Sometimes I forget that my comfort level with cooking—earned during years in professional kitchens—makes me a faster and more fearless cook than others. While I always try to keep that in mind when I’m developing and writing my recipes by giving as clear directions as possible, I realize that a skill I consider to be simple may not be so easy or effortless for all of you. Grilling is an art, and one well worth mastering, hence today’s very detailed grilling primer.
About a year ago I styled Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, which was done primarily on a huge Weber grill in Michael’s backyard in Venice, CA. Like me, he has a variety of grills, but this is the one he uses the most. One thing I loved about it was the ease with which you can grill indirectly, turning your grill into a bonafide oven. You can do this with any kettle or gas grill, but the space on this giant grill makes it even easier to control the cool side of the grill. There’s so much space, you can use one side as a table while you’re working because the hot area is relatively small for most tasks. It’s big enough, however, to handle enough food for a large crowd all at once.
This book sets out to prove that there is nothing that can’t be done on a grill—even boiling spaetzle or baking a cake. Recipes like these can of course be cooked inside in the interest of time, which is what we did for the shoot (with more than 10 recipes a day, we didn’t have time to boil water on a grill). If you're looking for some inspiration for this summer’s cooking, I highly recommend this book. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy 100 pictures styled by MOI, with photos by Ed Anderson.
I’ve always loved to grill. I usually use my gas grill even in colder weather (except for this very unusual winter away from our beloved home). I have a comfort level with grilling from my years of experience in professional kitchens and situations, whether it’s live fire cooking or gas grilling (the latter of which is perfectly acceptable, and as we all know, a bit easier to handle).
I currently own an embarrassing number of grills. Several years ago we built an outdoor kitchen with a wood-burning grill complete with a rotisserie. We also have a Traeger grill, which I love and use regularly, but it’s more of a smoker for cooking ribs and whole chickens (and just about anything else you can dream up). And every once in a while, when I get the urge to cook over charcoal, I use a Weber kettle-style grill.
But the grill I use and love the most is my gas grill. It’s right outside of my kitchen door (whereas the others are down a flight of stairs) and is definitely the easiest and fastest to get going. It’s also the most versatile. I’m guessing most people own a gas grill, but please tell me in the comments what grill you have and love!
Today I’m sharing my best tips with you for a delicious and safe summer of grilling, along with some favorite grilling recipes from the archives.