Thomas - The Big Hurts guide to BBQ and grilling: recipes from my backyard to yours

Contents

Introduction

For as long as I can remember, food has been a huge part of my life. And now, with my playing days behind me, food has become my passion.

As I look back on my career, I realize just how many of my tastes have changed. My very understanding of food has evolved. With this book, I hope to take the wonderful dishes that I have grown to lovethose grilling recipes that make summer amazingand share them with you.

I grew up in the South, where eating is everything. At the center of that eating experience was the cookout. My dad loved ithe even made his own tub for grilling. And wed be out there three, four days every week. Ribs and barbecue chicken every weekend. All my dad wanted was to get that grill smoking and have himself a day.

One of the dirty little secrets about growing up in the South though, with our love of hearty food and big portions: its not exactly the healthiest way to live. The only vegetables we ate were corn and black-eyed peas. Which, at the time, was fine with me. Who likes vegetables as a kid? But at some point we all learn that you cant eat like that forever.

As Ive gotten older Ive learned so much more about eating well and making sure that the food I eat is the right kind of fuel. Today, I like my diet to be full of lean chicken and fish, of fruits and vegetables and interesting combinations that a kid from Georgia never would have imagined. Asparagus, broccoli, spinachI love my greens. And now, I want to share this love with you.

Learning to find balance in your diet is vital. Im a big Southern boy. I had to learn what foods were best for my body and how to better determine healthier portion sizes. You shouldnt eat in order to be fullyou should eat to enjoy the food and feel good about yourself when youre done. With the right-sized helping of nutritious food, you can eat a perfectly healthy meal and still enjoy it.

I owe much of my love for and knowledge of food to baseball. Baseball really is a beautiful thing. It let me travel the country, meet different kinds of people, and try unique types of food as I encountered new cultures. Take sushi, for example. I hardly even knew sushi existed as a child, but now I eat it all the time! And it wasnt until the season I played in Oakland, where a great sushi scene exists, that I grew to truly love it. I consider myself lucky to have traveled and experienced so much, to have grown up in Georgia and spent so much of my life in Chicago. With each place Ive been, Ive taken a bit of the culture and food with me. Thats what I want to share with you in this book.

I created The Big Hurts Guide to BBQ and Grilling for the same reason that I opened the Big Hurt Brewhouse in Berwyn, just outside of Chicago: I want to share my passion. Ive learned how to enjoy these foods in a healthy way that keeps me cooking them up time and time again. And, sure, Ive still got plenty of the old-fashioned comfort food that every cookout needs. I want these fantastic recipes, ones that Ive fallen in love with throughout the years, to reach as many people as possible. Whether its a slab of ribs from the South, a juicy New York steak, or a refreshing California-style appetizer, I love them all. I hope you will, too.

Grilling Basics

You can write an entire book on the basics of grillingin fact, you might have one sitting on your bookshelf right now. Rather than going over what BBQ means in the South versus what it means up north, or describing the differences between a gas grill and a charcoal grill, Im going to assume if youre reading this that youre at least familiar with the basic concept of cooking and grilling outdoors.

Here is a brief overview of some of the terms, guidelines, ingredients, and equipment discussed in this book.

Essential Ingredients

Brown sugar

Balsamic vinegar

Cayenne pepper

Chili powder

Red chili flakes

Apple cider vinegar

Ketchup

Paprika

All-purpose flour

Worcestershire sauce

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

Kosher and sea salts

Black pepper

Essential Tools

Heat-resistant silicone gloves

Long-handled tongs

Long-handled spatula

Basting brush

Paper towels

Perforated grill pan

Meat thermometer

Digital timer

Resealable plastic bags

Disposable foil drip pans

Wood chunks

Aluminum foil

Grilling Terms

Whether you prefer the convenience and control of a gas grill or the heat potential of a charcoal kettle, the basic principles of grilling remain the same. Grilling over direct heat means just thatplacing the food directly over the heat source. Larger pieces of meat are often cooked using indirect heat, wherein the fire or hot charcoal is contained on one side of the grill, while the food is placed on the opposite side, over the unlit portion.

Safety Tips

Whether youre using a gas or charcoal grill, make sure you have read the manufacturers instructions, that your grill is outdoors in a well-ventilated area, that your grill is stable atop a solid base, and that you never leave a grill unattended.

Grilling Temperatures

Every grill is different, but here are some basic rules of thumb for the recipes in this book.

High: 450-600 degrees

Medium-high: 400 degrees

Medium: 325-350 degrees

Medium-low: 300 degrees

Low: 225-250 degrees

Minimum Cooking Temperatures

Ground beef: 160 degrees

Steaks: 160 degrees

Beef roasts: 145 degrees

Poultry: 165 degrees

Fish: 145 degrees

Pork: 160 degrees

Appetizers

Grand Slam Grilled Grapes

Putting grapes on your grill may sound unusual, but trust mefresh grapes, balsamic vinegar, and a good char make for a great combination. Serve with bread and cheese for a unique appetizer. For an added kick, add some red chili flakes.

Preheat grill to high.

Whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic together in a large bowl, then add grapes and toss to evenly coat. Its easier to leave the grapes in one or two large bunches at this point.

When your grill is hot, place the grapes over direct heat for 3045 seconds on each side.

Once the grapes are cool enough to handle, cut them into smaller bunches.

Brush the bread slices with olive oil, then toast on your grill and serve with the cheese of your choice.

Grilled Avocados with Tomato and Cheese

Avocados offer almost 20 vitamins and minerals in every serving, and are low in sugar and high in fiber. They also contain a good amount of monounsaturated fat, aka the good kind of fat. Topping a grilled avocado with grilled tomato and a sprinkling of cheese makes this appetizer both nutritious and delicious.