Who doesn't love grilled meat and grilled vegetables? Whenever someone is grilling in their backyard, everyone in my neighborhood smells it. We all contemplate following our noses and dropping by with a six-pack or a bottle of beer. Please, we know better than to invite ourselves empty-handed!
The foodie-ization of America is great in so many ways, but in other ways, it can be downright intimidating. As Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby point out often, you don't always have time to plan your next meal hours or days ahead. More often than not, you want to throw a delicious meal together last-minute.
The 1% can spend all they want. The rest of us have to be more budget-conscious. Do we need all those fancy gadgets? Fortunately, Schlesinger and Willoughby say most gadgets are just designed to part you from your hard-earned money. They break down grilling to its essence which I love. What you need, what you don't. Recipes include a "curve ball," an option when you have more time. Perfect.
Skirt steak is one of my favorite cuts of meat. I usually marinate it a few days before grilling. Indeed, I have to plan ahead. Sometimes I even forget I've been marinating and eat out/accept a dinner invitation. Oops! So I especially loved that this cookbook opens with skirt steak, and gives me several variations on a theme. Grilled Skirt Steak w/Steak Sauce Chile Butter. Grilled Skirt Steak with Honey Mustard Ranch Dressing. Grilled Skirt Steak with Smoky Red Onions and Grilled Avocados. You get the idea. Like me, you're salivating.
Schlesinger & Willoughby prefer spcie ribs over marinades so there's that bias throughout the cookbook. They feel marinades don't penetrate very far into the meats or proteins so the flavor reamins on the surface. There's a section on seafood and vegetables, too. The photograph of the grilled corn with basil and parmesan looks like a must try.
The recipes are written like flowcharts, making it easy as 1-2-3. Prep Grill Toss. Prep Grill Top. Simplicity rules. Therein lies the (spice) rub. All you need to be a grill master is to keep it simple, keep it fun, keep it spontaneous.
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