story by
Liesel Schmidt
W
e all know that summer is
the season for
getting the grill all fi red up and ready to
shine, the perfect time to show off all those
mad skills you claim to have. Every steak,
burger, and hotdog you cook to juicy perfection is a veritable
jewel in your crown, each beautiful char mark proof that
you—yes,
you, equipped with your over-sized tongs and
impressively large spatula—are the tamer of the open fl ame.
Your talents are matchless, and now is the time to sit high on
your throne and let the crowds be wowed, stunned into silence
as they bite into your masterpieces of tender meatiness…
Whether or not that was a glimpse into reality or just how
you imagine yourself, we
are undeniably in the thick of grilling
season. And even if your time manning the grill doesn’t
always turn out quite as boast-worthy as you’d hoped, you
can still have fun breaking out the briquettes, piling up the
chips…or doing whatever it is you do to get your grill going.
Interestingly enough—though you might have already
guessed this—grilling has been in practice since man
discovered fi re and actually learned how to put it to use.
It wasn’t until the 1940s, however, that the backyard
version of grilling became commonplace, as most grilling
was strictly done at campsites and on picnics—i.e., where
the conveniences of stove tops and ovens were nowhere to
be found. When middle class America began to populate
suburbia after World War II, the grate-ness (ha ha) of grilling
at home really caught fi re; and by the 1950s, pretty much
everyone was doing it.
Even in the midst of all that popularity, however, the grill
itself hadn’t quite reached its full potential, as the fl at, open
brazier-style so common at the time was extremely diffi cult
to control. It was the ingenuity of Chicago metalworker
George Stephen—a controlling member of Weber Bros.
Metal Spinning Co.—as he tinkered with and modifi ed one of
the company’s harbor buoys by cutting it along the equator,
adding a grate, and using the top as a lid, controlling the
temperature with vents he’d cut into it, that led to the re-
birth of the grill. And, consequently, to the invention of the
Weber grill that so impacted the future of grilling. And all of
America.
Naturally, meat is one of the top contenders when it comes
to things that make their way onto the grates of the grill.
From steaks and ribs to healthier proteins like chicken and
fi sh, those char marks seem to make everything better, giving
them a distinct taste that pairs oh-so-well with the fresh air
and the summer sun. And yes, the grill is also the perfect place
to cook up some fresh produce, as that fl ame-kissed fl avor
does something almost magical to vegetables and imparts
a caramel-like sweetness to fruits unlike anything else. But
nothing—and we mean
nothing—feels more at home on the
grill (or more American) than good old hot dogs and burgers.
Regardless of what’s on your grill, however, it’s the perfect
way to get outside and enjoy the season. So get ready to fi re it
up!
All Up In Your Grill
18-19 CoastalCuisine.indd 1
5/30/19 6:21 AM