Mastering the Grill_ The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking - Andrew Schloss [3]
Every recipe has the straightforward layout of the assembly directions in an owner’s manual. Starting with the setup for gas, charcoal, and wood grills, each recipe then lists all of the grilling tools and ingredients needed, approximate timing, and concise directions. Plenty of useful information and recipe variations surround the actual recipes. Even if you never consult the first few chapters (where we explain most of the science), you will have all the information in any given recipe necessary for mastering that particular dish.
We believe that the ultimate goal of mastering the grill is confidence and freedom: the confidence to solve problems as they arise (and they inevitably will) and the freedom to play with your food. There are countless reasons why you should learn how to use your grill more efficiently and completely. For one, you’ve got to eat, so you might as well eat well. But more important, in a world where there are numerous ways to get a meal on the table, the main reason to grill it yourself is because it’s fun. The act of cooking with fire is inherently exciting. We hope that this book will give you a level of mastery that allows you to create your own recipes, improvise your own techniques, and rediscover the excitement every time you step up to the grill.
Part I: The Grillmaster’s Manual
Chapter 1
Mastering Your Equipment
A. TYPES OF GRILLS
B. HOW GRILLS WORK
C. GRILL CLEANING, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR
D. GRILL STORAGE
E. GRILL TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES
F. GRILL FUELS AND FIRE STARTERS
Grilling equipment runs the gamut from the most primitive wooden stick to the most industrialized gas-fired, stainless-steel grill. Impale a piece of food on a stick, hold it over a flame, and you are grilling. Strictly speaking, you don’t even need the stick. You can grill a steak or chop directly on hot coals, with no equipment whatsoever: no firebox, no grill grate, not even a set of tongs (see the recipe for Scotch Steak in the Coals with Stilton Butter on page 145). If you’re crazy or quick enough, you can even turn the steak with your fingers.
But most grillers love their tools. And the majority of modern grills do make it easier to cook with fire, containing the flames and providing better heat control. When we talk about grills, we mean any box, bowl, barrel, or other physical structure designed to contain and control fire for the purpose of cooking food. There are two basic elements to any grill: the firebox (or hearth) where the fire burns, and the grilling grate on which the food cooks. You’ll find these two elements at work in the simplest campfire grills and in the most complex electric-ignition, mixed-fuel, rotisserie-equipped, smoker-ready, high-capacity outdoor kitchen grills.
A. Types of Grills
Different grills have different purposes. No doubt, there is a grill out there that’s built just for you, but it’s also possible that you will see the benefits in more than one model. Three things distinguish most grills from one another:
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WHAT MAKES A GOOD GAS OR CHARCOAL GRILL?
If you’re debating whether to buy a gas or charcoal grill, consider the bottom-line benefits of each: Charcoal is more hands-on and gives you slightly better flavor; gas is more automated and convenient. You decide your priorities and personality. Regardless of the type of grill you buy, certain features are standard and optional for each. Here’s a short list of basic and optional features for both gas and charcoal grills.
Standard Features
• Solid, stable construction with sturdy legs, handles, and wheels
• Metal grill grate made of cast iron or stainless