GRILLING BOOKS

[dkennedy]

Just got my copies of LATIN GRILLING and PLANET BARBECUE in the mail. As discussed during the July 2011 COTM's nomination process, I am starting this spin off thread for those of us interested in continuing to grill this month out of these books or any other grilling books. During August and beyond.....

Since several books will be referred to during this thread, please include the name of the book, the name of the recipe, and the page number in your posts.

So, what are you grilling???

[MelMM]

Chicken Brochettes in the Style of Fez - Planet Barbecue, p. 394

Another winner from Planet Barbecue! These kabobs were fantastic. Chicken thighs cut into 1x1x1/2" pieces are marinated briefly in a mix of mint, cilantro, parsley, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper and oil. These are then threaded onto skewers and grilled over high heat. Easy. Delicious.

[MelMM]

Grilled Spiny Lobster with Basil Butter - P 343 - The Barbecue Bible (Raichlen)

So my local natural foods market sent out a coupon via email for lobster tails. And I couldn't resist. This recipe calls for you to split whole lobsters or tails, brush with melted butter, season with salt and pepper, and grill. The grilling time is 6-8 minutes per side, but I had many very small tails, so I grilled for < 3 minutes per side. You start them cut side down, and then, after flipping, squeeze lime juice over, and brush with melted butter and chopped basil. Serve with some extra basil butter on the side.

The lime was not too strong in this. The basil did indeed, as the headnote for this recipe promises, bring out the sweetness in the lobster flesh. This was a very simple preparation, which is just what you want for lobster, and the delicate seasoning used was completely complimentary to the main attraction - lobster.

[L.Nightshade]

Jordanian Grilled Chicken, Planet Barbecue, page 378

We had this chicken a couple weeks ago, but I never got around to posting about it.

A spatchcocked chicken is rubbed with a mixture of salt, cumin, coriander, paprika, and pepper. Then olive oil is drizzled on and rubbed in. Chicklet then naps in the fridge on a bed of sliced onions and bay leaves. The recipe says one to two hours, but I put it in in the morning and let it soak up the goods all day.

While the chicken marinates (or while it cooks) onions, pine nuts, raisins, cardamom, cinnamon and bay are sauteed in oil and butter. Once the onions are caramelized, the cardamom and bay are discarded.

After the chicken is grilled, it is placed over flatbread. The recipe calls for Taboon, a Jordanian bread, or other Middle Eastern flatbread. I had recently made naan, so I used that instead. The onion mixture goes over the chicken.

We really enjoyed this dish. I'm a big fan of the Middle Eastern combinations of sweet and savory, and I loved the raisin, pine nuts and spice mixture. The chicken was nice over the naan, but I think it would be great on its own also.

Here is a photo of the chicken sitting on the naan:
http://www.chow.com/photos/661526

[MelMM]

Pork Chops with Yuzu-Miso Marinade - The Japanese Grill - p. 124

Here's another miso marinated dish, this time using a bone-in pork chop. This time the marinade is made from red miso, sake, mirin, red yuzu koshu (yuzu juice and zest with red chiles), scallions, and sesame oil. The yuzu koshu and scallions give this marinade a bit of a brighter, zestier aspect compared to the marinade for the skirt. You are instructed to marinate the pork chops for 12 hours (not 8 as I said above, I was going from memory there). I think I probably did a bit less than that, but I don't recall (catching up on recipes done a week or two ago).

They have you set up a two zone fire one side medium (400 degrees) and one side hot (550). Then they instruct you to grill the first side for 1 minute on the hot side, and 4 minutes on the medium side, then repeat for the second side. I found it easier to grill each side for 1 minute at a high temp, then reduce the air flow to lower the heat. What works best will depend upon your grill.

Once again, a recipe that doesn't hit you over the head with flavors, it just enhances the meat. It's hard to review these recipes, but they aren't about some amazing new flavor combination that konks you over the head. They are just pretty simple grilling recipes, with a lot of subtle flavor built in. The expectation is that you will use good meat, and it will taste great in a fairly simple presentation. And that has turned out to be the case, in particular for this pork chop.

[MelMM]

Skirt Steak with Red Miso - The Japanese Grill - p. 113

I made this a couple weeks ago, and I am just now starting to catch up on posting to this thread and the COTM thread. Coincidentally, I see that this recipe has since appeared on chow.com, in an "adapted from" version. The photo that accompanies is definitely not skirt steak - it is too thick and the grain is running the wrong way (I cook a lot of skirt). There are quite a few differences from the book, so I will summarize the book version here.

The marinade consists of grated garlic cloves, red miso, mirin, sake, tobanjan (which is just chile bean paste), and sugar. You cut 2 lbs of skirt into 4 equal portions and marinate the steak for an hour.

A footnote to this recipe talks about the use of miso in a marinade and its tenderizing capability. They suggest, if you have time, to try marinated a steak for a longer period. I did this, and marinated for about 8 hours. I would recommend doing that for other cuts of meat that are thicker, but I think for this recipe, a shorter time would have been better. Some marinades can tenderize meats in a way that is unappealing. Like those papaya-based meat tenderizers. The meat can get gummy. I did a pork chop (next post) in a miso marinade that went all day, and it was fine, but I think for real skirt, which is very thin, a shorter time is best.

OK, so once your marinating time is up, you heat a grill to medium high, which the book defines in a chart on p. 14 as 450 degrees F, or the temp at which you can hold your hand six inches above the fire for 3 to 4 seconds. Grill for 3 minutes each side for medium rare. I would say, a little less time, but my grill might have been a bit hotter.

So, the verdict.... skirt steak on the grill - you can't go wrong. Because skirt is so thin, I would keep the marinating time low and the grilling time short. Next time, I will only marinate this for an hour or two. The flavor is really nice. The seasonings don't contrast with the meat, they just enhance the meatiness of it. I grill skirt quite a bit, and this will become part of the regular repertoire.

[dkennedy]

Thanks for including the marinade ingredients.

[MelMM]

Really Big Bosnian Burgers - Planet Barbecue - p. 315

So I wanted to grill something, but hadn't planned in advance. I made this recipe because it used things I had on hand. You season ground beef and veal (or just ground beef, which is what I used), with minced onion, garlic, serrano peppers or red pepper flakes (I used jalapenos and some flakes), salt and pepper. Form into a really wide, thin patty. Hardest part is transferring the raw patty to the grill. Fortunately I have a very big spatula.

This "burger" is not served with a bun. The patties are huge (almost the size of a dinner plate), and thin. They are well seasoned with a slight kick to them from the chiles. I am not much of a burger eater, but we did like these. Definitely not your usual burger.

[mcf]

Thanks for this thread, even if I did think the idea of actually grilling books was a bad one. :-)

I make my home ground beef burgers mighty wide (with an indentation in the middle) between two pieces of wax paper. Then I get my hand spread under the bottom piece of wax paper to flip it over onto the grill. Works a bit better to avoid breakage than using my large grill spatula.

[dkennedy]

I bet you were wondering if I was ever going to grill again. Here I am, posting this thread and then after i grill one or twice, I fall off the radar. Well, I am happy to report I am grilling tonight.

I will be making fish and eggplant slathered with Lee Nakamura's Miso marinade from One Big Table, page 240.. I made the marinade last night and slathered the fish. It is supposed to sit in the marinade overnight and just before grilling you wipe most of it off.

Dinner will be followed by homemade strawberry ice cream (Tasty recipe) and roasted sweet plantains. The plantain recipe was inspired by the dessert on page 571 of Planet BBQ except I am leaving out the cheese and the cream because of my son's dietary concerns. I will split the plantain on top, season with cinnamon, clove, and brown sugar and dot with coconut butter.

As always, I'll report back with the results.

[mcf]

I love fish and I love eggplant, so can't wait to read it! I've never heard of marinating fish overnight, will be interesting to get your impressions of the result.

[MelMM]

Bacon-Grilled Eggplant - Planet Barbecue - p 353

This recipe has you cook up some bacon, and dust it with paprika. You cut a lengthwise slit in the eggplants, season with salt and pepper, then insert the bacon. I used small, skinny eggplant, so I used only one slice of bacon per eggplant. The eggplants are rubbed with oil (I used bacon grease), and grilled for 10-14 minutes, depending upon size, turning to get each side.

This is a really great way to have eggplant!! I'm not sure that it would work as well with large American eggplant, but with slender ones, it was fantastic. The eggplant got nice and soft, and the bacon both flavored it and added a contrasting texture.

[herby]

I do not have any of the new grilling books and wonder does anyone have and cook from "The Thrill of the Grill" or "Cooking with Smoke and Fire"? I do not have a BBQ anymore since moving to an apartment in Ottawa but when I visit children and stay at their house just north of NYC, I always cook and grill. Is Planet BBQ worth buying for the times when I could grill?

[The Dairy Queen]

I think Thrill of the Grill (isn't that Willoughby?) was an early COTM. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/427007

~TDQ

[herby]

This is an amazing thread to find - many thanks, TDQ!

[mcf]

I saw this and thought to myself "won't books just burn on the grill?" :-)

[Karen_Schaffer]

Gosh, it's getting lonely on this thread. Isn't anyone else grilling?

[dkennedy]

Sorry, I know I have dropped off the radar. My daughter got the lead in Mama Mia (a camp production): my son just had his 13th birthday: and my DH has been travelling for business so I have been eating out a lot. We also just got an ice cream recipe so my attention is truly elsewhere. Still planning on contributing. Maybe next week?

[BigSal]

I have been reading your posts. Thank you for keeping the thread alive. I have marked some of the recipes from Planet Barbecue you have reviewed. I also hope to cook from Latin Grilling soon too.

[L.Nightshade]

I planned to be heavy into Planet Barbecue this month, alongside World Veg, but some things have intervened. My entire cooking schedule has been disrupted. I am enjoying reading the posts, however, and hope to get back to it next week.
Don't give up on us, Karen, keep that homefire burning!

[The Dairy Queen]

Sorry, Karen. You've been a champ. We've got the flu going around our house, so my participation in all kinds of things has been low in the past week. But the truth is, I got a copy of Latin Grill and just wasn't inspired. I was most interested in the beef, pork, poultry and (non shell-fish) seafood and nothing in there grabbed my attention much. There are barely a dozen of those kinds of recipes in the book. I'm sure they are fantastic, though, but just not enough variety I guess.

I do believe people will continue to add to this thread over time, though.

~TDQ

[Karen_Schaffer]

Thanks, everyone! I certainly understand how schedules work (or don't work). In fact, I've renewed Planet Barbecue from the library, but I may not be grilling anything out of it for the next week or two myself. Thanks for the reassurances that y'all are still out there.

[dkennedy]

I am really enjoying reading through Planet BBQ. I bought my copy used on Amazon for mere pennies plus shipping. Just in case you find yourself wanting to keep it...

[Gio]

I haven't done very much at all on the grill since it's been either too hot or raining but I've been reading along, Karen. We grill year round so absent rain or snow I'll be back.

[Karen_Schaffer]

Planet Barbecue, South African Shish Kebabs (Sosaties), p. 251-253

Cubes of pork tenderloin (and lamb shoulder) and dried apricots are marinated in red wine & vinegar with spices, for a sort of sauerbraten pork shish kebab with a touch of curry effect. The leftover marinade is simmered down to use as a glazing and passing sauce. I liked making use of this flavorful liquid instead of just dumping it down the drain.

Reception was enthusiastic -- very tasty!

Details: I marinated it overnight. I used 1 1/2 lbs. pork tenderloin rather adding 1/2 c lamb shoulder. I used a mix of dried peaches and apricots, not just apricots. I skipped the cream option. I accidentally forgot the bacon pieces that were supposed to be interspersed on the skewers, dang. We agreed it would have been even tastier with the bacon, but it was already great without. It did seem like a lot of meat for 4 people. I think it could easily have made 6 skewers of meat + fruit, especially with the bacon included..

This was a great dish for having guests over. I prepared the skewers a couple of hours in advance plus simmered the marinade down so it was ready to go. Then it was just 8 minutes on the grill with a few swipes of the sauce.

[Karen_Schaffer]

Planet Barbecue, Ground Lamb Kebabs, p. 334

Interesting seasoning for ground lamb. He has you soak Aleppo pepper in hot water so it becomes a paste, then mix it into the ground lamb. I was cautious and used 1/2 tbsp of Aleppo flakes and 1/2 tbsp of sweet paprika to 8 oz ground lamb. There's also chopped parsley and S&P mixed in. Form the lamb into long flattened patties on skewers (but I misunderstood and made them more torpedo shaped than flattened). DH was quite enthusiastic about them. I thought they were okay, but they had a bouncy texture that I wasn't fond off. Too much handling of the meat? He directs you to knead the lamb mixture, squeezing out any air bubbles, so there's quite a bit of handling.

I didn't make the onion relish, but I think a high note of that sort was needed. A yogurt sauce or a squeeze of lemon would have been good too. I'm sure I'll make something like this again, and I'll use the trick of making a paste with the Aleppo pepper. But I'd like to figure out how to keep the lamb from getting bouncy.

[blue room]

Karen, I recently made some beef "meatball burgers" from Planet Barbecue!, and the recipe calls for kneading the meat. Knead for 3 - 5 minutes, it says,
"this gives it a spongy texture much prized by the Turks."
I liked that texture, but if you don't, then handling it less could be the answer.

[Karen_Schaffer]

You may well be right! I made it again for the Aug 2012 COT with turkey burger, didn't knead it, and thought the texture was fine.

[Karen_Schaffer]

Pork Tenderloin Grilled with Bacon and Prunes, Planet Barbecue, p. 216

You slit a pork tenderloin, salt & pepper the pocket, smear with optional mustard, stuff with prunes, salt & pepper the whole thing, wrap with bacon, tie in place, then grill it.

It was certainly tasty. Hard to go wrong with pork, bacon, and fruit. I used dried peaches instead of prunes and smeared with honey mustard instead of Dijon.

One procedural note: he has you fill the pocket with the mustard and dried fruit, then directs you to salt & pepper the outside before wrapping with bacon. What a pain! The filling all wanted to come out while I was trying to S&P the outside. My advice: S&P the whole thing, inside and out, before smearing and filling. Then all you have to worry about is tying the bacon strips in place.

Also, it seemed like way too much fruit. I just had one tenderloin, a little over a pound, but no way could I fit 1 c of fruit in the cavity. I ended up simmering the extra fruit, chopped up, with some water and honey mustard to make a mustard fruit sauce, which we used as an additional condiment.

It also took a lot longer to grill than 3-4 minutes a side, but that's probably more a problem with my grill than the recipe. I just kept turning it until it looked right and registered 158 degrees.

[Gio]

Cumin-Grilled Chicken Breasts with Fiery Bolivian Salsa, Pg. 383, Planet Barbecue

In the realm of "Learn something new everyday": That fiery Bolivian salsa is called Llajua. Pronounced Yak-Wa. It was delicious enough but perhaps because of the chilies I used it was hot not fiery. We loved it, though. For the chile a choice is given between locato, Scotch bonnets or jalapeños and I used jalapeños. I forgot I had habaneros which probably would have made for a hotter salsa. I subbed 6 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts, everything else remained as written.

First, marinate the chicken for up to one hour in a combo of S & P, cumin and EVOO. Cover and put into fridge. Grill the chicken over direct heat till golden brown about 3 - 5 minutes each side for boneless meat.

The llajua consists of chopped: chilies, tomatoes, garlic whizzed in a processor. Drizzle in EVOO, red wine vinegar, add S & P and cilantro. Process till smooth. Taste and make sure it's highly seasoned. Set aside. Serve the chicken with the llajua either over top or on the side..

Truly delicious. We could easily have eaten a double recipe. Easy to put together, too. I made the llajua while the chicken was marinating plus started two different side dishes. Everything worked well together: chicken, beet/potato salad and Bengali-style wax beans.

[mariacarmen]

Gio, it's actually pronounced "Lya-Hhhhwa" - with a very gutteral-sounding "H" (sorry, I'm Bolivian!) You and Linda have made me want to try this version - so different from the one i grew up eating, but it sounds good. If you guys can find rocotos, those are fiery hot for sure. I've found them frozen, whole, in my local latino market (which carries a lot of South American items).

aaaaand i just saw this post is a year old! sorry!

[L.Nightshade]

No problem on the old post mc, as we're linking to these posts in this month's COTM thread. Besides, your info is timeless!
I've just found a seller called AndeanSeeds, I'm thinking of ordering quirquina, huacataya, and rocoto seeds. I don't know what the climate specifications are (doesn't it get cool up in the Andes?), but I figure I can try them indoors in pots if necessary.

[mariacarmen]

freezing cold and burning hot! but i think they may grow them in the lowlands (tropics) of Bolivia. Then again, a friend is growing locotos and huacataya here SF. well, he's actually in Daly City (warmer).

i'm going to wait until the spring to see about planting ours... did i tell you i also found huacataya frozen here? it looks like wilted spinach. i used some in my last batch of llajua and it did give a distinctively minty taste. maybe i used too much, because i don't remember that much mintiness at my aunt's house in La Paz.

[Allegra_K]

A question....... I found some huacatay in paste form in a jar at my local tienda....would you recommend this stuff? I am wary of purchasing it before I know whether or not it would be a suitible substitution for the fresh (or frozen) variety.
I've also recently come across aji amarillo and rocoto chiles, frozen and in jars. Would frozen be the better choice? I'm thinking that if I save the seeds of the frozen varieties, maybe I can even try planting them next spring.....
(I've been inspired by the amazing new Latin American cookbook., Gran Cocina Latina, so I've been on a quest for the most authentic ingredients I can find. I plan on delving heavily into this book in the coming months)
Thanks for the help!

[Gio]

Many thanks for the correction, Mariacarmen. I simply wrote that as written in the recipe intro notes. That was how Raichlen thought it sounded, I suppose

[Karen_Schaffer]

Lemongrass & Curry Grilled Chicken Breasts, Planet Barbecue, p. 384

Delicious! Although I have to admit up front that, for various reasons, I ended up baking it in the oven rather than grilling it. And since I was baking it, I left the marinade paste on it, rather than wiping it off. Most of the paste still clung to the chicken, plus there were delicious juices to pour over the finished chicken.

Marinate chicken breasts in a paste made from 2 stalks lemongrass, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp cilantro (I used a combo of mint & lovage), 1 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp coarse salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp vegetable oil. He says pounding the paste in a mortar & pestle will give the richest flavor, but using a food processor is okay, so I used my Cuisinart mini prep.

I marinated the chicken for about an hour, then baked it, in the marinade, at about 325 for about 30 minutes, until it registered done. I'm sure it would have been nice grilled, but baking it let the marinade become a sauce to serve with the chicken, and it was fantastic.

Your choice of curry powder will make a big difference in the recipe, obviously. I used one that a friend blends from a family recipe -- no turmeric, lots of toasted spices. I don't care for cilantro, so my standard sub for that is a mix of mint and lovage. He suggests dill as an alternative.

[MelMM]

Lemongrass & Curry Grilled Chicken Breasts, Planet Barbecue, p. 384

I grill all year, so I'll try to remember to keep adding to this thread when I grill from this book. So far I haven't been too good about it. I made this a month or so ago. I used chicken thighs. Karen has already listed the ingredients. I made the paste with a mortar and pestle, and I used cilantro in the recipe, as called for. The one substitution was that I used chicken thighs instead of breasts. Grilled these up on my Egg. This was really easy to put together and the results are excellent. I agree with Karen that you want a good quality curry powder. Whether you make your own or buy on, make sure you are using fresh, aromatic spices. This really a nice dish!

[jpr54_1]

I just finished making the marinade-
I skipped the cilantro and used dill
I used chicken thighs and a curry from savory spice shop
chicken is marinating overnite and will giive results tomorrow

[Pixie Muse]

The Best Barbecue on Earth, Grilling Across 6 Continents and 25 Countries, with 170 Recipes by Rick Browne...

You may find all the recipes interesting, given it covers various countries and their unique recipes.

[dkennedy]

Here is my wish list of recipes to try from Planet Barbecue:

1. Piri Piri Chicken Wings in the Style of Nando's - South Africa - p. 20
2. Iranian Saffron Lemon Chicken Wings - Iran and Azerbaijan - p. 26
3. Tokyo-Style Grilled Chicken Dumplings - Japan - p 30
4. Grilled Pork Jerky - Singapore - p 48
5. Korean Grilled Pork Belly - Seoul, South Korea - p 53
6. Grilled Eggplant Salad with Jerusalem Flavors - p 71
7. Armenian Stick Bread - p 96
8. Indian Puff Pastry - p 98
9. Naan Crusted with Pumpkin, Poppy, and Nigella Seeds p 100
10. Arepas Grilled Corn Cakes with Salsa - Columbia - p 109
11. Grilling Steaks p 141
12. Grilled T Bone Steak with Grape Tomato Salad - Italy - p 150
13. Buenos Aires Heart Stopper - Argentina - p 157
14. Spruce Grilled Steak - Quebec - - p 162
15. Filets Mignons with Whisky Mushroom Sauce - Uruguay - p 165
16. Butterfiied Sesame Grilled Beef Short Ribs - Korea - p 171
17. Grilled Veal Chops with Sweet and Sour Onions - Italy - p 180
18. Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder - p 197
19. Shepherd's Tacos - Mexico - p 212
20. Mustard Plum BBQ Sauce - Uruguay - p 222 (great with any meat)
21. Puerto Rican Grilled Pork Chops - p 224
22. Mayan Pork Chops - Mexico - p 225
23. Caribbean Pineapple Baby Back Ribs with Pineapple BBQ Sauce - Trinidad and Tobago - p 234
24. Nuri's Ribs - Bali - p 239
25. Balinese Salad - p 264
26. Spit Roasted Lamb/Goat with Garlic and Mint - Kenya - p 267
27. Lucknowi Lamb Chops - Utar Pradesh, India - p 291
28. Mauritius Grilled Lamb Chops - Island of Mauritius - p 293
29. The Perfect Burger - p 309
30. 6 Tips for Ground Meat Kebabs - p 329
31. Lemongrass Rotisserie Chicken - Philippines - 353
32. Grilled Chicken with Yellow Chiles and Roasted Garlic - Peru - p 368
33. Jordanian Grilled Chicken - p 378
34. Thai Grilled Chicken - Thailand - p 380
35. Pancetta Orange Chicken Kebabs - Argentina - p 395
36. Chicken Liver Yakitori with a Balsamic Soy Glaze - Japan - p 402
37. Salmon Glazed with Belgian Cherry Beer - Belgium - 429
38. Salmon Shashlik - Russia - p 431
39. Tandoori Grilled Kingfish - India p 432
40. Grilled Turbot With Holy Water - Basque Region - p 440
41. Grilled Snook with Apricot Glaze - S. Africa - p 455 (or halibut, striped bass, bluefish, mackerel)
42. Mexican Grilled Fish Tacos - Mexico - p 458
43. Turmeric Grilled Prawns - Malaysia - p 486
44. Grilled Shrimp Sprayed with Olive Oil and Wine - Basque - p 488
45. Mauritius Shrimp or Squid Kebabs with Ginger Turmeric Glaze - Island of Mauritus - p 495
46. Thai Grilled Clams with Chiles and Limes - Thailand - p 510
47. Mussels Grilled on Pine Needles - France - p 513
48. Grilled Bananas - Colombia - p 529
49. Bacon Grilled Eggplant - Armenia - p 535
50. Grilled Shishito Peppers with Sesame Oil and Salt - Japan - p 544
51. Tandoori Potatoes in the Style of Baked Stuffed Potatoes - India - p 550
52. Laotian Sticky Rice Pops with Dipping Sauces - Laos - p 565
53. Grilled Sweet Plantains or Bananas with Guava and Salty Cheese - Colombia - p 571
54. Muscat Grilled Pineapple with Sea Salt - Australia - p 577

[L.Nightshade]

Uzbek "Tandoori" Chicken, Planet Barbecue, page 360.

The recipe states that the bird is traditionally skinned, but that Raichlen prefers the skin on. Mr. NS was kind enough to skin the breasts (for me, skin hater), while leaving the skin on the dark bits (for him). The chicken is rubbed with a paste of garlic, ginger, salt, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and oil. Ours sat in fridge all day, soaking up the rub. It is then grilled sitting on a beer can, over a drip pan, in indirect heat.

This chicken was very tasty, the spice rub is a flavorful and aromatic mix. We forgot to add a squeeze of lemon upon serving, which probably would have made it even better.

I served several COTM dishes alongside the chicken. No Uzbek recipes, so I used the Indian style dishes. Worked very well!

[Gio]

OK... here comes my dumb question of the day:

Ahem: When you use a beer can for roasting chicken is the can opened and beer removed - or is the can opened and beer remains in the can? I can guess that the beer can is not closed during roasting. LOL

[L.Nightshade]

My first experience with beer can roasting, I would have asked the same question. The can is opened and half the beer is poured out (or consumed). The beer simmers on the grill and imparts moisture (and probably some flavor) to the chicken internally. Sure looks funny though. Like it should be wearing a bow tie and tap shoes.

[Gio]

Thanks for the reply, LN. Guess I'll be steppin' out with my chickie any night now.

[The Dairy Queen]

Try lemonade--and some herbs-- in the can. That's my all-time favorite version of BCC.

~TDQ

[herby]

Uzbek "Tandoori" Chicken, Planet Barbecue, p. 360

Made this chicken recipe tonight and it was delicious, very much reminded me of Indian tandory chicken. I forgot lemon wedges too and marinated for just over 4 hours - it was still very flavouful. I cooked without the skin and worried about it drying out but it did not happen.

I served the chicken with Grilled Pepper salad from the same book, BBQ corn, potatoe baked on BBQ and taztziki - all went together very well.

[L.Nightshade]

I don't know how I missed your announcement of this thread, but I happily ran across it today. I will be using Planet Barbecue this month, for dishes to accompany those from World Vegetarian. Expect to be starting with the Uzbek Tandoori Chicken. (Probably not until Tuesday due to other plans.) No Uzbek dishes in WV, so I'll just pick out some things that look compatible (Afghani, Pakistani, or Indian perhaps?).

[dkennedy]

Iranian Saffron Lemon Chicken Wings - page 26, PLANET BARBECUE

Ready to post about my first experience with this book. First of all, it is a huge book, over 600 pages. You'll recall I am not a big fan on compendium style books because I seem to get lost in the pages. Still, this one has held my interest thus far. I have tabbed recipes through page 353, I'll conquer the other 1/2 the book at a later date. I am hoping other's posts about what grabbed their attention will help.

The Iranian Chicken Wings were a big success with my family. I marinaded overnight a mixture of chicken drumettes and skinless, boneless thighs instead of wings. Had to put it in the outside fridge cuz the onion smell would have caused everything in the house fridge to take on an onion smell. When it came time to grill, I grilled them on my piastra stone (Mario COTM suggestion). The chicken browned up wonderfully. I used both the basting sauce and the pomegranate molasses to finish the dish. Using all three components, the marinade, the basting sauce, and the glaze, this dish was good, but I would tweak it next time.

Next time, I will not make nearly as much basting sauce. 4 T. of butter made way too much. I would cut the basting sauce in 1/2, but keep the same amount of saffron and maybe the same amount of lemon in it, as the flavor was very subtle. So 2 T. butter, 1-2 T. lemon juice, and 1/2 T. saffron broth. My husband tasted the dish before and after I added the glaze, and he thinks the dish was better before the glaze. I think the onion flavor overpowered so I liked the glaze for balance. Maybe serve the glaze as a dipping sauce next time.

I served this dish along side two Mario grilling recipes: the grilled asparagus wrapped in panchetta and the waxy potatoes. Both are fantastic recipes, and I reported about my experience on the COTM thread. These sides required two additional sauces which turned out to be overkill for me. Nothing hard here, just time consuming. As much as I like trying all these different recipes, I can't see going through all this work for one meal. My typical balance per meal is to make one hard dish, the others easy. I think of this as the Ina Garten method. She always cheats a little, by buying some component, like the meringue shells for her dessert, or the store bought olives instead of a home made nibble. I am a fan of this type of cheating. I don't like using store bought sauces though.

Mario's marinade for the asparagus was fantastic. I used it again last night on tiny yellow tomatoes. So, even though the meal was fantastic, I think next time, one hard, the rest easy.

[L.Nightshade]

This book has so many interesting sounding dishes, I've pretty much given up tagging pages. I'm trying to choose a protein, then search in EYB for what sounds good. It's useful to me to read other's reviews here also, so thank you for posting.

I'm with you on the numerous dishes/numerous sauces issue. Besides being too much work, I think one dish with an outstanding treatment needs another, simpler dish to act as a foil.

[dkennedy]

Just finished reading Gio's post about her dinner last night (on another thread) and it included a reference to a salad from PLANET BARBECUE. I don't know how to link back to a specific place in another thread so, I am cutting and pasting Gio's comments about the salad in PLANET BARBECUE. I hope this doesn't breach some rule about copying.

"BTW: If you do try that Turkish tomato and onion salad from Planet Barbecue, note that after tasting the finished salad but before serving I added a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar. The 2 tablespoons of lemon juice that is a component of the dressing is just too mild for the amount of veggies. In fact, if I make it again I'll definitely use another ratio of oil to acid..." By Gio on Aug 04, 2011 05:28AM

[Gio]

It's perfecly OK with me that you copied & pasted my comments here, DK. For future reference, to link to a particular/individual post here's what to do:

To the right of the post you want to link to click on the word, "Permalink." That sets the URL address for that post. If you look at the http:// adress on top of your screen you'll see the topic number then a # then another number. Highlight that and paste it where you want. For instance:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7932...
That should bring you directly to my comments.

[Karen_Schaffer]

Iranian Saffron Lemon Chicken Wings - page 26, PLANET BARBECUE

I made this tonight, using boneless, skinless thighs. It was quite tasty, though I think I would make far less marinade next time. Since it's a thick, yogurt based marinade, I think I could have made a much smaller amount and just smeared it on the chicken pieces, rather than having them swim around in a big bowl of it. With a 1/2 tsp of saffron threads in the marinade rather than the usual 'few threads', it would be worth being a little more judicious.

I also made the glaze, which really made a visual difference in the chicken! Presumably changed the taste as well, though I didn't taste before and after. Even reducing it per D Kennedy's recommendation, i have leftover glaze. But that's okay, I'll use it on some vegetables, maybe saute some summer squash and add it -- lemon, saffron, and butter, it'll be great.

Bottom line: I'd gladly make this dish again, but with much less marinade and glaze to reduce the waste.

[Karen_Schaffer]

Tonight I sauteed some onions, then added a chopped white patty pan squash, some yellow & green beans and a bit of water so they would steam a bit until nice and soft. Then right at the end, I stirred in the leftover saffron lemon butter. Heavenly, worth doing just on its own. We ate it with the leftover chicken, which was also quite nice reheated.

[MelMM]

I'm excited about having this thread going while we cook from World Vegetarian. I'll post about some recipes from The Japanese Grill, and also from Planet Barbecue. I have several other grilling books that I might cook from as well, depending upon my mood, time, and what kind of meat and veg I have available. I have the Jameson books, another Raichlen book, one Schlesinger & Willoughby book, a Weber book, "The Vegetarian Grill" by Andrea Chesman, some more BBQ oriented books, and more that I can't remember off the top of my head. Obviously I can't cook from all of these this month, so I will probably focus on PB and TJG, which have grabbed my attention lately. I think I'm done with the Batali book for now. I was thinking of doing the quail from Batali, but I found a recipe in Planet Barbecue for quail that looks more interesting.

[dkennedy]

Glad to hear so many people are interested in participating in this grilling thread. It has been so hard for me to find time to make dinner with the kids out of school for the summer, I find myself making things on the grill more and more. Tonight we are having breakfast sausage and grilled grapes. Not much of a meal but we were out all day.

For this weekend, I just bought the ingredients to make the Iranian Saffron Lemon Chicken Wings on page 26 and the Tokyo Style Grilled Chicken Dumplings on page 30, both out of PLANET BARBECUE. I think I am going to throw the marinade together tonight (wings) and make the dumplings to the point of freezing, so I have them ready to go.

Going to try and hunt down some sugar cane in anticipation for making skewers out of LATIN GRILL next week. Yeah me!

MelMM, I just spent the last hour drooling over recipes in THE JAPANESE GRILL. I don't own the book, but I think I am going to get it soon. Looks like a lot of master marinade recipes used simply on various meats, is that your experience? Would love to hear about your experience with this book.

I know a lot of us are burned out on Mario, but I plan on continuing with Mario as well. I will double post my results, here and on the July COTM thread.

[MelMM]

Yes, there are marinades that are used in several recipes, and even when the marinade is unique to the recipe, there are a few key ingredients being used over and over. Which is why I didn't really understand the complaints about finding ingredients for this book. It's only a few things you need to get, and you are set for the whole book. A couple things I've made recently: a miso marinated pork chop, and a miso marinated skirt steak. The marinades were different, but had the miso element in common. Both dishes were excellent. These are not flavors that hit you over the head. It's just a subtle hit of umami and char to add to what is naturally there in the meat. That works for me.

[dkennedy]

Sounds good. Will have to acquire this title too.

[Karen_Schaffer]

I just got Planet Barbecue out of the library, so I'm looking forward to that one.

We should add _Asian Grill_ by Corinne Trang to the mix. I'd call her recipes Asian-influenced rather than straight Asian recipes. There are several I'm fond of, like the Country Ribs with Hoisin Sauce -- dead easy and yummy. Paraphrase: Cut 2 1/2 lbs boneless country ribs into 1/2" thick slices. Marinate for 4-6 hrs. in a mixture of 1/3 c hoisin sauce, 1/4 c fish sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 grated garlic cloves, and 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger. Grill over high heat for about 6 minutes, turning frequently, until crisp and cooked through. Now I'm getting hungry for them!

I also own but have never cooked out of _Smoke & Spice_ by Jamison & Jamison, their follow up book _Sublime Smoke_, and the _Williams-Sonoma Grilling_ book. So I'd love to hear anything anyone has to say about them.

[Karen_Schaffer]

Oh, never mind about the Jamisons' books. They're for smokers, not grills. Although if anyone has any comments, I'd still love to hear anything you have to say.

[nofunlatte]

Excellent book for smoking (and The Renowned Mr Brown is my go-to pork butt recipe). I just got a bullet smoker (Weber Smokey Mountain) this May and this book was suggested (on another CH thread, as well as a Weber BBQ "fan" site).

[Gio]

I'll probably add to this grilling thread during August. In my library at home are:
*Italian Grill by Mario Batali
*License to Grill by Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby
Weber's Charcoal Grilling by Jamie Purviance & Jim Purviance
Planet Barbecue by Steven Raichlen

Tell me what's so special about Latin Grill...please.

*PS: I like the idea of adding new reports to the archived COTM threads.

[dkennedy]

To me, the recipes in Latin Grill are very appealing. I am a west coast girl and during my grad school years I lived pretty close to the border, affording me the opportunity to make lobster burrito runs at a moments notice. I miss those days and that kind of cooking. I love street food and this book evokes all kinds of food memories for me. I am hoping it lives up to me expectations.

Another reason why I think I also lean toward latin cooking is that my son is gluten intolerant. The latin diet does not use a lot of flour (other than flour tortillas) and so we can easily eat as a family making corn tortillas for him, flour for the rest of us. By contrast, Italian night is a nightmare of dishes in my house. Two pots of water for boiling gluten free pasta and regular pasta, two sauces, one kid friendly, one for adult tastes. You get the idea.

The final reason I like Latin Grilling is that I have an aversion to compendium cookbooks. I just find them too overwhelming to sift through. So, I tend to underutilize them. A single subject grilling book such as Latin Grilling, The Italian Grill or the Japanese Grill is more to my taste.

[Gio]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments, DK. Now I realize I don't have an Asian or specifically Japanese grilling book either.. Perhaps PB has a few recipes from those countries, though. I haven't gone through the entire book yet.

[MelMM]

Several Japanese recipes, and many more from all over Asia. I think you'll be pleased.

[Gio]

Many thanks, Mel. I still haven't had a chance to go through the entire book yet but with any luck I'll do it today...

[BigSal]

Thanks for bringing Latin Grill to my attention. My copy just came today and I see several recipes that I'm excited to try. I'm looking forward to coupling this with some of Jaffrey's vegetarian sides.

[The Dairy Queen]

Pulling up a chair, pouring a nice chilled glass of white wine, and reserving my spot in this thread. I pick up my copy of Latin Grill tonight. Thank you, dk, for getting us organized!

~TDQ

[dkennedy]

Thank you TDQ for posting the link for the 2007 August Grilling thread. I must not have participated that month (probably because my grill was the worst back then). I am a little afraid to look it over now having just acquired three new grill books, but you know I can't resist! I hope to be "done" buying cookbooks for a while....well, except for Cod and Country which is calling my name.

[beetlebug]

FYI, for Italian Grill, please just continue posting on the COTM threads. This way we can have a reference point in one thread.

Happy Grilling.

[dkennedy]

Good point, Bettlebug, I changed the heading.

[smtucker]

And to that I would add, The Schlesinger & Willoughby books should also go with the August 2007 COTM threads.

[The Dairy Queen]

When people post to the "old" IG or S&W threads, would it be worth putting a pointer in this thread withthe name of the recipe and book and a permalink to your post in that thread? Or is that just too complicated?

Links to IG threads:

Master thread for July COTM: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/793282

Antipasti http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/793281

Bruschetta, Pizza, Flatbread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/793280

Fish, shellfish, poultry, meat: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/793276

Pasta, salad, vegetables: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/793282

Gelato and Sorbetto (is this even relevant to grilling? Not sure) http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/793273

Master thread to Aug 2007 Grilling COTMS

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/427007

~TDQ

[smtucker]

tdQ, placing the links here is perfect! Wish I had thought of that.... as to posting a pointer here, people will do what people will do. :-)