Great Grilling Gone Global

He’s been called the “guru of grilling” and the “Tolstoy of Tabasco,” but here’s what Steven Raichlen says about himself: “I’m the sort of guy who will travel halfway around the world to try a dish I’ve never had before.”

That’s just what the "Barbecue Bible" author did for his latest release, "Planet Barbecue!" -- technically speaking, it's what he did again and again. Raichlen's currently on tour for the new book, after spending three years flying around to more than 50 countries in search of great global grilling and barbecue traditions. 

When we caught up with Raichlen by phone before his planned Seattle appearance Friday, he said the book came out of a simple but profound realization: “Grilling is the world’s oldest and most universal cooking method, but everywhere you go, it’s done differently.”

Think of it as “barbecue as comparative literature,” he said. And if one of his previous projects, “BBQ USA,” was a love song to America, this one is a shout-out to the great and iconic grill dishes that other nations have to offer.

I've been a Raichlen fan since meeting him on his last Seattle tour, where he not only shared his Dahlia Lounge dessert with me (*that's* generosity) but answered every question I could imagine on grilling any ingredient I could imagine. (He also gave the best answer I've heard to date in the gas v. charcoal debate: Why not gas and charcoal? And, as far as that goes, his own preferred fuel is wood.)

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

On figuring out where to visit for the book: Raichlen started with 35 or 40 countries on his must-do list, but others emerged through his research. Colombia, for instance, “certainly wasn’t on my barbecue map.” But he kept hearing about lomo al trapo, beef tenderloin wrapped in damp cloths with a half-pound of salt, grilled directly on embers until it’s charred. He took off for Colombia and dubbed the dish "the best way there is to cook beef tenderloin," with meat that's incredibly moist when the salt crust is cracked open. 

On whether the people he visited shared their recipes: “In general, people were incredibly generous with their knowledge and their recipes.” Regardless, what he was after was experiencing the dish in its land of origin, and translating that experience sometimes required tweaking. In most of the world, for instance, grills don’t have grates, so he had to work around that to achieve the same results for U.S. cooks.

On which places stood out for him: Beyond the obvious stops like Japan, Argentina, and India, he was “delighted and surprised” by Cambodia, where he saw a 12th-century temple with a carving of barbecue on its walls and a “virtuoso range” of dishes from grilled eggs to corn grilled in coconut milk. Serbia, a place he approached with trepidation because of its 1990s strife, also turned out to be a delight, with “this amazing grill culture, dominated primarily by women.”

On whether his travels changed the way he thinks about American barbecue: Doesn’t sound like it. “Grilling and barbecuing are one of the few arenas where America is truly world-class.” 

On advice for making great satays (a question from a Twitter follower): In general, he reminds us, good things in Asian barbecue comes in small packages. “Traditionally, you have a lot of people, inexpensive labor, hands to do the cutting, but fuel is relatively scarce, grills are small, space is limited.” The meat must be cut in very small pieces, he said, and must be seasoned robustly. Don’t forget to add some kind of fat to the marinade, from vegetable oil to coconut milk. Architecturally, the meat should occupy no more than half the skewer. The other half should be kept free for a handle. Also, leave a quarter-inch point at the end of the skewer to scoop up a post-grill bite of cucumber relish. 

Frustrated by bamboo skewers that burn on the grill? “In Asia, satay grills are very slender, they look like elongated shoeboxes.” There, the meat-free part of the skewer hangs over the edge and doesn’t burn. Here, try folding some foil into a makeshift grill shield and sliding it under the exposed part of the skewer.  

On what he’s doing next: “I have just finished my first novel, and it has nothing to do with barbecue! It’s a love story set off the coast of New England. I’m not leaving barbecue, but certainly that was a thrilling project, and I hope to write more books that are not cookbooks.” If all goes well, look for it next spring.

-- Rebekah Denn

Comments

[Mr. Bingley on June 14, 2010 at 11:15 AM]

Columbia, for instance, “certainly wasn’t on my barbecue map.”

Why? He doesn't like South Carolina?

The name of the country is Colombia. :)

[Rebekah Denn on June 14, 2010 at 01:18 PM]

Thank you, Mr. Bingley! Just fixed that.