_webers Big Book Of Grilling Introduction Recipes

_WEBER'S BIG BOOK OF GRILLING: FORWARD

Steps:

• I feel really manly. It's about 25ºF outside and snowing, and I just came in from the cold with a platter of grilled meat in my hand. Anybody can grill when it's sunny and 80ºF in the shade, but it takes a real man to brave the elements to heed the yearning for my favorite steak prepared on my Weber® kettle grill. Rib-eye. Two inches thick. Crunchy on the outside, tender and pink on the inside. When the muse beckons, I must heed her call. I must grill. I grill on a regular basis, but when the entire Roker family began showing up to partake of my grilling skills, I suddenly needed two kettles. After a few family cookouts, I discovered I needed even more cooking surface--I wanted to do pork shoulders and authentic slow-cooked ribs. What to do? The answer came to me at the Memphis In May barbecue championship, at the Weber booth. There it was...calling my name with its sweet siren song...THE RANCH™ KETTLE! It's 3 feet in diameter--finally, a grill to match my grilling ambition! Even though I'm a crossover griller (I own both charcoal and gas grills), I have to admit that I particularly love the ritual of charcoal grilling and barbecuing. I imagine my ancestors cooking not much differently than this: over an open flame, without a lot of fuss, using the freshest ingredients, and not flipping the meat over and over until it's overcooked and dry. Although my ancestors probably used more primitive fuel, I love the challenge of seeing how fast you can start the fire with just a couple of pieces of newspaper wadded up beneath your chimney starter, a pile of charcoal, and a match. I like playing with different types of wood chunks to impart various flavors, too.But then I appreciate the oh-so-easy gas grill approach, too. I also own a Weber Summit® built-in gas grill, with 75,000 BTUs, and it is a beauty. I have three Weber charcoal grills at our country weekend home, but I decided to put a Summit grill in our weekday Manhattan home, a recently renovated brownstone. Why irritate the neighbors with all that charcoal smoke? But I'm keeping my chimney starter around for old times' sake. There's something about the charcoal smudges on your shirt and pieces of charcoal in your shoes that gives you certain bragging rights. After all, life isn't about easy. (Hey, I'm a weatherman, I know about life not being easy. Try predicting sunshine for a big weekend festival and then having 2 inches of "sunny" rain out the event.)But whether it's gas or charcoal, grilling and barbecuing are great family activities. That's what I love most. Family and food go hand in hand. In fact, the only way to get rid of my family is to run out of food! And while not everybody is as manic as I am about grilling in all kinds of weather (no grilling during thunderstorms, though, unless Weber comes out with a rubber grill), we all associate a backyard barbecue with sunshine, cold drinks, and good times. But you don't have to be a fair-weather griller. Follow my lead and grill come rain, sleet, snow, or shine. But mostly, have yourself a grand ole grilling time! Enjoy!From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

_WEBER'S BIG BOOK OF GRILLING: INTRODUCTION

Steps:

• A funny thing happens when you tell people you're writing a grilling cookbook. Suddenly the conversation picks up an obvious enthusiasm. Everyone within earshot jumps in with their own grilling story--something like how they mastered a recipe "so unbelievably good" that their guests beg for the recipe, or how they happily trudged through snowdrifts in January to cook on their beloved grill.We understand. For us, grilling is much more than a cooking method. It's a sport, a hobby, a passion--dare we say, a way of life. And sharing it with fellow grillers is half the fun. We know what the first cave dwellers knew: The flame is a bonding thing. Putting this book together, we let the universal hunger for great grilling lead us. Whatever choices we made, from recipe development to writing, our first question was: Does it help the reader succeed? We wanted to create a world of grilling where the novice develops confidence and grows, the occasional griller is enlightened, the expert is challenged, and-most importantly-everyone leaves the table satisfied. To make this book work for you, start by searching out the recipes that suit your taste and comfort level. We've loaded you up with ideas from every corner of the world--including all the great standards. Along the way, we explore American grilling culture so you can learn where all the fun began and see how it has evolved (maybe you'll even find a niche where you can leave your mark--go for it!). As you work your way through the recipes, remember that attitude is as important to the experience as technique. This is not like platform diving, where the slightest error can make a terrible splash. It's more like surfing or skiing, where you definitely need a certain amount of technique but there's still a lot of room for individuality. The cooking times and temperatures are fully tested for reliability, but as you gain experience, trust your own sense of when something looks ready to turn or when the fire needs some more coals. And please, don't feel confined. If you find a certain sauce or marinade that you like, play with it. Make it your own. Owning a great recipe is almost as much fun as eating it.To help you navigate the road to great grilling, we've put up a few signposts. Special features will walk you through what you need to know to master the basic burger, prime rib roast, grilled vegetables, and much more. We pride ourselves on showing you techniques that take recipes from mediocre to magnificent. We dispel a few myths along the way, too, so check it out. And let us know about your grilling successes. Weber always enjoys a little chat over the backyard fence with fellow grillers.We've seasoned the book with a few sidebars on some of our favorite ingredients, too, for a little food history, culture, and inspiration. Forgive us if we wax poetic about fundamentals such as grilled garlic, but some of the humblest things in life deserve hero status. Once you've cooked from this book, we think you'll be a hero in your own right, too. A backyard hero. The person who can turn an ordinary day into a fun culinary romp through the Flavor Zone. So grab the tongs and apron, and let's go!Jamie Perviance, Chef/WriterSandra S. McRae, WriterFrom Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.