Clearly, Elizabeth Karmel is a broad you should trust.
There’s a shameful dearth of suitable barbecue spots in this city, but should you manage to commandeer one (say, in Prospect Park), you’re going to need to come equipped. As such, we’ve secured the advice of one Elizabeth Karmel, who along with pitmaster Pete Daversa keeps Hill Country patrons fat and happy. Below she weighs in on a few essential points; read up before your Monday meat sweats set in.
First things first. We hear the words grill and barbecue being used interchangeably and it drives us nuts. For the layman: What’s the difference?
In the United States we do use the terms interchangeably and I’ve made peace with that, but the word has become so bastardized, anything with a sweet, tangy sauce or something that is reddish in color is called barbecue. We’re going to stop the insanity and clear up the confusion.
Grilling most often refers to hot and quick cooking, and barbecue most often refers to low and slow cooking, but that’s not exactly right. True, authentic Southern barbecue has to be flavored with wood smoke. I always say real barbecue is flavored by time and a kiss of smoke.
Home cooks don’t have access to a state-of-the-art smoker like you’ve got at Hill Country. Any DIY tips for stepping up one’s game at home?
You can make great-tasting barbecue in a kettle grill. All you have to do is master indirect cooking, meaning there’s no heat directly underneath the food, and that can only be done in a closed environment. The heat rotates around the food as it does in a convection oven, giving you that roasty-toasty crust that’s so coveted in barbecue.
Gas grills: Do they make you cringe?
I am an equal-opportunity griller! When I don’t have much time I love to flip the switch and make whatever I’m in the mood for. By the way, I use wood chips with both gas and charcoal to get that smoke flavor on my food.
Ribs, pulled pork and brisket each have a special place in our hearts, but we love a good dog, too. Got a favorite frank?
I’m an equal-opportunity eater, too. My favorite dog is a knockwurst, which is all beef and fatter than a hot dog. I love splitting them down the middle, stuffing them with a tangy cheddar cheese, wrapping them with bacon and grilling them.
What’s the most common mistake an amateur makes?
People forget to preheat the grill, and you absolutely have to do that; it’s like trying to bake a cake without preheating the oven. You also need to keep the lid on; it’s like baking a cake with the oven door open.
People don’t understand the difference between direct and indirect heat and when to use it. Any meat that has a bone on it should be cooked by the indirect method, because it’s going to take longer than 20 minutes to cook, and I’ve been tweeting about this for the last couple of days.
This is extremely important: oil the food, not the grate. As soon as you put oil on a hot cooking grate, it burns and becomes very sticky and literally glues your food to the grate. If you oil the food it keeps the juices on the inside and promotes caramelization.
And if you use my trademarked grilling trilogy–olive oil, a little bit of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper–you will make great-tasting food.
What’s your take on grill etiquette: Should there be one person manning the flames?
I’m a fan of group activities, so it’s great to get everybody involved. I think the more the merrier.
If Josh Ozersky is to be believed, barbecuing is a masculine art. How does a lady get some face time in front of the grill?
The best way is to not push him away, it’s about joining in the fun. Why do you think he’s kept it to himself all these years? It’s fun. Everybody loves it and it’s much easier then people think. It’s 10 percent skill and 90 percent the will to grill.
Your catchphrase on Girls at the Grill is “If you can eat it, you can grill it!” What’s the one thing people have never thought of grilling but should?
One of the things people should absolutely grill is pizza. Use plenty of olive oil, put it on a direct medium heat and let it crisp up. Then take it off the heat, add your toppings to the grill side and put it back on an indirect heat: It’ll be crispy, crunchy and slightly smoky.
One of my absolute favorite things in the whole world to grill is bananas. I slice them lengthwise down the middle and use a desert rub of cinnamon sugar with a little bit of salt. I grill them cut-side down first to get grill marks and then I turn them over on their skin. Cook them with the lid down for five or six minutes, and when the skin is peeling away from the flesh of the banana, it’s done.
If you could design a novelty apron of your dreams—you know, of the “Kiss the Cook” variety—what would it say?
“It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re wearing red cowboy boots.” I just took mine off about five minutes ago.—Jonathan Shannon
