The Barbecue Guru
If you were stranded on a desert island and needed to come up with just one person to help you with barbecuing and grilling, we think that there is no question as to who that would be…Grillmaster Steven Raichlen. In conjunction with our weekly Cookbook of the Week feature, we are spotlighting Steven Raichlen, award–-winning author, journalist, cooking teacher, and TV host. He is the best–selling author of 28 cookbooks including The Barbecue Bible, (4 million copies in print). He hosts the informative and entertaining TV shows Primal Grill and Barbecue University, and is considered the “go to” expert on grilling. And then there are his TV guest appearances on many national TV shows, including the Today Show, Good Morning American, CNN, Oprah, The View and more. Raichlen also created the Best of Barbecue line of grilling accessories.
Raichlen’s passion for “live fire cooking” began with his book The Barbecue Bible (Workman, 1998), which is a study of global grilling, chronicling his “4-year, 200,000-mile odyssey around the world”. In 2000, Workman published How to Grill, a step-by-step guide to live fire cooking, with more than 1000 color photographs, How to Grill won an IACP Award (International Association of Cookbook Professionals) and has more than 1.5 million copies in print. BBQ USA is Raichlen’s 780 page, 650 photograph, 425 recipe ode to regional American barbecue. His newest cookbook, Best Ribs Ever (Workman, 2012), celebrates ribs, with many tips and recipes that kosher eaters can enjoy. In all, Raichlen has won five James Beard Awards and three IACP awards, and his books have been translated into 12 languages, including French, Russian, and Japanese. Wow – Raichlen is certainly sizzling!
Raichlen's book, Planet Barbecue! − a grilling journey around the world's barbecue trail − is our current Cookbook of the Week selection. Read about this journey and try some of the grilling recipes of Asia, Brazil, Italy, and more in our Cookbook of the Week feature, and enter to WIN a FREE copy of this global grilling cookbook.
So how is a grilling guru schooled? He holds a degree in French literature from Reed College and trained at both the Cordon Bleu and La Varenne cooking schools in Paris.
A KosherEye Chat with Steven Raichlen
Can you share your expertise on the BEST way to grill beef ribs so that they are tasty, moist and succulent?
By smoking or indirect grilling. Keep temperature low and toss hardwood chips on the coals to generate wood smoke.
What tools are a MUST have for anyone passionate about grilling? Steven has provided our readers a link to his Best of Barbecue accessories line.
- Stiff wire grill brush
- Long handled spring loaded tongs (note built in flashlight)
- Instant read meat thermometer
Would you share something about yourself that is little known?
I have a degree in French literature and I just wrote my first novel.
(Steven’s first novel Island Apart
Since most of our readers are kosher, could you comment on substituting veal for pork in your recipes?
Works great, but it's a little leaner, so you may need to add more olive oil or other fat.You might want to take a look at the beef rib recipes in my new book Best Ribs Ever (Workman Publishing), especially the Rabbi's Ribs.
Follow Steven Raichlen on his website BarbecueBible.com.