World's Best Barbecue, on a Budget
If you're serious - really serious - about barbeque, then Steven Raichlen is your man.
The best-selling cookbook author has written no fewer than 28 of them on the subject, and his latest is the result of a global quest for the best barbecue on the planet.
Steven visited 60 countries and compiled 309 recipes in "Planet Barbeque." It contains everything from Kenyan Grilled Crocodile to Kangaroo Kabobs.
Of course, there's some great American grub in there, as well!
Steven also hosts Public Television's "Primal Grill" and "Barbecue University."
In accepting "The Early Show on Saturday Morning"'s "Chef on a Shoestring" challenge, Steven agreed to try to prepare a mouthwatering, three-course barbeque dinner for four that's out of this world - on our budget of only $40.
He was also automatically entered in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition, in which the "Shoestring" chef with the lowest ingredients cost gets invited back to make out year-end holiday feast.
MENU
• South African Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
• Ginger, Garlic and Honey Grilled Baby Back Ribs with a Roasted Bell Pepper Salad
• Catalan Cream (Spain's version of Creme Brulee)
FOOD FACTS:
Fish Sauce: Popular throughout Southeast Asia, fish sauce can be any of various mixtures based on the liquid from salted, fermented fish. This extremely pungent, strong-flavored and salty liquid can range in color from ochre to deep brown. It's used as a condiment and flavoring, much as soy sauce would be used. Fish sauces may be flavored variously - such as with chiles or sugar - depending on the use. Asian markets carry a wide variety of these pungent sauces including nam pha (Thai), nuoc nam (Vietnamese), patis (Philippines) and shottsuru (Japanese). Fish sauce is also referred to as fish gravy. (Source: Epicurious.com)
Anchovy: Though there are many species of small, silvery fish that are known in their country of origin as "anchovies," the true anchovy comes only from the Mediterranean and southern European coastlines. These tiny fish are generally filleted, salt-cured and canned in oil; they're sold flat and rolled. Canned anchovies can be stored at room temperature for at least a year. Once opened, they can be refrigerated for at least 2 months if covered with oil and sealed airtight. To alleviate saltiness in anchovies, soak them in cool water for about 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels. Because they're so salty, anchovies are used sparingly to flavor or garnish sauces and other preparations. (Source: Epicurious.com)
Anisette: A clear, very sweet liquer made with anise seeds and tasting of licorice. (Source: Epicurious.com)
RECIPES
South African Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS:
8 slices white sandwich bread
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup fruit chutney
8 ounces sharp orange cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 medium-size tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 medium-size sweet onion, sliced paper thin
METHOD:
Lightly brush 4 slices of the bread with melted butter on one side and place them buttered side down on a work surface. Spread the top of each slice with about 2 tablespoons of chutney. Place slices of cheese on top of the chutney, followed by slices of tomato and onion. Place the remaining slices of bread on top to make sandwiches. Brush the top of each sandwich with the remaining melted butter.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to medium-high.
When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate really thoroughly. Arrange the sandwiches on the hot grate at a diagonal to the bars and grill them for 1 minute. Then, slide a spatula under each sandwich and give it a quarter turn to create a handsome crosshatch of grill marks. Grill the sandwiches until they are browned on the bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Then, using a spatula, carefully turn the sandwiches over and grill the second side until the bread is browned and the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Serve the sandwiches hot off the grill.
Ginger, Garlic, and Honey Grilled Baby Back Ribs
For the ribs and spice paste:
INGREDIENTS:
4 racks true baby back ribs (each 3/4 to 1 pound), or 2 racks American baby back ribs (each 2 to 2-1/2 pounds)
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce or more soy sauce
For the dipping sauce:
INGREDIENTS:
4 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
4 teaspoons white pepper
4 juicy limes, cut in half
METHOD:
1 to 4 hours for marinating the ribs
Prepare the ribs and spice paste: If necessary, remove the thin, papery membrane from the back of each rack of ribs, some stores sell baby backs with the membrane removed. If you are using the larger racks of ribs, cut each rack in half. Place the ribs in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer.
Place the garlic, ginger, sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the black pepper in a mortar and pound to a paste with a pestle. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, puree these ingredients in a food processor. Work in the honey, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Spread the spice paste over the baby back ribs on both sides. Let the ribs marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 to 4 hours; the longer the ribs marinate, the richer the flavor will be.
Prepare the ingredients for the dipping sauce: Place 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of white pepper in neat mounds side by side in each of 4 tiny bowls for the dipping sauce. Place 2 lime halves next to each bowl.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to medium.
When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the ribs, bone side down, on the hot grate and grill until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes per side, a little longer for full-size ribs. Watch for flare-ups. Should they occur, move the ribs to another section of the grill. When the ribs are done, the meat will have shrunk back from the ends of the bones.
Transfer the racks of ribs to a cutting board and cut them into individual ribs, then arrange them on a platter or plates for serving. Just before eating, instruct your guests to squeeze 1 to 2 tablespoons of lime juice into their bowls of salt and white pepper and stir them with chopsticks until mixed. Dip the ribs in the sauce before eating.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Roasted Bell Pepper Salad With Anchovies and Garlic
INGREDIENTS:
4 large red bell peppers
1 can (2 ounces) anchovy fillets, drained
1 to 2 cloves roasted (see facing page) or raw garlic, minced
2 to 3 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
The peppers can be grilled up to a day ahead.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high. There is no need to brush or oil the grate.
Arrange the bell peppers on the hot grate and grill them until darkly browned and blistered on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side, 12 to 16 minutes in all, turning with tongs. Don't forget to grill the peppers on the tops and bottoms for 1 to 2 minutes. The idea is to char the skins completely. Transfer the charred peppers to a cutting board and let them cool to room temperature. (No, you don't need to place them in a paper bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap. I've found no appreciable difference in ease of peeling.)
Using a paring knife, scrape the charred skins off the peppers. There's no need to remove every last bit; a few black spots will add color and flavor. Cut each pepper in half, remove the core, and scrape out the seeds. Cut each pepper half in half again lengthwise.
Arrange the pieces of pepper on a platter or plates. Arrange the anchovy fillets in a decorative pattern on top. Sprinkle the peppers with chopped garlic and drizzle olive oil over them. Sprinkle the parsley over the peppers (this is essential to neutralize the pungency of the garlic) and season them with salt and black pepper to taste, taking into account that the anchovies are quite salty already. Serve at once.
Catalan Cream
The Catalan creams must be made at least 3 hours ahead and refrigerated, and can be made as much as 24 hours in advance.
INGREDIENTS:
1 quart whole milk
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches), or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 piece (1-1/2 inches) vanilla bean, split, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 strips lemon zest (each 1/2 x 2 inches)
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons anise-flavored liqueur, such as anisette
About 1 cup turbinado sugar or granulated sugar
You'll also need:
6 crème brûlée dishes (each 3 to 4 inches across and 3/4 inch deep, traditionally earthenware and a crème brûlée iron or a kitchen blowtorch
METHOD:
Place the milk, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and lemon zest in a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Let the milk mixture infuse over the lowest possible heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, honey, and anise-flavored liqueur in a large heavy heatproof bowl. Whisk the mixture until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Strain the hot milk into the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking to mix well. Transfer the egg mixture to the saucepan, place it over medium heat, and let come to a gentle boil, whisking steadily. Cook until the crema thickens, 1 to 2 minutes, whisking steadily, then remove the pan from the heat. Do not overcook or the crema will curdle.
Spoon the crema into the crème brûlée dishes, dividing it equally among them and shaking and tapping each to smooth the top. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or up to 24 hours ahead. Press a piece of plastic wrap on top of each to keep it from drying out.
Just before serving, heat the crème brûlée iron screaming hot, ideally in a wood-burning fireplace, in the embers of a charcoal grill, or laid flat on the grate of a gas grill (you can even heat it on one of the burners of your stove). Evenly sprinkle the top of each Catalan cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press the hot iron onto the surface of a Catalan cream to caramelize the sugar; this will take a few seconds, and a puff of fragrant smoke will rise as the sugar darkens. The sugar should be topaz to a dark golden brown in color, not black (burned sugar tastes, well, like sugar that has been burned). Repeat with the remaining Catalan creams, reheating the iron in between.
To use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the sugar, place the Catalan creams on a heatproof surface. Light the flame and adjust it to obtain a pointed red-yellow cone of heat in the center of the lavender-blue flame. Holding the flame about 3 inches above the top of a Catalan cream, move it back and forth until the sugar is evenly browned. The sugar will continue to cook for a few seconds after the flame has been removed; stop torching just when the sugar is topaz colored.
Note: Turbinado is sold in the United States under the brand Sugar In The Raw. In England it's known as demerara sugar; the French equivalent is cassonade.
Variations
Crema Catalana with Caramelized Figs: Another specialty of L'Hostalet, made when fresh figs are in season. The gritty crunch of the fig seeds makes a great counterpoint to the custard. You'll need 9 ripe figs; cut them in half lengthwise. Prepare the Catalan cream, spooning it into the crème brûlée dishes. Arrange 3 fig halves in each dish, rounded side down, pushing each fig half into the crema so that the cut side is flush with the surface. Let the Catalan creams cool as described in Step 3, then sprinkle them with sugar and caramelize them as described in Step 4.
Crema Catalana with Armagnac Prunes: This version features two delicacies of southwest France-prunes soaked in Armagnac, a brandy from Gascony. Soak 18 prunes in 1 cup of Armagnac in a nonreactive bowl for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain the prunes well-yes, you can drink the Armagnac. It will be fantastic. Prepare the Catalan cream, substituting the whole Armagnac-soaked prunes for the figs.
Pineapple Crema Catalana: Also from L'Hostalet: Substitute 6 rings of fresh pineapple for the figs. Each ring should be about A-inch thick and cored. Fill the dishes with the crema and press the pineapple rings into the top. Sprinkle the sugar on top and caramelize it.
So, how did Steven do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?
Grilled Cheese
white bread $.99
chutney $2.99
cheese $2.19
tomato $.32
onion $.99
total $7.48
Baby Back Ribs
ribs $13.47
garlic $.39
ginger $.40
honey $2.49
soy sauce $2.19
fish sauce $1.79
limes $1.00
red peppers $3.00
anchovy $1.25
parsley $.99
total $26.97
Catalan Cream
milk $1.09
lemon $.50
eggs $1.69
anisette $1.50
total $4.78
Grand total: $39.23
Our Leaders Board:
1. Amanda Freitag $37.17
The Harrison
2. Mikey Price $37.18
Market Table
3. Kelly Liken $37.20
Restaurant Kelly Liken