"Steven Raichlen" news and stories

Cookbook author and TV personality Steven Raichlen is undoubtedly the leading authority on barbecue in the country. With his latest cookbook, Planet Barbecue!, he is spreading his grilling prowess to the world. There are 309 recipes in this hefty tome -- representing 60 countries all over the globe -- and they range from mussels cooked over a flaming bed of pine needles to fish roasted on stakes in front of an open fire.

For his research, Raichlen traveled for three years to 53 countries. "This is an attempt to document all of the international, iconic grill dishes," he explains. "But several places surprised and delighted me. I found an incredibly sophisticated grill culture in Serbia. No restaurant was too small or too fancy not to have a fireplace in the kitchen. Another interesting thing about Serbia is that most of the grill masters are women. With Cambodia, I had heard about this temple called Bayon, where there are 12th century engravings of grilling in an army camp the night before this famous battle. I found the grills, skewers and methods were virtually unchanged in 800 years. Another country that was a real surprise was Colombia. I went on the strength of a single dish I had heard about, this lomo al trapo, which is beef tenderloin grilled in a salt and cloth crust. In Colombia, I also ate a giant guinea pig grilled on sticks over an eucalyptus fire. It was fun to find those countries with amazing grill cultures that were off the radar."

Although the end of summer is rapidly approaching, we've still got one of the biggest picnic and barbecue weekends of the season yet to go, so don't put away your grills, charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid quite yet. If you're looking for a little menu planning inspiration for your event this weekend, you might want to check AOL food's grilling page. In addition to having some terrific 'cue tips and recipes from grill master Steven Raichlen (one of which Bob posted about here on Slashfood last July), they've got a couple of BBQ quizzes up to test your knowledge. Be warned though that the quizzes pack a challenging punch (much like good barbecue). The very grill savvy Ed Levine flunked the regional grilling quiz (and I scored a fairly pathetic 4 out of 10).

photo by Marisa McClellan

Wednesday is the Fourth of July, and we continue to bring you some recipes that you might want to try if you're having a cookout or party that day. AOL Food has a recipe from Steven Raichlen for Hamburgers with Herb Butter. There are a couple of more steps than you're probably used to when cooking burgers.The pancetta and white cheddar cheese sound like really nice touches.

I don't know who this "Herb Butter" guy is, but this sounds great. Full recipe after the jump.

I just came across a wonderful collaborative discussion of grilling and  barbecuing that's featured on Slate this week. Cooking With Fire is a series of e-mails between food writer/chef Sara Dickerman, Chris Schlesinger and renowned grilling and 'cue guru Steven Raichlen, (pictured).

Dickerman starts off the e-mail chain with a question that no meathead worthy of their Weber should ever pose: Is gas better than charcoal? To be fair, she clearly declares herself a staunch advocate of wood and charcoal and seems to raise the question in the interest of open-mindedness.

Here's just a lump of Schlesinger's take on charcoal vs. gas: "Gas only burns two-thirds as hot as live coals ... the characteristic flavor of grilled food comes from ... high heat, the ensuing browning ... deeply concentrated flavor." Raichlen,  a man after my 'cue and smoke loving alter ego Joey Deckle's heart, avoids the charcoal vs. gas debate entirely. His favorite fuel? Good old wood.

Highlights of the discussion include the best ways to grill fish, the pros and cons of using a Big Green Egg,  what type of rubs go best with what types of meats and the mysteries of roasting pig on a caja china.

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