“A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.” —Thomas Keller
“Are you free on Sunday?” this good-looking man I had just met asked, and then he said, “I’d like to invite you to my new home for a barbecue.” Now, I had been single and living in Silicon Valley for five years and this “line” I had never heard before, nor had I met anyone like this fellow until that day. I was captivated, and before anything else was said, I accepted Norm’s invitation.
Sunday afternoon I drove myself to White Oak Court; the house was easy to spot as huge billows of smoke were curling heavenward from the backyard.
I followed the sidewalk to the back of the house where Norm was battling flames and smoke coming from a large grill built into a huge brick enclosure. On the ground were bags of charcoal and bundles of wood likened to the ones Safeway sells, along with starter fluid.
Before any words were spoken, I walked to the grill and pulled the iron handle sticking out from the brick and, in an instant, the smoke began travelling upward through the grill’s chimney. Immediately I knew this barbecue, in order to be edible, I would have to be the “chef of the day.” And so I was, and for the next 43 years of our life together.
In prehistoric times, people slept in trees for fear of wild animals roaming the earth. Once fire was discovered that practice stopped, and outdoor grilling began their way of eating. In Thailand, Asia, India, Serbia and Mexico, many women in their homes are the grill masters as well as being street vendors around the world.
Today, 65-75% of grilling and barbecuing in the world is done by men. Men seem to be drawn to fire and sharp instruments as well as bonding with other men while drinking beer and telling stories around the barbecue.
In the 1950s, small neighborhoods began popping up with homes built with a garage and a small backyard. Before this, men wanting to socialize with other men, met in pubs and taverns, but television and ads began showing fathers spending more time with their children. What better than barbecuing hot dogs and buns along with the wife and kids in their own backyards.
Little league baseball appeared in the 1950s and families would get together in someone’s backyard or in a park.
I, personally, have had some badly grilled and barbecued food. Usually overcooked over too high heat. I have to grit my teeth whenever I see a hamburger on the grill being smashed down with a spatula…the cook not realizing all of the juices from that burger are being forced down into the coals below.
Today, more men are cooking in the kitchen due to more homemakers working outside of their homes, and more women have taken up barbecuing, as new and very sophisticated grills are being produced.
One thing I have learned to do is to brush the grate as soon as I turn off the heat and to clean my grill as soon as it cools. While still warm, I add a wet layer of paper towels on the grate. This method results in a clean grill each time I open the lid to begin another barbecue.
I have read that cleaning a grill with a halved onion rather than a wire brush which can leave behind small pieces of wire on the grates works and rubbing a halved raw potato on the grates results in a non-stick grill. I know people who swear by this.
Tonight’s dinner will be a grilled ribeye steak from Corralitos Market, where I visited last month. Pricy at $19/lb. However, if I ordered it from a restaurant today, I would have to pay upwards of $39, and would it be cooked to my liking?
Tonight I have the steak marinating for 4 hours in a mixture of 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 tsp. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, garlic salt, salt and pepper.
The grill will be preheated to 500 deg. After searing the 1-1/2-inch thick steak on both sides, I turn the grill down to medium heat, and after 5 minutes, I check the steak using my instant thermometer and see if the steak is between 90-100 deg. I turn it only once and cook the second side to 115 deg. (rare). Keep yourself from the bad habit of constantly flipping the steak. Let your instant thermometer do the work for you. Having a spray bottle of water will take care of flareups.
Ribeye steak, grilled to perfection, and a baked potato. Life can’t get better than that!
Colly Gruczelak, a Ben Lomond resident, loves people and loves to cook. Contact her at cz****@*****st.net.
