Six new books capture the best grilling recipes and techniques ...

Barbecue may be ancient and primal, but the birth of the grill is all about American ingenuity.

The country?s first book on grilling was ?Sunset?s Barbecue Book,? published in 1938, according to Bill and Cheryl Jamison, authors of ?100 Grilling Recipes You Can?t Live Without? (Harvard Common Press).

The book ?dealt with food and cooking only as a secondary interest,? they write. ?Most of the slender volume concerned how to build your own outdoor fire place, using brick, rock and mortar.?

The growing popularity of outdoor cooking continued to grow until grills dotted suburban lawns across America. The fuel of choice: charcoal briquettes, a by-product of Henry Ford?s Model T assembly line. And American consumers ultimately sealed the deal by choosing the Weber kettle introduced in 1951, an iconic model that continues to dominate the industry.

Cooking with fire may be in our DNA, but as our palates evolve, so does grilling, moving increasingly from local and regional to global and seasonal. Whether your style is fast and furious grilling or low and slow barbecue, 2013?s top crop of guide books includes clever tips and mouthwatering recipes from serious competitive cookers, gourmet-driven and trend-setting staffs of food magazines, and professional chefs with a bent for fine dining.

?Champion BBQ Secrets for Real Smoked Foods?

If you tend to think all champion barbecuers play it close to the vest, then, sadly, you never knew Karen Putman.

Before the ERA of barbecue made women equal in the eyes of the flame, Putman mentored the original all-female ?Que Queens. The team was known for its tiaras and beauty queen waves. The catalyst for their girly name and grilling getups? A seriously deluded radio deejay who claimed women weren?t as good at the art of turning out slow-smoked meats as the menfolk.

With those fighting words, Putman steered a team of top Kansas City barbecue women, including Carolyn Wells (Kansas City Barbeque Society), Judith Fertig (national award-winning cookbook author), Karen Adler (cookbook publisher) and Lou Jane Temple (restaurant icon and food personality) through what was billed as an all-out battle of the sexes.

You could call it a draw: the men won once and the women won once, but Putman remained a fixture on the competitive barbecue circuit with her own cooking team, Flower of the Flames, and a barbecue sauce company of the same name. She won national and international championships, all the while mentoring others, including chef Russ Muehlberger of Jon Russell?s BBQ, a smokehouse in Leawood that pays tribute to Putman with several menu items. The ribs are very good but don?t miss variations on her pioneering sweet-heat barbecue sauces.

Putman died in 2011 from complications of breast cancer, but ?Championship BBQ? is a lovely tribute to her huge talent. The second edition offers 300 recipes for such lip smackers as her grand champion rack of lamb, cold-smoked vegetables and salmon with white wine and pesto.

Grand Champion Rack of Lamb

Makes 8 servings

1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup each packed fresh thyme, basil and mint leaves

3 tablespoons seasoned salt

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary needles

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallots

4 racks of lamb, fat removed and bones frenched (with a sharp knife scrape bits of fat and flesh off the ends)

1/2 cup prepared mustard

1/4 cup amber liquid honey

Prepare the paste: In a food processor, combine oil, thyme, basil, mint, seasoned salt, rosemary, garlic and shallots for 1 minute, or until the mixture becomes a loose paste.

Place lamb in a large sealable plastic bag and pour in paste. Seal bag, toss to coat and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove lamb from past and pat dry. Discard paste.

In a small bowl, combine mustard and honey; brush onto lamb. Set aside.

Prepare a fire in your smoker.

Place lamb directly on the smoker rack, add wood to coals and close the lid. Smoke at 225 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of a rack reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees for medium-rare, or desired doneness.

?America?s Best BBQ Homestyle: What the Champions Cook in Their Own Backyards?

Kansas City authors/barbecue experts Ardie Davis and Paul Kirk continue to churn out some of the most authentic barbecue books on the market. Last summer they delved into ribs. This summer it?s backyard barbecue, as cooked up by the experts who ride the circuit.

Davis and Kirk asked competitive barbecuers to share recipes for what they make when they?re not trying to win points or prize money. When they?re kicking back with friends and family, the recipes tend to be far more relaxed and, in some ways, more interesting. ?Contest rules and regulations literally put barbecue creativity in a box ? a turn-in box,? Davis writes.

When I took the course for KCBS judge certification, I recall they tried to stump us by slipping in a feathery carrot top, an edible but illegal garnish. Of course, green lettuce, flat-leaf parsley and cilantro are the only acceptable ?vegetation.? None of that red-tipped lettuce or curly leafed kale. Sauce on the ribs? Better be distributed over all the ribs equally, not pooled in the container, or you run the risk of disqualification.

Freed from the constraints of competition designed to allow judges to compare apples to apples, ?Homestyle? goes pretty far afield, featuring recipes for grilled, smoked and barbecued foods with a slightly more gourmet twist. Consider Jeff Brinker?s Easy Wagyu Chili, Bill Minahan?s Chicken and Prosciutto Fatties, Dizzy Pig?s Tsunami Duck Breast, KCass?s Ahi Tuna With Mango Salsa or Bob Lyon?s Grand Gaucho Paella.

The book has a high school yearbook quality, with plenty of snapshots of the folks and their food. The flames-shooting-from-the-grill disaster stories are a sort of blooper bonus. Yes, everyone can get a little carried away when those creative juices start flowing.

Bill Gillespie?s Shrimp Tacos

Make 8 tacos

Slaw:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1 (16-ounce) package coleslaw mix

2 scallions, white and green parts, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

Shrimp:

About 24 (1-pound) uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4-1/2 cup of your favorite seafood seasoning

1-1 1/2 cups Thai sweet chili sauce, for serving

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

For the slaw: In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, half of the lime zest and all of the lime juice. Add the coleslaw mix, scallions, jalapeno and cilantro and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

For the shrimp: Prepare a hot grill for direct cooking.

In a large bowl, toss the shrimp in the canola oil, the remaining lime zest and some salt and pepper and let sit for about 30 minutes. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while the shrimp marinate.

Thread the shrimp on skewers, then season with you favorite rub. Grill directly over the coals for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the grill and from the skewers and toss them in the sweet chili sauce.

Place the tortillas on the grill grate to heat for 1 minute per side.

To assemble the tacos, spoon some slaw into the bottom of each tortilla, top with 3 shrimp and enjoy.

?All Fired Up?

This is a lick-the-pages, straight-from-the-test-kitchen sort of barbecue book that, despite its slickness nevertheless manages to deliver iron-clad recipes and techniques with a certain homespun charm. In fact, the photography is so lush that I absentmindedly found myself trying to wipe flecks and splatters of sweet Kansas City-style sauce off the page.

Curated by Troy Black, a competitive barbecuer, the book mostly concentrates on archetypal recipes from the South, however Black does make a pit stop at the original Oklahoma Joe?s in Kansas City, Kan. ?This is my favorite barbecue joint in the country!? Black writes before singing the praises of the Z-Man sandwich, smoked beef brisket topped with smoked provolone and two crispy onion rings served on a kaiser roll.

Beyond fantastic food photography, occasional portraits of a barbecue pitmaster or joint interior help set the scene. The addition of how-to photos and ?Troy?s Tips,? tips from Black cover all the bases. Recipes include Rosemary Flank Steak With Fig Salsa, Peach Pulled Pork, Texas Smoked Brisket, Curried Chicken Kabobs, Asian-Grilled Quail, Muffaletta Burgers and Grilled Rosemary Lemonade.

You simply can?t mess up when equipped with a well-organized tome, but you won?t tap into the natural quirkiness of the competitive barbecue scene, either.

Peach-Glazed Pork Chops

Makes 4 servings

1 (18-ounce) jar peach preserves

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 (8-ounce) bone-in pork loin chops (1 1/2 inches thick)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

4 large peaches, halved

Preheat grill to 350 to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Bring preserves, soy sauce and ginger to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat; reserve 1/2 cup to baste peaches.

Rub oil over pork chops; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill pork chops, covered with grill lid, 5 to 7 minutes on each side until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 145 degrees, basting often with 1 cup peach preserves mixture.

At the same time, grill peaches, covered with grill lid, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until tender, basting often with the reserved peach preserves mixture. Let pork chops stand 5 minutes before serving.

?Bon Appetit: The Grilling Book?

Cooking meat over fire is an ancient ritual, but Bon Appetit does its best to turn the backyard grilling season into a thoroughly modern affair.

Flip to the Best-Ever Barbecued Ribs and you?ll learn about an ?oven-cheat? method that claims to make your baby backs or spare ribs ultra-tender without the cook standing over a smoker for 12 hours. And instead of organizing according to a hierarchy of land animals, Bon Appetit starts with chicken, ?an all-purpose protein that adapts easily to countless cuisines and skill levels.??

Chapters highlight grilled burgers (fairly common for this genre) and hotdogs (not often given the nod) and the more gourmet flatbreads and pizzas. Overall, the 350 recipes have a global flair ? ?because if there?s one form of cooking that unites the cultures of the world, it?s grilling.? Recipes include Mediterranean Chicken With Za?atar, Bombay Sliders With Garlic Curry Sauce, Green Shawarma Salmon and Cambodian-Style Ginger-Honey Baby Back Ribs. Skip the Old-Fashioned Potato Salad and try Black Barley Salad With Fennel and Radishes.

Finally, who needs sweet tea when there?s a chapter devoted to festive cocktails such as the Tangerine-Ginger Caipirinha?

Chicken Skewers With Coriander Marinade and Lemon Salsa

Makes 6 servings

8 Meyer lemons

1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber, preferably English hothouse

3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, divided

1 serrano chile, finely chopped

Pinch of sugar

Kosher salt

1 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon cracked coriander seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

Using a sharp knife, cut all the peel and white pith from lemons; discard. Cut between membranes to release lemon segments into a medium bowl; squeeze juice from membranes into bowl and discard membranes. Strain juice into a clean bowl; reserve lemon segments and juices separately.

Mix segements, 1 tablespoon lemon juice (set aside remaining juice for another use), cucumber, 2 tablespoons scallions and chile in a small bowl. Stir in sugar; season salsa to taste with salt and set aside.

Place chicken in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Puree 1/4 cup cilantro, yogurt, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, coriander and turmeric, if using, in a small food processor or blender until smooth. Pour marinade over chicken; toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing.

Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate with oil. Thread 4 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Grill, turning once and watching closely to prevent burning, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Spoon lemon salsa over chicken. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and 1 tablespoon scallions.

?Where There?s Smoke?

Barton Seaver is a chef, National Geographic fellow, a Harvard lecturer ? and the guy who talks sustainability around the fire.

So it?s probably not surprising that his grilling book, ?Where There?s Smoke,? is less meat-centric than most. ?We tend to think that grilling is for meat and that a cookout is a pagan ritual recalling some masculine ethos of the hunter. Well, what about the gatherer in all of us?? Seaver writes.

In fact, the structure of the book follows the traditions of fine dining more than other standard grilling guides, starting with cocktails and appetizers, then soups and salads before hitting the vegetables with the irresistible flavor of smoke. ?Smoke, to my mind, is an ingredient, as basic as stock or olive oil,? he writes.

There are all kinds of surprising gems in this book, including a chapter on sustainable seafood options, tips for healthier and greener grilling and a discussion of woods and alternative smoke sources. As a chef that is equally at home with backyard grilling and fine dining, Seaver offers wine pairing suggestions, as well as recipes for his ?wine salts? that not only season a dish, but also help ?spark? complementary flavors in the wines.

Grilled Fennel With Anchovy Vinaigrette

Makes 4 servings

Vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 orange

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 (2-ounce) can oil-packed anchovy fillets

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 bulbs fennel, stalks discarded and bulbs thinly sliced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a blender, including the oil from the canned anchovies. Puree until smooth. Keep the vinaigrette in the refrigerator, tightly covered, until needed or for up to 5 days.

Toss the sliced fennel with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and 2 or 3 cracks of pepper. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the salt to soften the fennel.

Place the fennel in a grill basket and set it on the grill directly over the coals of a medium fire. Placing a few dried fennel stalks on the fire adds a wonderful personality to this dish. Wood chips can overpower the floral taste of the fennel, so if you are using wood, use it sparingly and choose chips or sawdust of delicately flavored woods such as orange, apricot or alder.

Cook for 5 to 7 minutes without moving the basket so that the fennel on the bottom lightly chars. Remove from the grill and toss to combine. The heat of the fennel on the bottom will help soften the fennel on top, giving you a range of textures. Toss the fennel with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

?100 Recipes You Can?t Live Without: A Lifelong Companion?

Their record speaks for itself: Cheryl and Bill Jamison have co-authored six previous books on grilling and barbecue, including ?Smoke & Spice? and ?Born to Grill,? which have sold more than 1.5 million copies and garnered four James Beard Cookbook Awards.

Based in Santa Fe, this collection of original recipes offers a supplement to the traditional steaks, chops, ribs and burgers, plus chicken, fish and shellfish with a generous sprinkling of some of their favorite Southwestern flavors, including fajitas, tacos, cumin-rubbed carne asada and flame-licked chile rellenos.

But why 100 recipes? That?s roughly the number the avid grilling fan cooks in a year, the authors say. Consider it your bucket list.

There isn?t any food porn to tempt you to make these recipes, but rest assured the recipes and techniques are concise yet thorough without extraneous scene-setting chatter. But do take time to read the snapshots of patio pop culture, with blurbs such as Esquire magazine?s early treatise on why men man the grill, the birth of the grilling industry marked by the publication of the first grilling cookbook and the resurgence of the rotisserie.

Flame-Kissed Chile Rellenos

Makes 4 servings

Cheese filling:

8 ounces Chihuahua or Muenster cheese, grated

6 ounces creamy fresh goat cheese or cream cheese, or a combination, softened

1/2 cup fresh or (thawed) frozen corn kernels

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden

2 tablespoons minced onion

Cilantro Sauce:

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 to 1 jalapeno or serrano chile

3/4 cup Mexican crema (or substitute creme fraiche or sour cream)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt or coarse sea salt

8 meaty medium-size poblano chiles or other fresh, fat mild green chiles such as New Mexican or Anaheim

Vegetable oil spray

Chopped tomato (optional)

Mix together the filling ingredients in a meidum-size bowl. Cover and chill until needed. (The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance.)

For the cilantro sauce: Combine the cilantro and jalapeno in a food processor and process until very finely minced. Spoon in the crema and salt and process again until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed. (The sauce can be made up to 2 hours ahead, but the cilantro?s sparkle and vibrancy will begin to fade after that point.)

Fire up the grill, bring the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).

Grill the chiles, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally so that the skin blackens and blisters all over. Place the chiles in a plastic bag to steam as they cool.

When the chiles are cool enough to handle, peel them, wearing rubber gloves. Slit each chile from end to end on one side only and remove any loose seeds. Don?t remove the seed pod or it will weaken the walls of the chile. (The chiles can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring them back to room temperature before proceeding.)

Stuff (but don?t overstuff) the cheese mixture into the chiles, bringing the slit edges of each chile back together tightly. If you can?t get the edges to stick back together, remove some of the cheese. Spritz the chiles with oil. Return the chiles to the grill, slit side down. Grill, uncovered, for about 2 minutes, then carefully roll the chiles over onto their opposite sides and grill for 3 to 5 minutes more. When ready, the chiles will have a few charred marks and the cheese will be heated through and gooey.

Serve the chiles hot, with a drizzle of the sauce.

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/05/21/4245885/a-new-crop-of-grilling-books.html

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