People have been grilling over open flames as long as there have been flames. But let's face it, roast mastodon doesn't sound half as good as Sage Rubbed Veal Chops with Jerky Sauce. Tastes have changed, and we have gotten a little better at grilling. Specifically, Americans have gotten better--since, after all, grilling is the quintessential American culinary art. Don't believe it? Try finding an order of grilled Mescal Magic Baby Back Ribs next time you're in Paris. Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison know this. It is the premise of their book Born To Grill. Make no mistake about it, this is a cookbook with attitude, and it practically swaggers when you read it. The title screams to be tattooed on a bicep underneath a little Weber kettle. The Jamisons show they are onto a good thing and argue for a back-to-basics, high-heat, open-air, open-flame approach. Serious meat needs serious heat, and grilling is the only surefire approach. Once the book gets your attention, a few things are revealed. Grilling makes sense. It is simple, economical, and best of all, it tastes good. Grilling is not just about huge slabs of meat. Pizza, shellfish, vegetables, and even pasta have a place on the grill. And grilling is fun. Playing with fire under an open sky wins hands down over a broiler in the kitchen.
The Jamisons are no strangers to American regional cooking. Their earlier books include Sublime Smoke, Texas Home Cooking, and two James Beard Book award winners, The Border Cookbook and Smoke and Spice. They write with conviction and the kind of authority that convinces you that you are lucky--lucky enough to be born to grill. --Mark O. Howerton
Review
Born to Grill is truly useful. Very straightforward, lustily seasoned. -- Times
The Bible of the grill. This could very well be the perfect summer cookbook. -- Forbes FYI
This guide will probably become one of those classic references that cooks consult over and over. -- The Oregonian
Meticulous attention to detail makes this a superior resource for the serious and competitive summer cook. -- Booklist
From the Back Cover
PRAISE for BORN TO GRILL This enticing, handy, beautifully researched volume might well go down as the definitive book on the American tradition of grilling. If a food can be grilled, the Jamisons show in detail how to do it. James Villas, author of Crazy for Casseroles and Biscuit Bliss This incredible volume is destined to become a classic. Long acknowledged for their expertise, having previously written the definitive book on smoke cooking, the Jamisons turn here to grilling, with delicious results. Stephan Pyles, chef, cookbook author, and TV host of "New Tastes from Texas" A lively and flavor-filled book from Cheryl and Bill Jamison, masters of the art of outdoor cooking. -- William Rice, food and wine columnist for the Chicago Tribune and author of The Steak Lover s Cookbook
About the Author
Authors of fifteen cookbook and travel guides, Cheryl and Bill Jamison write with passion and wit about barbecue, American home cooking, the food and culture of the Southwest, and tropical beach travel. Considered leading authorities on each of these topics, the Jamisons are among the nation's most-lauded culinary professionals, with honors that include four James Beard Awards, an IACP award, and numerous other awards. Bon Appetit has pronounced the Jamisons "the king and queen of grilling and smoking." They are the authors of many books, including the best-selling Smoke & Spice, which has sold over one million copies, and The Border Cookbook. When not busy researching, developing recipes, or writing, the Jamisons are frequent guest instructors at many prestigious cooking schools, including Les Gourmettes in Phoenix and Central Market's five Texas locations. Cheryl is a guest instructor at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, teaching traditional and contemporary Southwestern and Mexican cooking. She is also a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Slow Foods, and past president of Friends of the Santa Fe Area Farmers' Market and the Northern New Mexico chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier. Bill grew up in Texas, understanding from birth that smoked brisket was the food of gods. Cheryl grew up in rural Illinois, where 'barbecue' was a Sloppy Joe, so she had some catching up to do. For two decades they have lived in Tesuque, New Mexico, just outside of Santa Fe, in a converted adobe dairy barn shaded by fruit trees.
Authors of fifteen cookbook and travel guides, Cheryl and Bill Jamison write with passion and wit about barbecue, American home cooking, the food and culture of the Southwest, and tropical beach travel. Considered leading authorities on each of these topics, the Jamisons are among the nation's most-lauded culinary professionals, with honors that include four James Beard Awards, an IACP award, and numerous other awards. Bon Appetit has pronounced the Jamisons "the king and queen of grilling and smoking." They are the authors of many books, including the best-selling Smoke & Spice, which has sold over one million copies, and The Border Cookbook. When not busy researching, developing recipes, or writing, the Jamisons are frequent guest instructors at many prestigious cooking schools, including Les Gourmettes in Phoenix and Central Market's five Texas locations. Cheryl is a guest instructor at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, teaching traditional and contemporary Southwestern and Mexican cooking. She is also a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Slow Foods, and past president of Friends of the Santa Fe Area Farmers' Market and the Northern New Mexico chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier. Bill grew up in Texas, understanding from birth that smoked brisket was the food of gods. Cheryl grew up in rural Illinois, where 'barbecue' was a Sloppy Joe, so she had some catching up to do. For two decades they have lived in Tesuque, New Mexico, just outside of Santa Fe, in a converted adobe dairy barn shaded by fruit trees.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Pale Ale Porterhouse A bone-in cut from the back of the steer, combining meat from the top loin and the tenderloin, the porterhouse gained its repute in beery cheer. Eighteenth-century porters in Londons Covent Garden market drank ale in taverns that came to be known, in England and America, as porterhouses. A New York pub owner popularized the steak in the United States during the War of 1812 and gave it a name by association with his porterhouse business. This recipe toasts that legacy with a bit of the brew, added after grilling for a complementary tang. Serves 2 to 4 or even more
Two 1 1/2-inch porterhouse steaks, about 2 pounds each, at least choice grade Kosher salt or other coarse salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup pale ale or other ale-style beer, at room temperature 1 to 2 teaspoons Super Wooster Sauce (page 39) or other Worcestershire sauce
Generously sprinkle the steaks with salt and let them sit covered at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the beer and Worcestershire sauce, and reserve the mixture.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking first on high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and then on medium heat (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test) When grilling porterhouses, its important to keep the smaller, more tender section of the steak angled away from the hottest part of the fire. Grill the steaks uncovered over high heat for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side. Move the steaks to medium heat, turning them again, and continue grilling for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare doneness. The steaks should be turned a minimum of three times, more often if juice begins to form on the surface. If grilling covered, sear both sides of the meat first on highheat uncovered for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes; finish cooking with the cover on over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning the steaks once midway. Transfer the steaks to a platter and immediately top with equal amounts of the beer-butter mixture.
Bring the steaks to the table, slice the meat from the bones in thin strips, and serve hot, making sure to spoon the mingling meat juices, beer, and butter on each portion. Consider Crispy Cumin Fries and St. Louis Salad for sides.
Georgia Grilling Sauce
Among traditional barbecue sauces-which we cover in detail in Smoke and Spice (Harvard Common Press 1994)-the ones based on mustard often contribute more to grilled flavor than those that start with the tomato or vinegar foundations. This blend has deep roots in Georgia, but weve modified the mix to make it a grilling sauce
1/4 cup butter 1 medium onion, mixed 1/4 cup yellow ballpark mustard 1/4 cup water Juice of 2 large lemons 2 tablespoons chili sauce (the ketchup style sauce) 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste.
In a nonreactive saucepan, warm the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saut until translucent and very soft, about 5-7 minutes. Mix in the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and cook the mixture for 10 additional minutes. Use the sauce warm. It keeps, covered and refrigerated, for several weeks, but reheat before using.
