Desi Longinidis - The Grill Sisters Guide to Legendary BBQ

The Grill SistersGUIDE TOLEGENDARY BBQ60 Irresistible Recipes that Guarantee Mouthwatering, Finger-Lickin ResultsIRENE SHARP, Creator of Come Grill with Me & DESI LONGINIDIS, Creator of Healthy Cook 4 Champions Co-founders of The Grill Sisters The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: http://us.macmillanusa.com/piracy. TO OUR CHILDREN: Susannah, Isaac and Jackson We believe grilling is an outdoor celebration that brings family and friends together, one with the power to ignite a creative passion for unforgettable food. For us, the key to amazing barbecue has always been using the best grilling methods and techniques, as well as using the freshest ingredients available.

Our motivation for writing this book and sharing our recipes is the hope that you, too, will find a passion for barbecue. Youll learn about many exciting cooking methods such as skillet cooking, searing, reverse searing, pan basting and smoking, as well as about the Maillard reaction and direct and indirect cooking. Whether youre cooking on a gas grill, charcoal kettle, offset smoker or pellet grill, well show you that cooking outdoors can be fun, easy and, without a doubt, legendary. Be prepared to grill the perfect steak, enjoy irresistible food and tantalizing aromas, as well as explore flavors that are beyond any youve ever experienced before. Over the years, weve been blessed with an incredible social media following and we regularly share our grilling journey with the world. Desi is the founder of Healthy Cook 4 Champions and Irene is the founder of Come Grill With Meand together, were the Grill Sisters.

Weve worked with many grilling brands around the world and were ambassadors of Australias largest barbecue store, Barbeques Galore. Weve appeared on Australian television and showcased our skills on Australias best barbecue television show, Channel 7s 7Mate Dippers Backyard BBQ Wars, and hosted the World Food Championships Australia. We share the art of grilling at every opportunity we get. On a daily basis, we get asked lots of questions regarding the methods we use and the recipes we love creating and eating. Were thrilled to be able to include them all in this book. Since we both lead busy lives as working mothers and wives, cooking delicious food outdoors with fire is how we unwind and connect with nature.

This book is a collection of the meals our family and friends love. The recipes weve included have been created, cooked and perfected over yearssome weve been cooking since we were teenagers (we both grilled our first octopus at 10 years of age, and we cooked the perfect steak at 12 years of age). Some of these recipes were inspired by the countries weve travelled to and the grilling methods and techniques weve spent years mastering. We had many catch-ups to talk about the recipes wed include in our book. We often got side-tracked by childhood memories when we discussed old family favorite recipes that have stood the test of time, and that we put our own spin on to cook using a grill. Yes, weve included those, too.

Feeding people is in our blood and it virtually started the moment we could walk and talk. Growing up, our beautiful mother Virginia worked three jobs to support us and our two younger sisters all on her own. She encouraged us at an early age to be creative in the kitchen and we often cooked up a storm, with what little we had back then. As teenagers, we discovered the art of barbecue and how special the char-grilled flavor of food can be. We could only afford a disposable $13 foil tray that came with charcoal, but it did the job. What mattered to us was that we were outdoors cooking.

Fast forward to our adult lives: we own more grills than most people, were married to amazing husbands and we have adorable children who all love the food we cook for them. Today, grilling anchors a large part of our lives and we wanted to ensure theres something for everyone and every occasion in our cookbook, from traditional barbecue favorites like burgers and ribs to exotic grilled meals using seafood, meat, poultry and vegetables. We have even included a chapter with the most indulgent desserts cooked outdoorsor, if you must, indoors. Finally, we hope you enjoy our barbecue recipes and techniques as much as we have absolutely loved bringing them together in our very own cookbook. This book is a dream come true for both of us and weve put our hearts and souls into every page. Enjoy your barbecue journey.

We are so glad you have joined us. Love, Irene Sharp and Desi Longinidis

In this section, weve included some of the questions we get asked the most about charcoal grilling, direct and indirect grilling, internal temperatures and how to pair smoking woods with meat, seafood and vegetables. Keep this information on hand to bring your grilling skills to the next level. HOW DO YOU LIGHT A CHARCOAL GRILL? Getting a charcoal grill started can seem daunting. Were often asked for our tips on lighting a charcoal grill, so here they are:

• Use a mix of lump natural hardwood charcoal and briquettes. Lump charcoal will light faster and the briquettes will last longer.

  We use the same weight of charcoal as that of the meat were cooking or smoking.

• Buy the largest charcoal chimney starter you can find. You can have charcoal ready in 15 to 20 minutes using a chimney.
• Fill a charcoal chimney with lump and briquettes and place it on the fire grate, then add four natural firelighters underneath.

Charcoal chimneyBriquettes (left and bottom right) and lump charcoal (top right) WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIRECT AND INDIRECT BBQ GRILLING? Direct grilling is when food is placed directly on top of a grill grate, over high heat. This method is perfect for thinner and smaller pieces of meat such as burgers, steaks, chicken, pork, seafood and some vegetables. When using the direct grilling method, the temperature you would use ranges from medium 350 to 450F (175 to 230C) and high 450 to 550F (230 to 290C). Indirect grilling cooks food slowly and with lower heat, and is great for imparting a smoky flavor. Food is never placed directly over high heat but instead sits opposite the heat source.

Indirect cooking is ideal for thicker and larger pieces of meat such as fall-off-the-bone roasts, ribs, whole chickens and most BBQ desserts. When using the indirect grilling method, the temperature you would use ranges from 250 to 350F (120 to 175C). HOW DO YOU SET UP A CHARCOAL GRILL FOR INDIRECT COOKING? When youre cooking with charcoal, pour the lit charcoal on one half of the fire grate. Place your meat on the grill grate side that doesnt have charcoal lit underneath. For low and slow cooking, its best to place an aluminium tray (or a drip pan) filled with water or stock on the bottom cooking grate in your barbecue, directly under the meat you are cooking, to keep it moist. HOW DO YOU SET UP A GAS GRILL FOR INDIRECT COOKING? An important start to cooking with gas is ensuring your gas propane tank is full.