For more
information:
Emily
Connolly or Morgan Lanier
Melissa Libby & Associates
404-816-3068
ATLANTA CHEFS SHARE THEIR GRILLING SECRETS FOR AN IMPRESSIVE TAILGATE
OR BACKYARD COOKOUT THIS FALL
Try Soaking Wood Chips for Added Flavor, and Keep It Creative with Crab
Legs!
ATLANTA (Sept. 26, 2016) -- It’s fall! The focus has shifted
to the three Fs: Football, Friends and Food. Don’t worry if your tailgating
playbook needs a few new moves; some of Atlanta’s top chefs are sharing their
best grilling tips for this gridiron season.
For starters, stop playing with
your patties. Advises Ray’s
Killer Creek
executive chef Mike Fuller: “Take care not to overwork ground
beef when making patties. If you handle it too long, the heat from your hands
will start to melt the fat and change the consistency and texture of the cooked
patty. Also, if it's overworked it will result in a tough patty. You want it to
be super fresh ground beef that just holds together for cooking then is juicy
and tender when eating.”
For Garrett Teckmyer, executive chef of Buckhead’s
The Big Ketch, the more planning and prep you do
(preferably with wood chips), the better. “I like to soak wood chips overnight and then mix them
into the hot coals slowly to add a nice smoke flavor to my burgers,” he explains.
Oh, and here’s a plot twist —
your grill can cook things besides your
usual go-to proteins. Teckmyer suggests trying out some crab legs. “First, wrap
them in a wet paper towel, and then wrap them in an aluminum foil packet,” says
the chef. “With just five minutes on the
grill you have grilled steamed crab legs.”
What kind of grill should you be firing up? Aria’s executive chef/owner Gerry Klaskala
suggests the egg. “My Big Green Egg is my secret weapon. Get one and learn how
to use it.”
Great grilling cannot be rushed. Every chef agrees that
patience is a virtue when it comes to successful grilling. For Fuller, this includes
tempering your steaks. “I pull my steaks out of the refrigerator 30 minutes
before grilling so they get right about room temperature. This allows the meat
to relax and not seize up when added to a hot grill,” says the Ray’s Killer
Creek chef.
As far as your fire, Gypsy Kitchen executive chef Matthew Ridgway advises
using wood-based charcoal. “It’s pricier, but you end up using less.”
Klaskala suggests a chimney fire starter as well. “Kick the
lighter fluid habit,” he says. “Your food will be much better.”
When it comes to ingredients, our chefs agree: buy the best
you can find. As a huge Penn State and NASCAR infield tailgater, Marlow’s
Tavern executive
chef/co-founder John Metz always urges using quality product. “Locate the
best steak, ribs or brisket. Don’t compromise,” he implores.
Fuller prefers hand-cut steaks from a trusted butcher. “Find
steaks that are at least an inch thick; a rib-eye or a New York strip that has
a 1/4-inch fat cap, which will melt and baste your steak while cooking.”
Ridgway advises letting it rest for 10 minutes. And those
juices that run off onto the serving plate? “I save them and pour them into my
baked potatoes,” he says. “Salty, meaty goodness.”
Naturally, celebrity
chef/owner of Gunshow and Revival and “Pure Pork Awesomeness” cookbook
author Kevin Gillespie’s favorite thing to grill is pig. “I like it
better,” he explains. He even has a simplified Korean barbecue recipe in the
book using thinly sliced pork shoulder and “whatever condiments you have.”
Now you’re all set to tackle game day grilling and keep your
friends expertly fed all through the season. Go ahead, toss your tongs in the
end zone and dance a little. You know you want to.
###
No comments:
Post a Comment