_wield That Brush Like A Pro Recipes

Steps:

• First Things First. We submit that a burger must meet three criteria to be considered worthy of eating: It must taste of the flame. It must be juicy. And it must be served hot. How To Get That Flame-Broiled Flavor: Are you still using lighter fluid? Say it ain't so. Lighter fluid can impart a chemical taste to foods. If you have a gas grill, you're fine. If you're grilling over charcoal, trust us, breaking the lighter fluid habit will carry you farther down the road to burger greatness than anything else. Try odorless, tasteless, nontoxic fuel cubes to start the fire. They're made out of paraffin so they are safe and won't leave an unpleasant taste on your food. Or try a charcoal chimney. With this cylindrical device you simply put fuel cubes or a few sheets of wadded-up newspaper on the bottom and the coals on top. You'll be grilling as soon as the coals ash over. Almost as easy as a gas grill. Next, make sure the grate is very hot before you place any burgers on it. Gas grillers, preheat with all burners on High until the grill reaches 500ºF, place the burgers on the grate, then reduce the heat to Direct Medium. Charcoal grillers, start with enough briquets for Direct Medium heat. Wait until the coals are lightly ashed over, then spread them evenly across the charcoal grate (leaving a small section without coals in case of flare-ups), place the cooking grate on the grill, close the lid, and wait 5 minutes more to heat the cooking grate. The burgers should sizzle when they hit the grate. After that, it's a matter of letting the grill do the work. Some folks worry about flare-ups, but in a well-designed grill they'll be short-lived at best. If they don't quickly subside, move the burgers over Indirect Medium heat for a moment, then continue grilling over Direct Medium heat. How To Make It Juicy: This is so easy you won't believe it. Start with 80% lean ground chuck. Yes, that means you're going to use beef that is 20% fat. If the numbers make you uncomfortable, hear us out first. The fact that you're grilling over an open cooking grate and not frying the burgers in a pan means they won't be stewing in their fat--which is as healthy as it sounds. Instead, a great deal of the fat will drip out onto the flames, leaving flavor in its wake and adding even more smoky flavor as it sizzles away on the fire. The intense heat of the grill is going to release all those beefy juices, too, in a way that a pan or griddle just can't. See, already we're making progress. Another key to juicy burgers is to not overwork the meat as you blend in seasonings and shape it into patties. Rinse your hands in very cold water before you begin and work quickly to gently shape the beef into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Place them on a plate or baking sheet and refrigerate them for at least 15 minutes before placing them on a hot grill. Once they're on the cooking grate, close the lid of the grill. Then, please don't play with your food. Turn the burgers only once, halfway through grilling time. If you flip and flop them, you might as well wring out all the juice. For safety, always grill burgers until the internal temperature reaches 160°F for medium doneness. This will take 8 to 10 minutes, depending on weather and other variables. And never press down on a burger with your spatula. It just squeezes out all that juicy flavor you're striving for. How To Serve It Hot: Don't fall for the trap of sliding your works of art onto a platter and letting everyone fend for themselves. Why let an errant breeze mar the perfection? Rather than leave burger-bliss to chance, serve directly from the grill to the hamburger bun. This may require you to holler like a drill sergeant to get everyone to fall in at the chow line at 18:08 hours, but hey, an Expert must have Standards.The Rest Is Just Gravy. Once you've mastered the patty, anything you add to it (grape jelly aside) can only enhance its regal stature. So layer on the toppings and create the perfect burger just the way you like it. After all, isn't that what makes us American?From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

Steps:

• Porterhouse: This hulky cut, taken from the large end of the short loin, can weigh up to 2 1?2 pounds. Be prepared to shell out some bucks for this one. Fortunately, you can feed more than one person with it--if you can convince folks to share. T-Bone: A smaller version of the porterhouse, cut from the narrow end of the short loin. Prized for its tastiness, which many believe comes in part from the bone. Strip Steak: Favored by many steak lovers, strip steaks are cut from the center of the top loin and sometimes have a long slice of bone along one side (actually the long bone of the T-bone). These steaks are known by different names in different regions. Aliases include: New York strip, Kansas City strip, shell, Delmonico, Ambassador, hotel cut, sirloin club, and top loin. Delicious by any name! Rib-Eye: Exceedingly tender and richly flavored, rib-eye is cut from the muscle behind the ribs. If it has a bone attached it's called rib steak. Give it a good sear and maybe a splash of homemade steak sauce. Don't forget the ranch-style pinto beans on the side. Filet Mignon: Pure, trimmed tenderloin, filets mignons (add an "s" to each word to make the plural) are meaty cylindrical pieces cut up to 2 inches thick. Grilling over High heat is the best way to prepare these fork-tender beauties. London Broil: Usually a flank steak but also a catchall name for any cut of meat that is broiled or grilled over Direct heat and then sliced across the grain. Sirloin: The term "sirloin steak" covers a lot of turf. The sirloin (which is also cut into roasts) is the section between the tender short loin and the tougher round. Steaks can be cut from the top or bottom portions of this section. Top sirloin steaks are more tender than bottom sirloin steaks, but a good marinating session for the latter can even out the difference. Go for top sirloin when you can afford it. Tri-Tip: This lesser-known gem is a thick, lean, triangular cut from the bottom sirloin. Some call it a roast. If you can find it, treasure it. Tri-tip is terrific grilled medium rare and sliced thin like a London broil--an outstanding choice for steak salads and sandwiches. Aliases include tip roast and sirloin bottom butt also found cut into tip steaks. Flank Steak: Cut from the lean flank and with virtually no marbling, the relatively inexpensive flank steak is best when pounded or tenderized by a high-acid marinade. Lime juice and red wine are popular ingredients. For some reason, this rather pedestrian cut often gets jazzed up in pinwheel-like beef rolls, perhaps evidence that cooks on a budget can still be pretty creative. Skirt Steak: Also cut from the flank, the thin and flat skirt steak is what makes beef fajitas so good. Grill it quickly over High heat to tenderize it and coax out its flavor. A marinade is good for it, too. Treat it right and this lean, inexpensive cut will reward you handsomely.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

Steps:

• Pull The Membrane From The Muscle Depending on how closely the meat is trimmed, you might only see a streak of fat running the length of the tenderloin. Under that fat is the pearlescent silver skin. Start at the narrow end of the tenderloin. Pinch the meat to pull the membrane away from the muscle. Slide your knife under the membrane and slowly cut along the muscle toward the thick end of the meat in smooth sawing motions.Work Along The Grain Of The Meat Keep the knife blade close to the muscle, removing as little meat as possible. Because the silver skin attaches in different directions, you might find it helpful to start again from the thick end and work from that end as well. Some cooks remove the silver skin in strips. Just work along the grain of the meat lengthwise (above). Most importantly, be sure to always keep the knife blade angled away from you--raw meat can be more slippery than you think.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

Steps:

• A funny thing happens when you tell people you're writing a grilling cookbook. Suddenly the conversation picks up an obvious enthusiasm. Everyone within earshot jumps in with their own grilling story--something like how they mastered a recipe "so unbelievably good" that their guests beg for the recipe, or how they happily trudged through snowdrifts in January to cook on their beloved grill.We understand. For us, grilling is much more than a cooking method. It's a sport, a hobby, a passion--dare we say, a way of life. And sharing it with fellow grillers is half the fun. We know what the first cave dwellers knew: The flame is a bonding thing. Putting this book together, we let the universal hunger for great grilling lead us. Whatever choices we made, from recipe development to writing, our first question was: Does it help the reader succeed? We wanted to create a world of grilling where the novice develops confidence and grows, the occasional griller is enlightened, the expert is challenged, and-most importantly-everyone leaves the table satisfied. To make this book work for you, start by searching out the recipes that suit your taste and comfort level. We've loaded you up with ideas from every corner of the world--including all the great standards. Along the way, we explore American grilling culture so you can learn where all the fun began and see how it has evolved (maybe you'll even find a niche where you can leave your mark--go for it!). As you work your way through the recipes, remember that attitude is as important to the experience as technique. This is not like platform diving, where the slightest error can make a terrible splash. It's more like surfing or skiing, where you definitely need a certain amount of technique but there's still a lot of room for individuality. The cooking times and temperatures are fully tested for reliability, but as you gain experience, trust your own sense of when something looks ready to turn or when the fire needs some more coals. And please, don't feel confined. If you find a certain sauce or marinade that you like, play with it. Make it your own. Owning a great recipe is almost as much fun as eating it.To help you navigate the road to great grilling, we've put up a few signposts. Special features will walk you through what you need to know to master the basic burger, prime rib roast, grilled vegetables, and much more. We pride ourselves on showing you techniques that take recipes from mediocre to magnificent. We dispel a few myths along the way, too, so check it out. And let us know about your grilling successes. Weber always enjoys a little chat over the backyard fence with fellow grillers.We've seasoned the book with a few sidebars on some of our favorite ingredients, too, for a little food history, culture, and inspiration. Forgive us if we wax poetic about fundamentals such as grilled garlic, but some of the humblest things in life deserve hero status. Once you've cooked from this book, we think you'll be a hero in your own right, too. A backyard hero. The person who can turn an ordinary day into a fun culinary romp through the Flavor Zone. So grab the tongs and apron, and let's go!Jamie Perviance, Chef/WriterSandra S. McRae, WriterFrom Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.