From 'Office' to home: Baumgartner delivers barbecue recipes
If you believe the adage "write what you know," then Brian Baumgartner is doing it right.
Known for playing the bumbling but lovable Kevin on NBC's "The Office," the actor leaned into his famous scene, which became a meme, about the secret to "Kevin's Famous Chili" (IYKYK) by writing the "Seriously Good Chili Cookbook."
Along with chili, Baumgartner is passionate about barbecue. The Georgia native holds to the four Fs — Family, Friends, Food and Football — and fondly recalls gathering for barbecuing tailgating days in Atlanta before University of Georgia games.
He channeled this love of barbecue into his latest cookbook, "Seriously Good Barbecue Cookbook." Setting out on a trip to see his parents in Georgia, he ate his way east, enjoying beef brisket in Texas, burnt ends in Kansas City, pork ribs in Memphis, and pulled pork sandwiches in North Carolina before heading to Rodney Scott's BBQ in Charleston, S.C.
The cookbook includes a journey through the history of barbecue around the world, tips on grilling vs. smoking, a guide to different types of barbecue wood and, of course, plenty of recipes.
Those include one for his grilled chicken breast with whipped garlic sauce, which Baumgartner said he makes about once a week. He also includes regional dishes shared by cooks from across the country like Nate Figaro from Knightdale, N.C., who shares his grilled corn maque choux with charred lemon vinaigrette.
For more, check out the "Seriously Good Barbecue Cookbook," which is available now through Fox Chapel Publishing.
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Best grilled chicken breast with whipped garlic sauce
Homemade Italian dressing (marinade)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
? cup red wine vinegar
Juice from half a lemon
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon oregano
? tablespoon dried basil
? tablespoon organic onion powder
3 cloves fresh garlic, diced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
? teaspoon salt
? teaspoon pepper
? teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Put all of the ingredients together in a bowl and stir to combine. It's that easy!
Marinate the chicken in the Italian dressing for 3 to 4 hours before cooking. (You can substitute store-bought dressing. Baumgartner recommends Girard's Olde Venice Italian Dressing.)
Grilled chicken
Ten 10- to 12-ounce boneless and skinless chicken breasts, or as many breasts as servings as you want (1 breast per serving)
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400 F. (Make sure there is room on the grill for direct and indirect heat.)
Place the chicken on the grill over direct heat. Cover.
Leave the chicken on for 6 to 7 minutes, then flip.
Cook for another 6 to 7 minutes on the other side.
The chicken should have nice grill marks on each side. Remove the chicken from direct heat and move to an area on the grill with indirect heat. Keep the temperature in the grill around 400 F and leave on for another 15 minutes. The chicken should stay moist but continue to cook through.
When it's done, remove and serve with homemade whipped garlic sauce.
Homemade whipped garlic sauce
1 cup peeled garlic cloves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups safflower oil
? cup lemon juice
Combine the garlic and salt into a food processor and blend it completely until it's finely minced.
Continually scrape down the garlic from the sides to make sure all the garlic stays together.
With the food processor running, begin adding the oil, just a couple tablespoons at a time. Stop and scrape the sides. It's important to begin adding the oil slowly at first, scraping and combining the oil with the garlic until it becomes creamy.
Once the garlic looks emulsified by the few tablespoons of oil, increase the speed of pouring the oil and alternate with the lemon juice until all the oil and lemon juice is incorporated. This will take about 15 minutes to complete.
Transfer to a bowl with a lid and store in the fridge. Leaving overnight will give it a better flavor the next day.
Grilled corn maque choux with charred lemon vinaigrette
Maque choux
3 slices bacon, diced
8 whole ears of corn
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 red bell pepper
5 cherry tomatoes, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons smoky Creole barbecue rub
Remove husk from corn and run under cold water.
Light half a charcoal chimney with briquettes. Wait for all briquettes to turn gray, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Bank charcoal to one side of the grill (making a hot zone and a cool zone).
Add 2 to 3 chunks of mesquite wood to coals.
Place the bell pepper over the coals and rotate until pepper is fully charred on all sides. Then set aside in a resealable plastic bag. (Steam from the pepper will make removing the charred skin easier.) Once cooled, dice the bell pepper.
Place corn over the coals for 10 to 15 minutes, or until corn begins to char.
Remove corn from the grill and set aside.
Set sauté pan to medium heat and add unsalted butter.
Add minced garlic, diced bell pepper, diced bacon and corn.
Season with smoky Creole barbecue rub.
Place the corn maque choux on plate and add the sliced tomatoes and charred lemon vinaigrette.
Charred lemon vinaigrette
4 strips bacon
Smoky Creole barbecue rub, to taste
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice from 1 whole lemon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon hot honey
Set oven to 375°F.
Place four strips of bacon on baking pan and season with Creole barbecue rub.
Place bacon in oven at 375 F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Slice the lemon in half. In a pan, over medium heat, sear lemon halves, flat side down, until charred, around 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 minutes.
Juice lemon halves into a bowl and add Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar then whisk.
Slowly add hot honey and extra virgin olive oil to bowl and continue to whisk.
Add oregano and black pepper.