By Katie Hurley
As the summer grilling season heats up, barbecue sauce, spice rubs, hamburger buns and potato chips are flying off the store shelves. But when you buy that package of meat or seafood, do you really know what it takes to grill it to perfection? Chef Barry “CB” Martin is offering a series of grilling classes this summer to teach home cooks the ins and outs of cooking on the grill.
Bayview School of Cooking will host Martin on June 26 from 6-8:30 pm for “Chicken on the Grill”, featuring Chicken with Rosemary Butter and White Barbecue Sauce, V-8 hotwings and Moroccan-Spiced Grilled Chicken and Peaches. In addition to the recipes, you’ll learn tips and techniques to help you get the best results when you’re grilling at home. The class includes a complementary wine pairing and an up close view of CB working the grill.
On July 22 Martin will serve up “The Perfect Grilled Steak”, featuring his Classic “El Gaucho” Flank Steak cooked directly on the coals, Steak Diane, and Bryant Grill Steak, a New York steak made famous by the Bryant Park Grill in Midtown Manhattan. CB will again demonstrate grilling techniques and talk about different cuts of steak, ideal cooking conditions, and what to do when your steak isn’t turning out the way you’d like.
The final class in the grilling series will feature the All-American favorite… Burgers! On August 15 CB will prepare Mini Burger Sliders, Inside-Out Burgers that are stuffed with delightful surprises, and his own leaner version of In-N-Out’s protein-style burger wrapped in lettuce leaves. This class will offer a complementary beer pairing to round out your burger experience.
CB earned his nickname (short for Chef Barry) from the friends he often cooks for. His experience dates back to his first restaurant job at age 11 and includes 24 segments as “The Outdoor Chef” on The Weather Channel, 10 years as a spokesperson for Char-Broil Grills, and serving as the primary contributor to 3 grilling cookbooks. His Welcome to the Cookout website is a vast resource of tips, techniques and recipes.
I asked CB what he thinks is the most important grilling tool, and without hesitation he said, “A good instant-read thermometer, because the only way to know for sure that food is cooked is by knowing the temperature.” This isn’t just an issue for food quality, but also for food safety. Bayview Thriftway and Ralph’s Thriftway both carry instant-read thermometers, as well as a host of other grilling tools, seasonings, sauces and sides.
On June 29 (At Ralph’s) and July 13 (at Bayview), CB will be conducting a series of 14 demonstrations throughout the day, featuring items carried in the store. He will demonstrate preparation techniques and talk about how to grill items such as steak, chicken, sliders, shrimp, mushroom pizza, corn-on-the-cob and many other tantalizing selections. These free 15-20 minute presentations will be a great way to get inspired, pick up some tips and new recipes and maybe even try something new. Between demonstrations, CB will be on hand in the stores to help people choose a cut of meat or seafood, chat about grilling and answer your questions.
The depth of Martin’s knowledge and experience on the grill can be a great resource, even for the experienced griller. “Cooking out is 10 times more difficult than cooking indoors, “ he says. “On a stovetop, medium is medium and high is high. It is a controlled environment. When you cook outdoors, medium is different from one grill to the next, and then toss in weather variables.” Martin teaches the basics, and then gives tips on how to respond to variables, be flexible and switch it up if you need to.
Advance registration is required for each of the 3 evening classes at Bayview School of Cooking. Call 360.754.1448 to register. Classes are $45 each or $120 for all three and include complementary wine or beer pairings. For more information see the Bayview School of Cooking website.
The June 29 and July 13 events are free and no registration is necessary. A schedule of demonstration topics will be posted on both the Ralph’s and Bayview Thriftway websites, in both stores and on the Ralph’s and Bayview Thriftway Facebook page.
Bayview Thriftway and Bayview School of Cooking
516 W. 4th Ave., Olympia
360.352.4897
Ralph’s Thriftway
1908 E. 4th Ave., Olympia
360.357.8011
