It's now officially gorgeous outside, for the most part, and that means it's time to pull out the grill. There's nothing better than making a fantastic dinner outside, in the sun, beer in hand. Maybe we'll play a little croquet too. Or lounge on a blanket with a book. Nap in the hammock? Why not? This is my favorite time of year, and barbecuing is a huge part of that.
One of the most interesting barbecuing cookbooks to come to the library recently is Serious Barbecue by Adam Perry Lang. It is a meat lover's bible, though there are a few recipes for vegetable-based sides. But this book is not for vegetarians. There are several pictures of to-be-eaten whole pigs, both raw (and slung over Perry Lang's shoulder) and cooked (perfectly, on a spit). But for those who love the charred, smoky, savory flavor of fire-cooked meat, this book is a must-have.
This book is also not for the lazy. Or the terribly busy. Or the types who buy hamburger patties already cut into perfect, round, flat disks. There is quite a bit of work to these recipes. And while none of them are particularly difficult, removing the germ from garlic cloves and using a syringe to inject the brine into thicker cuts of meat might seem a bit much for most home cooks. But if you are willing to try a few new techniques, and more or less follow the many steps of the recipes, you will be rewarded with some truly amazing food.
I bought the book over the winter, and stared at it dreamily many times during those cold, snowy months, waiting for the day when it would be warm again outside and we could dive into it. So when the Husband and I decided that this past Sunday would be the inaugural Cooking Outside Day, I was thrilled. We pulled out the grill, cleaned it up after its long hibernation on our porch, and discussed what summery drink we should have while we basked in the sun as our dinner cooked, sending heavenly smells to our jealous neighbors. Then the sky darkened, and the weather forecast promised barbecue-dampening thunderstorms. Noooo!!
Serious Barbecue could not be ignored, however. So we pulled out our All-Clad stove top grill pan - a trusty backup when the outside doesn't co-operate with our charred-meat needs.
The book is a testament to the wonders of barbecuing, and the recipes celebrate different cuts of meat, highlighting their best assets with complementary flavors. Adam Perry Lang is not some smug suburban dad who makes the best ribs in the subdivision and decided to write a cookbook. He attended one of the best culinary schools in the world and worked for years with some of the best chefs in the country. After working as a private chef on a ranch in New Mexico, he discovered his true calling, and eventually opened up Daisy May's BBQ USA in New York City.
Perry Lang starts the book with "Barbecue Basics," a chapter on selecting the best tools, equipment, charcoal, and wood, along with primers on his techniques: marinating, brining, glazing, saucing, etc. After this, the chapters are divided into types of meat: pork, beef and veal, lamb, chicken and turkey. A few sides and basic recipes round out the collection.
The recipes have many elements. We decided to make "Pork Tenderloins Glazed with Peach Preserves and Rosemary," 'cause they sounded so wonderfully "summer" to me. The first step to this was the brine. It's a simple solution made of water, peach nectar, salt, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes that the tenderloins rest in for a few hours. We mixed it up and poured it over the tenderloins inside large plastic zip-top bags. The bags take up far less space in the fridge than bowls would, and it's easy to make sure the meat is more or less submerged. After their long bath, the tenderloins and covered with a seasoning blend. This is basically a dry rub made of mild chile powder, dry mustard, brown sugar, garlic salt, and cayenne. The pork is then placed on the grill, left to brown nicely, one side at a time, while being bathed in melted butter (with a brush made from a rosemary bunch, if you're feeling ambitious. I was not, and just tossed some rosemary leaves in the melted butter and used a normal basting brush.)
Once they're nice and charred all around, the tenderloins roll around in a layer of peach-rosemary glaze and are put back on the grill. At this point, I noticed that the outsides of the tenderloins were getting quite dark, while the insides were still wildly undercooked. Worried that the yummy crust I had developed would turn to a burnt, bitter mess while the center finished cooking, I transferred the pork to our cast-iron skillet and finished the cooking in the less aggressive oven.
The pork turned out perfectly juicy, with a great, flavor-packed crust on the outside. The peach and rosemary combo was a great complement to the pork: sweet, a bit spicy, earthy, and fragrant. It was an excellent way to start summer, even if we couldn't be outside. We had the pork with some braised collard greens and grilled corn on the cob, and we didn't even notice that it never actually rained and we could have cooked outside after all. The meal was so good, it didn't even matter.
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