. Place a half tomato and half garlic clove (if using) on each person's plate.
3. When ready to cook, grill bread slices until nicely browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Place a piece of grilled bread on each plate. To eat, rub bread slice with cut garlic, then with cut tomato. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Piri-Piri Chicken
Serves 4 to 8

2 whole chickens (3-1/2 to 4 pounds each)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 tablespoons Piri Piri (recipe below) or other hot sauce
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and sliced
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 piece (1 inch) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Spatchcock the chickens (see instructions below), then place them in a large, nonreactive bowl.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a blender and process to a smooth puree. Pour half this sauce over the chickens, coating them well. Refrigerate remaining sauce, bringing it to room temperature before serving time. Cover and let chickens marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours (the longer the better).
3. Use indirect grilling method (see box), placing a drip pan in the center. If using gas, cook on medium.
4. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Place the chickens, skin side up, on the hot grate, reserving any marinade in the bowl. Brush chickens with the marinade, then cover the grill and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and brush chickens with marinade. Cover and continue grilling until juices run clear from thickest part of the thigh or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 180 degrees F. For crisp skin, place the chickens skin side down on the grate directly over the fire for the last 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Using spatulas, carefully transfer chickens to a platter; let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with the reserved sauce.

Piri-Piri Sauce
Makes about 1-1/2 cups

6 to 12 pimenta malagueta or other hot red chilies
1 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup hot water

Grilled Corn with Shadon Beni Butter
Serves 8

8 ears corn
8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 scallions, both white and green parts, trimmed and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Use direct grilling method (see box). If using gas, grill on high.
2. Shuck corn and set aside.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Or, mince herbs and garlic really fine and stir them directly into the butter.
4. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Arrange corn on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned, 8 to 12 minutes. As corn cooks, brush occasionally with the butter. Remove from grill, brush once more with butter. Serve immediately.

Grilled Sugar-Dipped Pineapple
Serves 8 to 10

1 ripe pineapple
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup dark rum (optional)

1. Use direct grilling method (see box). If using gas, grill on high.
2. Peel and core pineapple. Slice the fruit into 8 or 10 even rounds.
3. When ready to cook, place melted butter in a shallow bowl; combine sugar, lime zest, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Bring both bowls grillside. Oil the grill grate. Dip each slice of pineapple first in melted butter, then in sugar mixture, shaking off the excess. Grill the pineapple slices on the hot grate, turning with tongs, until browned and sizzling, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer the slices to plates or a platter.
4. If using the rum, warm it in a small flameproof saucepan on one side of the grill; do not let it boil or even become hot. Remove it from the heat and then, making sure your sleeves are rolled up and hair is tied back, light a long match and ignite the rum, averting your face as you do so. Carefully pour the flaming rum over the pineapple and serve immediately.

Click here to find out more about Steven Raichlen and his Barbecue Bible.

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