WHY PROJECT FIRE?
After thirty books, seven TV series, two decades of Barbecue University classes, hundreds of articles in publications ranging from the New York Times to Esquire, and literally thousands of radio and TV interviews, what more could I possibly have to say about grilling?
As it turns out, a lot.
When How to Grill came out in 2002, few people understood such fundamentals as indirect grilling or smoking. Today grillers debate the intricacies of dry brines and reverse-searing, of salt slab grilling and sous vide the way scientists argue the fine points of quantum physics.
Which is to say that like all else in cuisine and culture, grilling continues to evolve. Never in history have more people grilled a more diverse repertory of foods on a more sophisticated array of grills and cookers. Never have people used a wider range of grilling and smoking techniques to derive more pleasure from the ancient art of live-fire cooking. Men do it. Women do it. These days, even kids compete in barbecue competitions.
So what’s new in Project Fire? Just about everything.
• New grills, from kamados to pellet grills, from plancha grills to hybrid wood burners.
• New tools, from remote digital thermometers to high-tech rotisseries.
• Revolutionary new techniques, from salt slab grilling to smoke-roasting, from ember-grilling to fire-heated iron.
• And of course, new foods, from alternative steaks to eco-friendly seafood, and new twists on popular classics, such as breakfast on the grill and wood-fired desserts.
Think of Project Fire as the companion to Project Smoke— my book on smoking—picking up where my previous books leave off. You have some killer grill sessions to look forward to.
