Taming the Flame: Secrets for Hot-and-Quick Grilling and Low-and-Slow BBQ [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Karmel (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 6, 2005

"Having grown up in a barbecue restaurant family, I bond immediately with anyone who has a master's touch at the grill and barbecue pit. Elizabeth Karmel is the genuine article, understanding (and able to clearly articulate) that delicate interplay between food and fire, flavor and finesse."
--Rick Bayless, chef and owner of Frontera Grill/Topolobampo and host of Public Television's Mexico: One Plate at a Time

"Elizabeth Karmel was born in North Carolina, weaned on pulled pork, and has spice and smoke in her bones. This authoritative, opinionated, and just plain mouth-watering book will tell you everything you need to know about barbecue from someone who's spent a lifetime walking the walk and talking the talk."
--Steven Raichlen, author of How to Grill and BBQ USA and host of Barbecue University on PBS

"Finally, the woman who has taught me everything I know about grilling has come out with her own book. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned grillmeister, Taming the Flame is the book for you."
--Sara Moulton host, Food Network's Sara's Secrets, and executive chef, Gourmet magazine

"Just when you thought grilling could not get any more straightforward or delicious, Elizabeth Karmel shows you what you were missing: skillful techniques and remarkable flavors. Great grilling starts here!"
--Chef Charlie Trotter, Chicago

"Elizabeth Karmel is a breath of fresh air on the barbecue circuit. In Taming the Flame, she gives expert instruction and she tells all the barbecue secrets we boys tend to keep to ourselves."
--Mike Mills four-time World Champion,Memphis-in-May BBQ competition

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Karmel brings a feminine flair to a masculine domain with this A-to-Z roadmap to grill-based cuisine—from fast, high-heat methods to slower roasts and barbecue that rely on an indirect flame. Some may disagree with Karmel's assertion that there's no taste difference between gas and charcoal, although she does give tips on using old-fashioned briquettes. Her extensive introduction to techniques, tools and pantry basics make up the meat of the book; the 350 recipes that follow, organized by ingredient, rely so heavily on the methods set earlier that novices will frequently find themselves flipping back and forth. Karmel aims to be encyclopedic, offering a guide to cuts and a cooking timetable in every section, and she's at her best with natural variations on grilling, from simple Chicken Paillard to ambitious Hung-Your-Momma Braised Short Ribs. Karmel has never met a dish she can't make on the grill, and her attempts at grilled versions of Pot Roast and Veal Scaloppini are unnecessary. Her chatty, "girlfriend" point of view leads to a few lapses: for example, the beef section omits "rare" from its cooking timetable, and Grilled Lobster 101 devotes more time to avoiding killing the lobster (getting someone else to do it being the top choice) than it does to cooking it. Overall, though, this is a welcome guide for members of either sex. Photos. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

armel brings a feminine flair to a masculine domain with this A-to-Z roadmap to grill-based cuisine—from fast, high-heat methods to slower roasts and barbecue that rely on an indirect flame. Some may disagree with Karmel's assertion that there's no taste difference between gas and charcoal, although she does give tips on using old-fashioned briquettes. Her extensive introduction to techniques, tools and pantry basics make up the meat of the book; the 350 recipes that follow, organized by ingredient, rely so heavily on the methods set earlier that novices will frequently find themselves flipping back and forth. Karmel aims to be encyclopedic, offering a guide to cuts and a cooking timetable in every section, and she's at her best with natural variations on grilling, from simple Chicken Paillard to ambitious Hung-Your-Momma Braised Short Ribs. Karmel has never met a dish she can't make on the grill, and her attempts at grilled versions of Pot Roast and Veal Scaloppini are unnecessary. Her chatty, "girlfriend" point of view leads to a few lapses: for example, the beef section omits "rare" from its cooking timetable, and Grilled Lobster 101 devotes more time to avoiding killing the lobster (getting someone else to do it being the top choice) than it does to cooking it. Overall, though, this is a welcome guide for members of either sex. Photos. (May) (Publishers Weekly, April 11, 2005)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (May 6, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764568825
• ISBN-13: 978-0764568824
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 1.2 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #229,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

North Carolina native Elizabeth Karmel was raised on barbecue--at roadside stands, neighborhood cookouts and county fairs--but it wasn't until she moved away from home that the barbecue love affair began. When it wasn't at her fingertips, she had to learn how to smoke it herself and a pit-mistress was born.
Karmel, a.k.a. Queen of the Grill, is a nationally respected authority on grilling, barbecue and Southern food. She is the Executive Chef of Hill Country Barbecue Market in NYC and Washington, DC, and NYC's Hill Country Chicken. She developed the award-winning concept, menu and flavor profiles from the meats to the sides and desserts for all three restaurants.
As a sought after media personality, Karmel writes for, and is frequently featured in an array of national magazines from Saveur to Better Homes & Gardens, and appears regularly on all three network morning shows.
She writes a bi-monthly column for the Associated Press called The American Table. She is the author of three acclaimed cookbooks, Taming the Flame: Secrets for Hot-and-Quick Grilling and Low-and-Slow BBQ, Pizza on the Grill; and Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned: the Guide to Flavoring Food for the Grill. Karmel is also the designer of Elizabeth Karmel's Grill Friends; an innovative line of outdoor cooking and kitchen tools, and the founder of the gender-breaking GirlsattheGrill.com.
Follow her @GrillGirl and like her fan page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Elizabeth-Karmel/201250523244938.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Authority and Personality May 6, 2005

By B. W. Maness

Format:Hardcover

When I purchased this book, I was expecting to find information on grilling techniques and recipes to demonstrate them. I did not expect how comprehensive this book would be. It is the bible of grilling! It covers every aspect of grilling and barbequing and gives the reader the insight gained through years of research.

The first 30 pages or so take you through all the basic information that you need before you grill. From choosing a grill to a detailed explanation of the difference between direct and indirect grilling, this section will educate the novice and cause the pro to question long held beliefs. The remainder of the book takes you through step by step instructions on how to grill most anything. The book is highly organized and easy to use. There is a chapter for every meat or food type and each chapter begins with all the practical information you need to grill the right way. It takes an enormous amount of information and presents it in the most readable format imaginable.

But one thing has impressed me beyond all others- this book has been able to balance the authoritative with the personal. All too often, the most comprehensive cookbooks lack personality and warmth. While this book has all the important technical information you would expect from a textbook, it is filled with the warmth and personality of someone who obviously loves what she does. Every recipe begins with a story that gives the reader insight into how the recipe was discovered or created. This combination is so rare.

I remember the first time I read Bill Neal's Southern Cooking and how I was struck by his combination of cooking knowledge and cultural history. Taming the Flame strikes me in a similar way.... It is an impressive text of grilling techniques and skills as well as a collection of personal insights into the lives and grilling of Elizabeth Karmel's friends, family and the whole grilling/barbeque circuit culture that exists in the United States. I could not recommend it more highly. Read more ›

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Catch the Passion & Heat July 22, 2005

By rodboomboom HALL OF FAMEVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Having sizeable Grill/BBQ cookbook collection already, it takes something to catch my eye and add at this point. Browsing through this one did it.

She is definitely into it, and conveys this energy and expertise in this over 350 page offering. It will provide basics for initiate and wealth of great recipes and tips for all up to expert.

Begins each unit with a 101 intro, as well there is great intro to types of grills and smokers, and glossary and sources along with a menu suggestion section. Nice style with about 20 4 color photos of some dishes makes for an attractive cookbook. Further, great grilling time charts in every section which are very useful!

What caught my perusing eye was such creative entrys as "Beer Can Turkey" (already into the Chicken on the Can); Sweet Pork Sausages in a Dijon-White Wine Sauce; French Onion Dip burgers; Jack and Coke Soaked Pork chops; Portobello Mushroom Dip with Pita Points; Italian Grilled Cheese Skewers; and a terrific twenty source rub and sauce recipe section.

This adds much to the spectrum already out there, including Bobby Flay, James Purviance, Chris Schlessinger, Steven Raichlein, et al. Neat to see the ladies really into great grillin and BBQ, e.g. Karen Adler and Judith Fertig.

Fun book to read and use.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Grilling Book I Own November 21, 2006

By C. Kitchel

Format:Hardcover

I bought this book on a whim and have been amazed at how comprehensive, easy to read and execute, and just fun the book is. My husband has really gotten into grilling in the last year, and we have a small library of top grilling titles, and this is always our go-to. When, for example, we wanted to grill Cornish game hens, this book was the only one with a recipe (and a delicious one at that). If you like grilling, you must own this book!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book for developing the skill of grilling November 9, 2006

By G. Miller

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Over the last several years I have been working on developing the skill to really make grilling work. I have collected a lot of books on grilling and honestly have found most to be a list of recipes rather than useful information about using the grill. In fact, a lot of them seem to just say "then grill for x minutes" after spending a page on the prep.

This book is different in that it really helps to develop an understanding of how grilling works. This allows me to develop skill, rather than just repeat instructions (with mixed results).

I am most fond of the "101" sections at the beginning of each food type. It really helps to lay out the process. These sections often repeat information shown elsewhere in the book, which at first annoyed me. However, I now find that having it all in one place allows me to quickly review before grilling.

On the negative, I think they went a little overboard with the number of recipes. For example, there are several steak recipes that really are just about how to make a sauce to put on the steak after grilling. The book is fairly priced even if I never use them, but it does force me to sort through a lot of these "quasi" ideas to find the good recipes. Related to that, the attempts to personalize each recipe became tiring. In a few places it was kind of nice, but after a while you feel like you are reading her diary. As my rating shows, neither of these was a big enough issue to detract from the overall excellent nature of the book.

I will be giving a copy out to many people on my Christmas list.