Steven Raichlen's Project Fire

The deep connection between wine and barbecue dates back millennia. In the Santa Ynez, grape vines are used as fuel and wine for marinades, sauces. Jidori-breed chicken breasts stuffed with ham and dry-aged cheese. Grilled flank steak with Pinot Noir mushroom sauce grilled. Chef John Cox from the Bear and Star restaurant smokes a whole bourbon-soaked wagyu strip loin.

The perfect grilled steak, using a range of savvy grilling techniques. Leading off is a thick dry-brined New York strip with luscious anchovy crema. Tender lamb steaks come with herb-scented Moroccan Charmoula. In today’s field trip chef Curtis Stone grills an 80 day-aged rib steak over a wood fire at Gwen Butcher Shop and Restaurant in L.A.

Fish Hits the Fire. Steven walks you through the grilling process—from whole fish to fire-roasting shellfish. Singapore-spiced halibut grilled in banana leaves. Whole fish with Indonesian flavors by Rafael Lunetta, in Santa Monica. Alaskan salmon riffs on Russian coulibiac, with a stuffing of grilled onions, mushrooms, rice and smoke. Finally, grilling fresh oysters with Asian aromatics.

Extending from California and the Pacific Northwest to Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Explosively flavored grilled meats with exotic herbs and spices, chilies and umami-rich fish and soy sauce are paired with healthy vegetables—barbecue as health food. Vietnamese and Thai influences make the ultimate street food. Steven visits Jenee Kim for grilled beef short ribs.

We reinvent the cocktail party, with the power of live fire to take finger food over the top with rum and citrus-glazed jumbo shrimp grilled on sugarcane, “finger-burner” lamb chops from Spain and Smoked Nectarine Bellinis to keep conversation flowing. Sommelier Kristine Bocchino shares suggestions for three great wines to serve at the party.

Melting pot extreme, when traditional American barbecue meets authentic ethnic grilling and it’s happening across the United States and around the world. Cross-culture mashups, from California paella to a deli-inspired pork loin stuffed with pastrami and sauerkraut. Michelin-starred chef Josiah Citrin dazzles with aged, smoked-roasted duck at his restaurant, Charcoal Venice.

Rotisserie grilling or spit-roasting combines the smoky sear of grilling with the heat of roasting. Add 3 more benefits: basting, no flare-ups, and the fragrance of wood smoke. Game hens acquire golden, crackling-crisp skin. Spare ribs are given the huli-huli (turn-turn) treatment. Wings get a sweet-salty, lacquer-like glaze. Finally, a whole spinning, sugar-crusted pineapple.

The world’s pit masters, fire up grills, smokers, or wood-burning ovens for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night snacks. For breakfast, farm eggs grilled with Parmesan, and prosciutto. For lunch, pizzas from the Industrial Eats in Buellton, CA. Pastrami Beef Ribs make a spectacular supper, and midnight snack of smoky, salty South African Grilled Cheese sandwiches.

Long before grills, charcoal, rotisseries, and planchas, there was fire! We visit L.A.’s Chi SPACCA, for a monster pork tomahawk grilled over wood by chef Ryan DeNicola. Extreme grilling with salmon steaks, smoky, on a shovel in a blazing campfire. Caveman-style pork chops directly on blazing embers with a sizzling poblano pan-fry and decadent brownies on a cedar plank.

Since picnickers in 1869 ate food from buckboards of horse-drawn wagons, Americans have loved tailgating. Now the party goes global, with pulled lamb from a wood-burning smoker at Odys & Penelope in L.A. Honey Soy Chicken Wings on skewers and Brisket Tacos, make magisterial main dishes. True global tailgating, with a Peruvian potato salad with chili-spiked cheese sauce.

Clean bold California flavors and plenty of hot fire and wood smoke. The classic California fish taco, reimagined with wood fire-grilling. Caribbean-inspired char-grilled lobsters with orange mojo. Executive chef Anthony Endy updates the verdant South American chimichurri. Wood-grilled Castroville artichokes with charred lemon aioli bring the show to a fiery close.

If it tastes good baked, fried, sautéed, or boiled, it tastes even better grilled. Barbecue has no limits, but it does have conventions. Look back on Steven’s secrets to successful grilling. Start with layering flavors to give your food depth. Smoke is the umami of barbecue, use it to bring new dimensions to your dishes. Finally, the grill can be used for dessert.