Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 18, 1994 TAG: 9405190008
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ALMENA HUGHES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Fresh meats and vegetables turning smoky, succulent and delicately charred with almost no tending required is a perfect way to cook during leisurely weekends or to free yourself to attend to other matters during busy weeknights.
Statistics say that women usually plan cookout menus. But 64 percent of men, compared to 24 percent of women, do the actual grilling. So it's no surprise that a man is behind one of the great grilling innovations.
According to the makers of Kingsford charcoal products, charcoal originally came in uneven-sized and burning lumps that were mainly used as industrial fuel or for home cooking in wood-burning stoves. Then, in 1921, inventor/automaker Henry Ford found a way to turn the wood scraps from his Model T car production line into uniform, consistent-burning charcoal briquets and pretty much revolutionized barbecuing.
There are a few hard and fast rules to grilling. Author A. Cort Sinnes in "The Grilling Encyclopedia" ( $16, Grove/Atlantic) says to start with the best possible ingredients; allow foods to come to room temperature before grilling; clean the bottom of the grill so that air can freely circulate; and allow 30 to 40 minutes from lighting the fire to having charcoal that's ready for grilling.
Charcoal is generally ready when it's about 70 percent covered with gray ash. To estimate how hot the fire is if you don't have a grill thermometer, hold your hand, palm side down, about six inches above the coals. If you can keep your hand in place two seconds, the fire is hot, about 375 degrees or more; three seconds, it's medium-hot (350-375 degrees); four seconds, medium (300-350 degrees); and five seconds, low (200-300 degrees).
Sinnes, who also co-wrote "The Grilling Book," says he enjoys the ritual of lighting and tending the coals, so he can't quite warm to the increasingly popular gas grills, which easily light and don't require charcoal. Still, he includes information on gas grilling in his informative encyclopedia of tips, equipment and techniques for barbecuing more than 250 foods from abalone to zucchini, including cheese not sandwiched. Sinnes' compendium also includes recipes for side dishes, sauces, marinades and the latest craze in char-cooking: rubs. Which brings us to the "personal signature" aspect of grilling.
It goes without saying that every great grill chef - official or self-proclaimed - has a method, such as throwing a handful of presoaked herbs or wood chips on the hot coals, or ingredients that make his or her dish unique. Right now, rubs - eclectic combinations of herbs and spices that flavor the exteriors of meats and vegetables - are hot. Pastes are rubs with a touch of liquid or oil added to achieve a more spreadable consistency.
To use dry spice rubs, wash and dry the food. Lightly oil the surface, then massage on the rub, allowing one to two tablespoons per pound of meat, poultry or fish. Let food stand 30 minutes to an hour to allow spices to permeate.
You can buy commercially blended rubs or create your own, keeping in mind that dry (especially ground) herbs have a more concentrated flavor than fresh ones. Dry spice rubs can be stored up to four months in an air-tight jar in a cool dry place. Pastes or rubs that use fresh ingredients should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
Whether you're an old pro or novice charcoal chef, grilling advice abounds. For free brochures filled with time-saving cookout recipes and tips, send self-addressed, stamped, letter-sized envelopes to: Kingsford Grilling Ideas, P. O. Box 24305, Dept. 384N, Oakland, Calif. 94623-1305; "Great Grilled Beef," Meat Board Test Kitchens, Dept. GGB, 444 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60611; "Grill Crazy with Pork," NPPC, P. O. Box 10383, Des Moines, Iowa 50306; "Make Magic In Minutes," in care of National Honey Board, Dept. NP, 421 21st Ave., Suite 203, Longmont, Colo. 80501; and "Perdue Burgers & Beyond," P.O. Box 2417B, Salisbury, Md. 21802.
For a free set of marinades and rubs recipe cards, call the Butter Buds Hotline (800) 231-1123.
Beginning June 3, at noon tune in to "Grilling With Chef George Hirsch" on public television station WBRA.
Attend the June 23 meeting of the Roanoke Valley Wine Society, where the topic will be "the wines of summer, perfect for matching with grilled foods...."Call 992-3285 for details.
And from now through July 8, weekdays noon- 10 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., call the Weber Grill-Line, 1-800-GRILL-OUT (1-800-474-5568), America's only toll-free hotline for grilling queries, for answers to your burning questions about barbecuing.
Recipes for:
LAHAINA BURGERS
GRILLED RACK OF LAMB
BURRlTO TURKEY BURGERS
TROPICAL ISLAND CHOPS WITH PINEAPPLE CUCUMBER SALSA PINEAPPLE CUCUMBER SALSA
GRILLED ANTIPASTO SALAD
LAKE LOGAN RIBS
GARLIC-STUFFED SIRLOIN PACIFIC RIM HONEY-BARBECUED FISH KEBABS
GRILLED FRANKFURTERS WITH PINEAPPLE-SALSA TOPPING CHILI SPICE RUB
by CNB