Table Of ContentGASTRO GRILLING
ALSO BY TED READER
Beerlicious
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Smoking Foods
Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Grilling
Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Plank Grilling
Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Burgers
King of the Q’s Blue Plate BBQ
The Art of Plank Grilling
Hot and Sticky BBQ
Hot, Sticky, and on Fire
On Fire in the Kitchen
Sticky Fingers and Tenderloins
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First published 2013
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Copyright © Ted Reader, 2013
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or
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otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
Food photographer: Mike McColl
Assistant food photographer: Lee Waddington
Principal food stylist: Mia Bachmaier
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
Reader, Ted
Gastro grilling : fired-up recipes to grill great everyday meals / Ted Reader.
ISBN 978-0-14-318822-3
1. Barbecuing. 2. Cookbooks. I. Title.
TX840.B3R4235 2013 641.5’784 C2013-901204-4
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To the loves of my life, my wife, Pamela, and my children, Layla and Jordan, you
are my inspiration. Thank you, my family, for all you do for me.
CONTENTS
Introduction
PARTY STARTERS
SIDE KICKS
SANDWICHES
MEAT
POULTRY
FISH & SHELLFISH
DRINKS
DESSERTS
Acknowledgments
Index
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS GASTRO GRILLING?
The word “gastro” comes from “gastronomy,” and most people seem to think that means
pretentious. Understandable, given the way the word is thrown around these days. It shouldn’t be
known this way, but it sort of is. For the last 10 years or so, we have seen the word “gastro” get
itself attached to endless other words. Probably best known are the “gastro pubs” still popping
up all over the place.
Gastro does not imply pretentious when I’m involved. Gastronomy means “the art and science
of good eating.” There are other definitions in play, but I like this one. It’s simple and the truth
and unpretentious, like me and my food. Gastro grilling is aimed at the man or woman who, like
me, loves to fire up the grill any time of the year and turn an everyday meal into a gastronomic
delight. They fancy themselves gastronomes and consider grilling and cooking over the hot fire a
hobby, not a chore.
Food is a thing we nourish ourselves with. We all know at least one person for whom food is
a big nuisance. It gets eaten over sinks and in cars and is rarely tasted and appreciated. It’s kind
of like filling your gas tank. Anyone who knows me or my books knows that that is as far from
what I represent as you can get. Food is for fun and savoring and sharing with friends. There is
as much pleasure in its preparation as in its eating. The enthusiastic “gastro griller” takes pride
in their ingredients, sourcing out the best and freshest ingredients as well as mixing in a bit of
grocery convenience. They create delicious feasts for the senses right in their own backyards.
The “gastrosexual” is keen to have that deliciousness bring them the spoils of praise, pleasure
and possibly even seduction.
I am never happier than when I am in my backyard playing eeny meeny miney mo choosing the
grill, or grills, I’ll use next. Even happier when I hear the snap, crackle of new wood getting
ready for me to start cooking. Happiest of all after I’ve singed the hair off both arms and burned
myself at least twice. I just love to cook. I love to cook best in my own backyard with my family
and friends and kids and dogs all around me. I love to cook any old place at all, as long as
there’s a grill and some smiles and maybe a few beers in a cooler. But my backyard is where I
really get my glow on.
The true purpose of the first gastro pubs in the UK was to take typical bar food and raise it to
a level that would surprise even the most discerning palate. They used superior ingredients;
often a gastro pub has its own garden for fresh produce. They make their own takes on
traditional recipes, and add in a few surprises. How often do you expect to see a Caramel
Shrimp Banh Mi on a pub menu? The overall idea seemed to be make it really good, make it
affordable and make it fun.
I think we all know that I stand for fun. So the more I heard this term, the more I found myself
interested in exploring it. But the more pretentious the establishment I might wander into was, the
surer I was that fun was getting lost. I’m all about fresh ingredients and twisting things in my
