Ardie Davis love the grill and the barbecue, and there is no finer teacher whether you are a beginner or an expert hoping to hone your techniques to perfection. Declared a Kansas City Barbecue Legend by the Kansas City Star, Davis states, "Practiced for thousands of years, basic grilling delivers rich, uncomplicated flavor. In 25 Essentials: Techniques for Grilling, Davis shares his passion for getting those simple tastes just right, turning simple into sublime.
Davis is a hands-on teacher who knows that the best way to learn is by doing. The stated goal of each recipe is to show one of the 25 grilling techniques by getting the fire going and actually cooking - a tasty way to learn and with Davis' guidance, a successful learning process.
Davis starts with a basic primer for grilling that includes The Many Flavors of Grilling - before, during and after, a Basic Tool Kit for Grillers - from knives to long-handled gear to grill toppers; Building the Fire: and Managing the Fire - whether on a charcoal grill or a gas grill. Working with the recipes, you will learn "how to use a rub, a marinade, a baste, or a glaze; how to manage flare-ups; how to grill and glaze bone-in chicken or pork without burning it; and how to get a steak just the way you like it."
Davis gets down to cooking. Among the 25 techniques and recipes, you will find Grilled Chicken Wing Drums with Billy's Mumbo Rub and Sauce that stands as a model for bone-in grilling with a rub and a sauce; Barbecue-Glazed Pork Chops and Steaks as a tasty lesson in glazing; Grilled Whole Trout with Cornbread Stuffing as a sample of grilling whole fish; or Grilled Salmon Fillets with Lemon-Dill Butter for those fish fillets. There are techniques and recipes for Grill-Roasted Foil-Pack Vegetables for delicious veggies that are packet grilled; Grilled Pineapple and Bananas with Lemonade Glaze as a model for fruit glazing and grilling. There is even a recipe for Stir-Grilled Farmers' Market Vegetables so you may learn to really utilize the grill (and stay out of the hot kitchen) with a little stir-grilling.
Every recipe is preceded by notes about the technique of grilling that Davis is teaching. His recipes are as straightforward as the man himself - no fooling around, Davis gets down to the job at hand with passion and practicality.
There are full-color photographs throughout by Joyce Oudkerk Pool to tantalize and teach. The book is simply, but elegantly formatted in a size that is easy to use in the back yard.
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