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Beyond Burgers
Barbecue is a worldwide cuisine - beyond, but still including, burgers and steaks - that can turn your backyard, deck or patio into a global kitchen.

By Nancy Ross Ryan


Photo by
Troy Forrest

Until I had a heart-to-heart with Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue! Bible (Workman Publishing, 1998) I ranked barbecue as the stock car races of the culinary arts: fast and greasy with lots of spills and fires. Frankly, most barbecue hosts I knew specialized in burned burgers and charred steaks. So, it was an eye-opener, last summer, to be dining on barbecue at Charlie Trotter's, that rarified Chicago restaurant nationally known for haute-only cuisine. Chef-proprietor Trotter had prepared a multi-course feast of barbecue dishes using recipes from his friend's just-published book. Granted, Trotter presented Raichlen's Oysters with Horseradish Cream in exquisite dishes fashioned from opalescent shell -- but these were barbecued oysters, nevertheless.

To be correct, they were grilled oysters. As Raichlen points out, there are two methods of cooking generally referred to as barbecue: "Grilling is a direct cooking method. Food is cooked directly over the fire at high temperatures for a relatively short time. Whereas barbecue is a North American technique that involves a covered grill, the use of smoke and long, slow cooking over an indirect heat source. Grilling is good for fish fillets, vegetables, chicken breasts and, yes, burger and steaks. Barbecuing is good for big and/or tough cuts of meat like pork shoulder or beef brisket, whole turkey, legs of lamb and so on."

"But is it possible to do real barbecue at home," I ask, mindful of the mystique of the great pit-masters (always guys) who build and stoke profoundly mystifying fires using arcane woods and occult cooking methods -- for hours -- to produce authentic South Carolina pulled pork or real Texas brisket? "This is not rocket science," says Raichlen, who claims that the only limiting factor to real barbecue is the size of the grill. Obviously it's difficult to barbecue a whole pig on an 18-inch kettle grill. But you can easily really barbecue a leg of lamb or a small turkey on an 18-inch wide kettle grill with a cover. I know, because following Raichlen's clear instructions at the beginning of his cookbook, I have barbecued and served both to great applause.

When it comes to grilling, the process is even simpler. "People grill all over the world in all kinds of devices and contraptions -- in Vietnam you often see hubcaps filled with charcoal. And a Japanese Hibachi is one of the most perfect grills ever made, very simple, very heavy with no moving parts. It's used to grill thin cuts of meat throughout Asia." Raichlen reminds me that grilling is the simplest, oldest cooking method and "Every time you do it, you tap into a primeval memory of our cave-dwelling ancestors."

The process may be simple and the recipes direct, but the flavors are complex. In the course of writing the book, Raichlen spent three years and traveled to 25 countries seeking out the best barbecue flavors. Raichlen says the multi-level flavor of barbecued food comes from three sources: marinating, spice rubs, and the method of cooking itself. "Most cultures marinate foods prior to grilling, and spice rubs are another very important way of increasing flavor. Finally, the method of cooking itself caramelizes the sugars in the food and you have the smoky flavor, intensified by the use of wood chips. And barbecuing is a cooking method that's relatively low in fat."

But Raichlen cautions that "Grilling is not burning," and warns against poor grilling technique -- too high heat, too long a cooking time -- that results in charred food.

And yes, Raichlen does grill burgers. And he offers a few tips for great ones:

  • Use meat that is about 15 to 20% fat. Meat that is too lean produces a dry burger.
  • Handle the meat as little as possible, especially with your bare hands.
  • Keep it really simple. Raichlen prefers not to add seasonings to the meat, and let the condiments provide interesting flavor and texture notes: onions, ripe tomatoes, lettuce (one place were iceberg lettuce is o.k.), homemade ketchup.
  • Toast the bun -- a white bakery-style bun -- on the grill.
  • On a personal note: Raichlen likes mayonnaise, not ketchup or mustard, on his burgers. His favorite is to mix basil and garlic with the mayonnaise for an instant aioli.

    The following recipes from The Barbecue! Bible,used with the permission of the chef, are among my favorites, and have certainly established me as a grill meister with family and friends.


    • Capetown Lamb
    From The Barbecue! Bible,by Steven Raichlen

    Method: Indirect grilling
    Advance Preparation: 3 to 8 hours for marinating the meat
    Serves 12

    This recipe is simplicity itself, and it makes a pleasant switch from the usual lamb with mint sauce. The preparation reflects the ecumenism of the South African kitchen. Asia is represented by the use of ginger, soy sauce and Chinese mustard. A British influence can be seen in the Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Put them together and you get an energizing jolt of flavor -- sweet, sour and spicy -- that will give you a whole new perspective on lamb.

    For the Lamb:
    1 bone-in leg of lamb (6 to 8 lbs), trimmed of papery skin
    6 cloves of garlic, cut into thin slivers
    6 thin slices fresh ginger, cut into thin slivers

    For the Glaze:
    1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
    1/4 cup soy sauce
    1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
    3 Tbls Dijon mustard
    2 Tbls hot Chinese-style mustard or 1 Tbl dry mustard
    3 Tbls fresh lemon juice
    3 Tbls vegetable oil
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1 Tbl minced fresh ginger
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    1. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make slits about an inch deep all over the surface of the lamb, spacing them about an inch apart. Insert a sliver each of garlic and ginger into each slit. Place the lamb in a non-reactive roasting pan and set aside while you prepare the glaze.
    2. Combine the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, sugar, both the mustards, lemon juice, oil, garlic and ginger in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook until thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Let cool to room temperature.
    3. Pour half the cooled glaze over the lamb in the roasting pan, brushing to coat on all sides. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 3 to 8 hours (the longer the better).
    4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling (see Note), placing a large drip pan in the center and preheat to medium.
    5. When ready to cook, place the lamb on the hot grate over the drip pan and brush with more glaze. Cover the grill and cook the lamb until done to taste, 2 to 2-1/2 hours; an instant-read meat thermometer inserted n the thickest part of the leg (but not touching the bone) will register 160°F for medium. Brush the leg with glaze two or three times during cooking. If using a charcoal grill, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side every hour.
    6. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and brush one last time with glaze, then let stand for 10 minutes before carving. While the lamb stands, heat any remaining glaze to serve as a sauce with the lamb.

    Note: Thicker foods should cook over a lower heat for a longer period of time, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. To achieve this sort of heat on a charcoal grill use the indirect method. In indirect grilling the coals are pushed to the sides of the grill and the food cooks in the center -- over a drip pan, not over the coals. The grill is always covered, and the vents in the lid and in the bottom of the grill are used to regulate the heat (open to raise the temperature, close to lower it).

    Light the coals (preferably in a chimney starter with newspaper or paraffin starters in the bottom). When they are blazing red, use tongs to transfer them to opposite sides of the grill, arranging them in two piles. (Some grills have special half-moon-shaped baskets to hold the coals at the sides; others have wire fences that hook onto the bottom grate. Let the coals burn until they are covered with a thin layer of gray ash. Set the drip pan in the center of the grill, between the mounds of coals. Place the food on the grate over the drip pan, and cover the grill. You'll need to add about 10 to 12 fresh briquets to each side after an hour of cooking.

    If you want to add a smoke flavor, add 1 to 2 cups of presoaked wood chips, or 2 to 4 chunks, to the coals just before you start to cook, and again whenever you replenish the coals.

    Shrimp "on the barbie" (grill) is Australia's most famous culinary export. Even if you know nothing else about Down Under cooking, you're surely aware of how much Australians love grilling -- especially seafood. If the truth be told, shrimp is something of a misnomer, as most Australians would say "prawns."

    The Chinese roots of this dish are obvious -- a legacy of the huge influx of Asian immigrants to Australia in the 1970s and 80s. I love the way the sweetness of the honey and five-spice powder play off the nuttiness of the sesame seeds and oil and the brininess of the shrimp and soy sauce.


    Honey Sesame Shrimp "On the Barbie"
    From The Barbecue! Bible, by Steven Raichlen

    Method: Direct grilling
    Advance Preparation: 30 to 60 minutes for marinating the shrimp
    Serves 4

    1-1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
    5 Tbls Asian (dark) sesame oil
    3 Tbls rice wine, sake or dry Sherry
    3 Tbls soy sauce
    1-1/2 Tbls honey
    1-1/2 Tbls sesame seeds
    1 Tbl Thai sweet chile sauce (optional, see Note)
    1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
    2 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a cleaver
    2 slices (1/4-inch thick) fresh ginger
    2 scallions, trimmed, white part flattened with the side of a cleaver, green part finely chopped and set aside for garnish

    1. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Set aside while you prepare the marinade.
    2. Combine 3 tablespoons of the sesame oil, the rice wine, soy sauce, honey, sesame seeds, chile sauce (if using) and five-spice powder in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Stir in the garlic, ginger, scallions and shrimp to coat, then cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.
    3. Preheat the grill to high.
    4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from the marinade to a bowl and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Pour the marinade into a saucepan, remove and discard the garlic, ginger and scallion whites, using the slotted spoon. Bring the marinade to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, uncovered, to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
    5. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Arrange the shrimp on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on the outside and firm and pink inside, about 2 minutes per side. Brush the shrimp with the glaze as they cook.
    6. Transfer the shrimp to serving plates or a platter and sprinkle with the scallions greens. Serve immediately.
    Note: Sweet chile sauce is the Thai version of ketchup. One good brand to look for is Siriacha. If not available, simply omit.

    Grilled Chicken with Saffron
    From The Barbecue! Bible,by Steven Raichlen

    Method: Direct grilling (two-tiered)
    Advance Preparation: 24 hours for marinating the chicken
    Serves 8

    For the Chicken and Marinade:
    1/2 tsp saffron threads
    1 Tbl warm water
    1-1/2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
    1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
    1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
    2 Tbls salt
    1 Tbl freshly ground black pepper
    2 chickens (3-1/2 to 4 pounds each), each cut into 8 pieces

    For the Basting Mixture:
    1/4 tsp saffron threads
    1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
    3 Tbls unsalted butter

    1. Prepare the marinade. Place the saffron in a medium-size bowl and crush to a powder with a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon. Stir in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the yogurt, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
    2. Rinse the chicken pieces under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a very large non-reactive bowl or baking dish and pour the marinade over them, turning the pieces to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 24 hours, turning the pieces occasionally.
    3. Preheat the grill using the two-tiered method. (See Note)
    4. Prepare the basting mixture. Place the saffron in a small bowl and crush to a powder with a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon. Stir in the lemon juice and let stand for 5 minutes. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then remove from the heat and stir in the saffron mixture.
    5. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and arrange, skin side down, on the grate over the hotter section of the grill. Cook until the skin starts to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Move the pieces to the cooler section of the grill and continue grilling until the skin is thoroughly browned, 5 to 7 minutes more. Watch carefully and use tongs to move the pieces away from flare-ups. Turn the pieces and move them back to the hotter section of the grill. Brown the second side well (3 to 5 minutes), then move the pieces back to the cooler side of the grill to finish cooking. Brush the pieces once or twice as they cook with the basting mixture, watching them to see that they don't burn. Season with salt and pepper. The total cooking time will be 16 to 24 minutes. When ready, the chicken will be crisp and golden-brown outside and the juices will run clear when the meat is pierced.
    6. Transfer the chicken pieces to serving plates or a platter and serve.
    Note: Two-Tiered Grilling. When directly grilling over charcoal, I like to use the two-tier method. Spread one-third of the coals in a single layer over one half of the grill bottom. Spread the other two-thirds in a double layer on the other side. Leave a small side portion of the grill free of coals. (You can move the single layer of coals away from one side before lighting.) This arrangement give you a super-hot heat source for searing, a moderately hot heat source for cooking, and a warm spot for keeping cooked foods warm. You control the heat by moving the food from one area to the other.)


    My first meal in Barcelona -- at the venerable Los Caracoles restaurant in the medieval quarter -- began with this simple bread appetizer, and scarcely a day went by when I wasn't served some variation of it. Catalan Tomato Bread belongs to an ancient family of grilled breads that includes Italian bruschetta and Indian naan. It offers irrefutable proof that the best dishes are often the easiest.

    At its most rudimentary, pa amb tomàqet, consists simply of a slice of grilled bread rubbed with ripe tomatoes and drizzled with olive oil. Like all simple dishes, it requires the best raw materials: crusty country-style bread; squishily ripe tomatoes; fragrant, cold-pressed olive oil. When prepared properly, the bread will be crisp from grilling, but the surface will be just beginning to soften thanks to the juices from the tomatoes. Not everyone in Catalonia uses garlic, so I've made it optional.

    There are two ways to serve tomato bread. The first is for the cook to do the rubbing and drizzling. The second is to provide each person with a clove of garlic, half tomato, cruet of oil, and bowl of salt and let him or her do the work. The second way is more fun.


    Catalan Tomato Bread (Pa Amb Tomàquet)
    From The Barbecue! Bible,by Steven Raichlen

    Method: Direct grilling
    Serves 8

    4 fresh, very ripe tomatoes, cut in half
    4 cloves garlic, cut in half (optional)
    8 slices country style bread, cut 1/2-inch thick
    Cruet of extra-virgin olive oil
    Small bowl of coarse (kosher or sea) salt
    Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

    1. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
    2. Place a half tomato, and half garlic clove (is using) on each serving plate.
    3. When ready to cook, arrange the bread slices on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
    4. Place a piece of grilled bread on each plate. To eat, rub a bread slice with cut garlic (if using) then with cut tomato. Drizzle each slice with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

    Americans don't customarily grill fruit, but elsewhere in the world -- especially in Southeast Asia -- bananas and other fruits are often charred over glowing coals for dessert. Pineapples taste particularly good grilled, the charred flavor meshing nicely with the caramelized sweetness of the fruit. When buying pineapple, go for the gold. Look for fruit with a golden rind. It will be juicier and sweeter than the usual green-rind pineapples.

    Grilled Sugar-Dipped Pineapple
    From The Barbecue! Bible,by Steven Raichlen

    Method: Direct grilling
    Serves 8 to 10

    1 ripe pineapple
    8 Tbls (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
    3/4 cup sugar
    1 tsp grated lime zest
    1 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/8 tsp ground cloves
    1/2 cup dark rum, for flambéing (optional)

    1. Preheat the grill to high.
    2. Cut the leafy top off the pineapple, then cut off the rind. Slice the fruit into 8 or 10 even rounds. Using a pineapple corer or paring knife, remove the core from each round.
    3. When ready to cook, place the melted butter in a shallow bowl; combine the sugar, lime zest, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Bring both bowls to grillside. Oil the grill grate. Dip each slice of pineapple first in melted butter, then in the sugar mixture, shaking off the excess. Arrange the pineapple slices on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs until browned and sizzling, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer the pineapple slices to plates or a platter, arranging the slices in an overlapping fashion.
    4. If using the rum, warm it in a small flameproof saucepan, on one side of the grill; do not let it boil or even become hot. Remove from the heat and then, making sure your sleeves are rolled up and hair is tied back, light a long match and use it to ignite the rum, averting your face as you do so. Very carefully, pour the flaming rum over the pineapple on the platter and serve immediately.


    May 2000

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