Dobson - King of the Grill: The bumper book of no nonsense barbecuing

Ross Dobsons passion for food began when he was young, influenced by the cuisines of his neighbours from Hong Kong and Italy. He threw himself into the sizzling hot world of barbecue cookery after writing several other cookbooks (including Chinatown and Three Ways with Stale Bread ). Now, with a couple of successful cafs and a career writing for some of Australias top food magazines, Ross celebrates cooking outdoors with his take on no frills, flavoursome, fun-to-cook barbecued food.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

In a fast-paced world, there is great comfort to be had in the very thought of a barbecue. This is cooking by the most elemental means. Raw food on hot metal. This is about simple, stressless, tasty, no nonsense food. Well, at least for me it is.

To save confusion early on in the piece, lets use the word barbecue to broadly cover food that is cooked by applying dry heat to the surface of food grilling, barbecue-braise, broil, char-broil or griddle. Whatever term you use to describe this method of cooking probably depends on where you are from. As an Australian, barbecue is my word of choice.

Where I come from, we do like to think we have a unique take on barbecuing. But dont we all? Having a barbecue is foremost a social event. It is the very socialness of the activity that defines it. This itself makes barbecues special and often memorable.

One such memory for me is being on a rooftop in Camden, London, enjoying the best that British summer had on offer; a fitted-like-a-glove heat made even more special because you knew the blue sky wouldnt last. Before the clouds inevitably gathered, we enjoyed barbecued mackerel spotted with lemon and bay leaves and sweet grilled Dublin Bay prawns. Not a bad spread, London Town.

Potrero Hill, San Francisco, is where I experienced my first all-American barbecue, high on a warehouse rooftop overlooking the city that looks even more pristine and enchanting from a distance. Over friendly discourse with relative strangers, we bonded over grilled ribs and the view. We ate these with potato salad, washed down with a Bud beer before we raced off into the fog to the ball park.

There is something magical about the hiss of food on the grill and the irresistible aromas that accompany it. This is quick, simple cooking at its sizzling best. In a large medieval square in Marrakesh, the marketplace by day sells everything from orange juice to leather backpacks, with snake charmers, charlatans and magicians vying for attention. At night, the market transforms into the worlds largest barbecue. Hundreds of food stalls are lit by blurred fairy lights, made even more romantic by the thick shroud of wood-fire smoke in the air. People share long trestle tables. Strangers come together over barbecued lamb kebabs and the ubiquitous chilli condiment, harissa.

Marketplaces in Bangkok, Thailand, are similarly famous for their smoking hotplates and grills, sizzling with barbecued treats. Here, the metal skewers of the Middle Eastern kebab give way to bamboo skewers of spiced beef and pork satay.

My food travels have made an indelible impact on how and what I barbecue. I can bring back home my experiences and relive the flavours on my own grill in my backyard, on my verandah, balcony, patio or rooftop; under a tree, by the beach or on the river bank.

The versatility of grilling allows us to cook wherever we choose. This has to make it the most sociable way to cook food, right?

In barbecuing I could never deny my roots. I am Australian with a unique attitude towards barbecuing. I relish our cultural diversity, which brings to us food, flavours and influences from afar. Combine our style of cooking and access to such fine ingredients and you have really tasty food that can be made with ease. And fancy barbecue or not, I think this is how most of us like to cook. With a handful of flavours and a hot grill, you have made something that you cant wait to cook again.

In a sense, grilling allows us to be masters, or mistresses, of flavour. It really is up to you how the food will taste. It really is up to you how tender the meat is, in terms of cooking time and utilising different cuts of meat. I think we have become slightly overly concerned with food hygiene these days. Having said that, I am not saying it should not be a concern. Keep chicken and seafood refrigerated. On a warm day I would not leave chicken or fish sitting out too long. We should not eat rare cooked chicken it must be cooked all the way through. Beef and lamb, on the other hand, can benefit from being allowed to sit at room temperature. And just because we might like our meat cooked rare doesnt mean we want our steak or lamb fillet to be fridge cold in the centre. Get the meat out of the fridge an hour or two before cooking. You will notice the difference. Aside from getting your food ready before barbecuing remember a few other tips: season well just before cooking; dont continuously (and mindlessly) turn the meat on the barbecue; and always allow the meat to rest after being cooked.

I am lucky enough to have a front verandah with room to spare for my barbecue and me. It is one of those old-world over-sized verandahs with no logical explanation as to exactly why it need be so big. But whos complaining? Its a beauty. Sun drenched and north facing, with just the right amount of shade. Rain, hail or shine, summer or winter, I can grill to my hearts content on the front verandah, waving at neighbours and passers-by. Sounds sociable? It is!

Barbecuing is as much about having fun as it is about anything else. Relax, enjoy, and you are halfway there to really good food and a lingering memory.