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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780760363430 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Harvard Common Press |
| Publication date: | 05/14/2019 |
| Series: | Great Outdoor Cooking Series |
| Pages: | 208 |
| Sales rank: | 391,911 |
| Product dimensions: | 9.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Getting Started
Cooking over a live fire may feel primordial, but modern advances in grilling technology make it easier than ever to turn out a great meal over an open flame. Whether you're just getting started with outdoor cooking or you're upgrading your backyard setup, the good news is that live-fire cooking doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment. The not-really-bad news is: All of the options available on the market can be mind-boggling.
If you're starting from scratch, I'll break down what you need to outfit your backyard kitchen, stock your pantry, and build a proper cooking fire. With some basic gear in your grilling arsenal, a little know-how, and lots of practice (dinner parties and BBQs just because!), you can master the flames and make delicious food without making a big production out of it.
Common Types of Live-Fire Cooking at Home
Open Fire Pit
Before there were grills, there were campfires. This primal method of cooking is thrilling and beautiful in its simplicity. It can be dug into the earth or encircled with rocks, bricks, or metal rings to contain the flames. Open fire pits are conducive to ember roasting and direct grilling, with or without a grate.
Pros: Easy to DIY and adaptable to any budget. Building your own fire pit (see page 38) also gives you the freedom to make it as large as you need.
Cons: Fire pits generally require a sizable amount of open space to build, and special finishes and accessories can easily inflate the overall cost.
Vessel Fire Pit
This is the type of fire pit you'll find in most backyards. The contemporary design contains the fire in a bowl, trough, or other vessel, and its main purpose is to provide heat. However, some manufacturers offer add-ons that include cooking grates, warming racks, and rotisserie systems to turn backyard fire pits into instant grilling stations.
Pros: Fast setup and suitable for small spaces. With a wide variety of designs, these fire pits are also attractive enough to blend into their surroundings.
Cons: Because vessel fire pits typically aren't intended for cooking, they may be less than stable when grilling attachments are added, or too small to cook for a crowd.
Open Grill
The simplest of all grills, an open grill is a metal or stone box with burning wood or charcoal at the bottom. The food is placed over the fire with or without a cooking grate. Open grills include tabletop and table grills and Japanese hibachi. They're ideal for high-heat direct grilling and quick-cooking foods, which cover the majority of what people typically grill at home.
Pros: Easy enough for anyone to start grilling without a large learning curve. Smaller models are portable enough to travel with you.
Cons: Environmental factors (such as wind or rain) may limit grill performance. The lack of a lid also necessitates buying a different grill when you're ready to expand your grilling repertory.
Covered Grill
Add a lid that you can raise or lower to the open grill and you end up with a covered grill that most people think of when they think "grilling." This includes charcoal kettle grills, kamado-style grills, and steel drum grills. While a lid sounds like a simple innovation, it opens the door to two other important methods of live-fire cooking: indirect grilling and smoking.
Pros: More precise temperature control and more flexibility in the types of meals you can make.
Cons: Learning how to use the dampers may require a bit of trial and error (and overcooked food). Well-appointed models can be expensive.
Grilling Tools and Accessories
When I was an occasional weekend griller, I used to schlep all kinds of things from my kitchen to the grill and back. After one too many times forgetting "this" or needing "that," it finally dawned on me to create an outdoor kitchen where I could stash my utensils, cleaning supplies, and other grilling necessities that were scattered all over our kitchen, garage, and laundry room.
My makeshift outdoor kitchen isn't anything fancy, and, in fact, it's not even a kitchen. It's an industrial wire shelving unit a few steps from my grill. The well-stocked and protected storage area (otherwise known as my grilling command center) is how I organize my charcoal and smoking wood (see The Outdoor Pantry, page 17) and an array of tools and accessories that finally have a neat, clean, and permanent place where they can be seen and used often.
For me, that's the key to turn grilling from a weekend activity into a weeknight ritual: make a space that inspires it, gets you excited, and leaves you feeling relaxed as you kick back with a beer. One day, I might have the outdoor kitchen of my dreams. But for now I'm happy with how I've made it work and how it's gotten me cooking outside more often.
Chimney starter: If you use a charcoal grill, this essential tool ignites the coals quickly and evenly with no unlit coals lingering on the periphery. While most people use a chimney starter to light charcoal, you can also use it to light wood chunks to kick-start your wood fire (see page 25).
Fire starters: Paper may be free, but if you want to make sure your fuel source catches fire, a long-burning natural fire starter helps that happen. My favorite fire starters are fatwood (derived from the resinous stumps of pine trees), compressed cedar sawdust (such as Super Cedar), and wax-coated wood shavings (such as WoolyWood).
Long-handled lighter: Butane lighters with flexible necks are the most useful for reaching into a fire pit or keeping your hands a safe distance from the flames.
Heat-resistant gloves: Invest in a quality pair of heavy-duty leather gloves (preferably elbow length) or welding gloves for protection from searing heat.
Galvanized steel oil pan: Yes, this is the same pan you might use to drain oil from your car or make a fire in a "Leave No Trace" campsite — the latter being how I was introduced to these virtually indestructible all-purpose pans. At home, I use an oil pan to hold coals for Dutch oven cooking, or as a fireproof area to stash a chimney after it's emptied. In fact, it makes a good landing spot for anything hot that comes off the grill, such as grates and cast iron cookware.
Galvanized steel ash bucket with lid: Keep one by your grill to safely dispose of ashes. (Read more about proper ash disposal on page 29.)
Grill brush: Many grill brushes feature stiff wire bristles on one side and a metal scraper on the other, but the best ones have the bristles anchored in thick twisted wire. Avoid cheap grill brushes that may shed their bristles over time, as there is a rare but documented chance the bristles may end up in your food.
Grill wipes: Grate Chef Grill Wipes are indispensable in my outdoor kitchen, as they make oiling and cleaning the grill almost effortless.
Grill rake: Also called an ash rake or a grill hoe, this tool is designed for raking hot coals into cooking zones. A long-handled spatula or pair of tongs also works, or you can repurpose your old fireplace shovel for the grill. For large in-ground fire pits, a garden hoe can be used.
Long-handled tongs: Of all the grilling tools I own, tongs are the most well used, as they're an extension of my hands. I have two pairs of tongs for manipulating a variety of foods (one for raw meat and another for turning and serving), and a separate "dirty" pair for moving coals around the grill.
Long-handled spatulas: Get a thin-bladed spatula for flipping burgers and maneuvering awkwardly shaped foods and a second one with a wider, slotted blade that's useful for turning whole fish and fish fillets.
Basting brush: This is a must for brushing, basting, and glazing food before, during, and after grilling. I like the ones with detachable heads and silicone bristles, as they're a snap to clean.
Stainless steel skewers: These are far more practical than wood, and I prefer skewers at least 14 inches (35 cm) long with flat, wide sides to keep the food from spinning.
Cast iron pots and pans: If you want to venture into cast iron cooking, these three items will up your grill game: an 8-quart (7.7 L) Dutch oven, 12-inch (30 cm) skillet, and 15 x 12-inch (37.5 x 30 cm) plancha. Learn how to season, clean, and use them in chapter 4 (see page 100).
Wood planks: If you're serious about grilling, add a set of wood planks to your grilling arsenal. I cover these in more detail in chapter 6 (see page 176).
Grill grate: If you use a fire pit for cooking, you might want to get a grate for added flexibility. Styles of grates include Tuscan grills, folding versions you set on the ground over a fire, and flat grids you rest over the lip of your fire pit. You can also reuse the cooking grid from an old grill if it's still in good condition. I prefer stainless steel wire grates with hinged sides; they're lightweight, low maintenance, and make refueling much easier when you have food on the grill.
Instant-read meat thermometer: The only sure way to gauge the doneness of your meat and seafood is to use a meat thermometer with a fast response time. I use and love my Thermapen from ThermoWorks.
Sheet pans: Also known as rimmed baking sheets, these infinitely useful pans make their way into every step of the cooking process. I often use a sheet pan for mise en place by organizing all my ingredients into small piles on the pan, rather than using little bowls. You can also improvise a sheet pan as a lid for your skillet, or flip it over and use it as a trivet. Quarter sheet pans are sufficient for the average meal, while half sheet pans are good for holding pizzas or a party's worth of burgers.
Heavy-duty aluminum foil: MacGyver had duct tape, but you have heavy-duty foil. From oiling the grill to lining a Dutch oven, there are few things foil can't do.
Kitchen towels: Keep a few kitchen towels accessible to wipe greasy fingers, cover bowls of food, or dust off prep surfaces.
Headlamp: If you think this is a strange thing to include in a list of grilling essentials, think about this: Most grilling sessions happen in the evenings, out on a patio with only a wall-mounted light on one side and a heavy shadow cast in front of you. A headlamp keeps your hands free for more important tasks at the grill.
The Outdoor Pantry (a.k.a. Wood and Charcoal)
When it comes to live-fire cooking, wood is just as crucial an ingredient as the food.
I use hardwood or hardwood lump charcoal when I grill, and have learned over the years that the quality of your wood or charcoal can have a significant effect on your meal. Sure, when we're camping, we don't mind roughing it and making do with what we have around — whether it's a bundle of sappy pine logs or a cheap bag of charcoal briquettes. But at home, where we have more options and conveniences at our disposal, it's worth seeking out the highest quality wood and charcoal for everyday grilling.
This is especially true when your only ingredients — other than the meat or vegetables — are salt and pepper. Because wood is just as much about flavor as it is fuel, the type of wood you use can either take that recipe up a notch or impart an undesirable taste to the food.
As you build your collection of cooking fuel, think of hardwood and hardwood lump charcoal as your outdoor pantry, and treat it just like your indoor pantry when it comes to stocking, organizing, and trying new "ingredients."
Kindling
Used when making a wood fire, kindling is easily combustible sticks or small branches that help light your logs. Kindling can be foraged from your own trees or split from existing logs with a hatchet or an ax. If you use fire starters, like fatwood or wax-coated wood shavings, their average burn times are often enough to light your logs without the need for kindling.
Hardwood
When it comes to building a cooking fire, hardwoods are preferred over softwoods because they're dense and low in resin, burn hotter, and last longer. If you're trying to determine whether the trees in your yard are hardwood or softwood, remember this general rule: If it sheds leaves in the fall, it's most likely hardwood (with very few exceptions). If it has needles, it's softwood.
Hardwood used for grilling is available in three different forms:
1. Logs: If you purchase firewood, the logs are usually split and seasoned already. If you are cutting your own wood, use whole small logs or larger logs split lengthwise. Let them dry for at least six months before using. The drying period (known as seasoning) ensures a clean, even, hot burn.
2. Chunks: Palm-size pieces of hardwood are called chunks and they're typically used in charcoal grills to add wood smoke flavor to food.
3. Chips: As the most common form of smoking wood, chips come in several hardwood varieties, each with its own subtle flavor.
Know Your Cooking Woods
It's safest to use a wood that's well known for grilling or smoking, but if you want to harvest cooking wood from your own backyard, know which ones to avoid and which ones to use with caution.
Do not use under any circumstances: oleander, yew, and sumac, which produce toxic smoke and should never be burned.
Avoid: chemically treated wood (including pallets and lumber scraps), painted or stained wood, moldy wood, and, generally, any wood for which you're not certain of the source.
Try to avoid: conifers, such as pine, fir, spruce, redwood, and cypress. The trees are high in resin and put out large amounts of thick, sooty smoke. They're acceptable to use once they've burned down completely to coals, but because they don't last as long as hardwood, they need constant refueling.
Use caution with: other softwood species, such as eucalyptus, elm, and sycamore, which can leave a bitter, pungent, or otherwise unappealing flavor on food.
There are dozens of species of hardwood and fruitwood that can be used for grilling, and many are regional (such as pimento, an exotic wood from the Jamaican allspice tree, or the tart, fruity grapevines found in wine country). While each type of wood has its own individual flavor, the differences are subtle (especially with the quick-grilling recipes in this book) and not worth sourcing if they aren't widely available where you live.
To properly store your wood, stack your logs in a dry spot that's slightly elevated off the ground, either on shelves or on pallets. (You can create makeshift pallets by placing solid 2x4s [5 x 10 cm] across bricks or cinder blocks, and stacking the wood on top.) If the wood will be living outside, protect it from rain and snow by covering with a tarp or storing the wood under a shade structure.
Hardwood Lump Charcoal
If I don't have firewood available, or I want to start cooking sooner than a wood fire will allow, I use hardwood lump charcoal. It's the next best thing to cooking over a wood fire because it is, essentially, wood—pure hardwood that has been partially burned in a kiln without oxygen, leaving behind blackened, petrified-looking chunks. Occasionally, you may get a few chunks that aren't fully carbonized and these pieces act more like real wood, resulting in a pleasantly smokier and longer burn.
Lump charcoal is an additive-free, clean-burning fuel that can reach exceptionally high temperatures. The tradeoff for convenience, however, is it tends to burn down quickly. A bag of lump charcoal typically includes a mix of irregularly shaped chunks from different types of wood. The sizes of the chunks vary greatly among brands, and some bags are even varietal (such as mesquite or cherry).
For easy accessibility, I keep a few grilling sessions' worth of lump charcoal in a crate in my outdoor kitchen. Any remaining charcoal stays in its bag, rolled up tightly and stored in a shed. If you have a dry, protected outdoor spot, you can store bags of charcoal in heavy-duty plastic bins or lidded trash cans.
Wood Chips and Wood Chunks
It's hard to reproduce the seductive aroma that a wood fire imparts to a meal, and, for many people, that kiss of smoke is what makes grilling so pleasurable. If you prefer to work with hardwood lump charcoal, you can still infuse a whiff of wood smoke into your food with hardwood in the form of chips or chunks.
I usually add smoking wood to recipes that require longer cooking times, as they are where I can appreciate those nuances most. For the shorter cooking times in this book, you're not likely to notice the subtle differences in flavor between distinctive varieties of wood, so feel free to experiment or simply follow the recommendations in the chart on page 18.
Wood chips can be used dry if you desire a light smoke flavor, similar to what you'd get from grilling over a wood fire. For a more pronounced smokiness, soak a cupful of chips in water for 30 minutes (or try beer, wine, or fruit juice for added dimension). Drain, then scatter the chips directly over the hot coals. The moisture allows the wood to smolder as the food cooks, giving the smoke more time to work its magic.
For longer cooking times (1 hour or more), I like to use wood chunks and typically add one or two chunks to the fire. You can also place a small hardwood log on the coals and let it burn slowly in the grill.
Herbs and Spices
For yet another nuance, herbs and spices can be used in combination with wood or charcoal to lightly infuse your food with an earthy smokiness. How much of the aroma is actually transferred to the food is debatable, and you would certainly get more flavor using herbs and spices in a dry rub or marinade. But so much of cooking and eating is based on our sense of smell, so if the heady scent of herb-infused smoke wafting across the yard enhances our perception of deliciousness, I say go for it!
Woody herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage are my favorites for "seasoning" the smoke. Because the small leaves tend to burn quickly, it's a good idea to soak them in water first (the same as for wood chips). As for spices, try cinnamon sticks, whole nutmeg, allspice berries, or coriander seeds. You may inadvertently discover a new "secret ingredient" for a signature dish!
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Backyard Fire Cookbook"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc..
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction, 9,
Chapter 1: Getting Started, 11,
Chapter 2: Back to Basics: The Fire Pit, 37,
Chapter 3: It's a Wrap: Foil Packets, 75,
Chapter 4: Iron Chef: Pots, Pans, and Planchas, 99,
Chapter 5: Under Cover: The Grill, 139,
Chapter 6: Up in Smoke: Plank Grilling, 175,
Resources, 202,
Acknowledgments, 203,
About the Author, 205,
About the Photographer, 205,
Index, 206,
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