Adam Rapoport - The Grilling Book: The Definitive Guide from Bon Appetit

Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC an Andrews McMeel Universal company 1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106 www.andrewsmcmeel.com ISBN: 978-1-4494-3138-9 Library of Congress Control Number: 2012952341 Design: Joe Shouldice, YesYesYes Design Photography: Peden + Munk Photography Assistant: Jaesung Lee Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich Food Stylist Assistant: Tina DeGraff Meats: DeBragga and Spitler Seafoods: Browne Trading Company Surfaces and Props: Dawn Hill Antiques Prop Stylist: Lucy Attwater Prop Stylist Assistant: Maya Rossi : Alison Attenborough : Kaitlyn Du Ross Illustrations: Joe McKendry www.bonappetit.com ATTENTION: SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES Andrews McMeel books are available at quantity discounts with bulk purchase for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail the Andrews McMeel Special Sales Department: CONTENTS

Youll also get fail-safe rules for seasoning steaks, chicken, and fish, and tips on how to master the fire. Sound good? NOW, LETS DO THIS. STEP 1. CHOOSE YOUR FUEL One of the most important questions in grilling is, of course: gas or charcoal? There are pros and cons to both approaches. It just depends on what works best for you. Grilling with Charcoal At Bon Appetit, we love a charcoal grill.

Sure, this method is a temperamental art that takes patience, practice, and, well... patience. But for us, the results it produces are unparalleled. First, a bed of glowing orange coals generates a level of heat thats steadier and more intense than a gas burner could ever create. Second, theres the char. Do you want juicy burgers and steaks with a crisp, mahogany brown crust? If so, you need the type of heat that charcoal delivers.

Finally, theres just something romantic and iconically American about hoisting a bag of charcoal, lighting a fire, and watching flames build and fade to perfectly glowing, grill-ready coals. How to Pick Your Coals There are many different kinds of charcoal out there, and not all of them are created equal. 1. Lump hardwood charcoal These charred pieces of real hardwood are, hands down, our top choice for grilling. Thats because they burn the hottest and cleanest of any fuel option. 2. 2.

Pressed charcoal briquettes Made from wood fragments and other materials, these offer to get them started. 3. Instant charcoal briquettes These are soaked in lighter fluid and other chemicals. Use them only in a pinch. Grilling with Gas There are lots of reasons why two-thirds of Americans use gas grills instead of charcoal. 1? Convenience. 1? Convenience.

Its great to walk outside, flip a switch, and instantly have a hot grill at the ready. But gas grills do have a couple of drawbacks. First, most of them just dont get as hot as a charcoal grill. Second, they dont deliver the same authentic, smoky flavor that charcoal provides. When youre dealing with gas, youre essentially grilling over an outdoor stove burner as opposed to an open fire. Make no mistake: You will taste the difference.

That said, there are ways to optimize a gas grill to make it as powerful as possible. See the following tips. How to Get the Most from Gas To help a gas grill get really hot, and keep it operating at peak performance, always: 1. Keep it clean Use a toothpick to make sure all burner holes are clear of debris or other matter. If the burner holes are clogged, the flame will be low or nonexistent, and heat levels will drop dramatically. 2.

Put a lid on it You wouldnt preheat your oven with its door open, right? So close the lid on your gas grill and preheat it for 10 minutes for maximum intensity. And if you want a nice crust on a steak, keep the lid closed during cooking. Dont worry, you wont steam the food. A closed lid keeps things hot and lets the heat work its magic. STEP 2. GO FOR THE CHAR Ultimately, grilling is all about heathow to manage it, and how to embrace it.

If you know what youre doing, youll get crispy chicken, crusty steak, and beautifully caramelized vegetables. The key is understanding how to grill over direct heat (as in, right over coals or gas flames). Heres what you need to know. Cooking with Direct Heat DONT BE AFRAID OF INTENSE HEAT. Whether youre grilling over gas or charcoal, the aim is to create high heat in one area and lower heat in another. This allows you to sear quick-cooking foods (with a safe zone for flare-ups), or to develop a nice char or crust on your food, before sliding it to the calmer section of the grill, where it cooks through.

Gas and charcoal grills require different approaches to achieve this. Charcoal 1. Use lots of coals Theres nothing worse than a small fire that cant support all the great food above it. 2. Then, let em mellow Once the coals are engulfed in flames, allow those flames to die down until theres a bed of glowing orange embers. 3. 3.

Get in the zone In order to avoid flare-ups, a 2-zone fire is a must. To master one, see facing page. 4. Use your hands For a hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand over the grate for no more than 2 seconds. For a medium fire, 4 seconds. Gas 1.

Be patientlet it heat up Crank up the burners on your gas grill to high and close the lid. Do this at least 5 or 10 minutes before youre ready to start grilling. This will get the grill as hot as possiblewhich is exactly what you want when grilling steaks and burgers. However, if you want a mellower fire (say, if youre barbecuing chicken), preheat the closed grill with the knobs turned to medium. 2. Create two levels of heat If your gas grill has an upper-tier warming rack, use that as your safe zone whenever you need to slide food away from direct heat thats too fiery.

If your grill doesnt have a warming rack, just leave one burner unlit and use that as your safe zone. Getting It Right: Use a Charcoal Chimney

Light the paper , and let the chimney work its magic. 4. Wait until the flames have died down and the coals are orange. 5. Empty out the coals and start grilling. STEP 3.

MASTER THE FIRE