The running joke in my family – which I unabashedly perpetuate – is that I’m of German descent – though, admittedly, my blood runs Irish green. Despite that, I do love German cuisine, especially, this time of year when there’s a cool nip in the air and an increasing amount of Octoberfest beer on the shelves of my local package goods store.

Knowing my penchant for all-things-Teutonic (and relating to the aforementioned running joke), my sister recently bought me a Sauerkraut-making-kit thinking that; a) it’ll be fun; b) the end result will be better than store-bought and; c) it’s so easy that even I could do it!

Having no alternative, I accepted the challenge – and in sharing my experience here, perhaps you will too.

Tools You’ll Need

To begin, here’s what you’ll need:

• Mandolin Slicer (optional) or sharp knife
• Mixing Bowl
• Scale
• Ball Jar
• Fermentation Lid
• Muddler
• Fermentation Weights (or pinch bowl)

Homemade Sauerkraut Recipe

For the Sauerkraut, you’ll need:

• 1 head of Cabbage (more if you’d like to make a bigger batch)
• Kosher salt (2% of the shredded cabbage’s weight)

And the basic procedure is as follows:

1. Shred or slice the cabbage (thickness is your preference)
2. Mix the sliced cabbage in a bowl with salt (2% of weight of cabbage) until slightly watery

   Example: My cabbage weighed 640 grams, so I used approx. 13 grams of salt

   Note: Crush, squeeze and mix the cabbage with the salt until slightly watery (2- to 5-minutes)

   

3. Place in Ball Jar (a little bit at a time) and use Muddler to compress until juice is above cabbage
   
4. Cover cabbage/salt mixture with the fermentation weight(s), or weigh down with pinch bowl
5. Cover the jar with the fermentation lid and let set un-refrigerated
6. Fermentation takes about 2-weeks – but feel free to taste every few days until the sauerkraut is to your liking.

Like I said, so easy a caveman can do it!

Have fun – and look for my next post in a few weeks to see how my Sauerkraut turned out.

Related Posts

• Make the Best Reuben Sandwich Ever!
• Man Bites Dog! Plus, 10 Top American Hot Dogs
• A Revolutionary New Way to Cook Bratwurst

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Refreshed for 2025

Succulence and smoke guaranteed.

He wouldn’t. He shouldn’t. He did.

He being me, and I found a revolutionary new way to grill bratwurst. It’s about to make you and your next tailgate party succeed like a million bucks!

From the beginning of time (or a least bratwurst), people have grilled this traditional German sausage directly over the fire.

Even the name suggest direct grilling: braten is the German word for to roast or grill.

Direct grilling bratwurst and other fresh sausage has benefits and risks. Get it right, and you wind up with a crisp smoky casing and sizzling meat. Get it wrong and the bratwurst will split and the fat will gush onto the fire, turning your grill into a conflagration. Or one side will come out charred; the other side raw, which is an equally unhappy result.

But what if there was a way to grill brats without these fiery risks? There is and I discovered it a few years ago when I suddenly had to cook 60 brats for a book signing and my assistant was a no show.

Indirect grilling bratwurst

So I set up my grill for indirect grilling and lined up the brats on the grate. Then, in a moment of inspiration, I added hickory wood to the coals. The result was astonishing. Indirect grilling kept the casings and juices intact, which meant brats that were 30 percent juicier than the sausage I grilled using the direct method.

And the smoke flavor made the brats off the charts delicious. (Think bratwurst channeling barbecue.)

Best of all, the method works for all manner of fresh wurst, from chorizo to Italian sausage.

Brats are indispensable for any self-respecting tailgate party. Use my indirect grilling with wood smoke method for the best brats you’ve ever tasted.

How to do it

1. Set up for indirect. Two-zone fire (coals/burners on one side only). Aim for 350–375°F in the indirect zone.
2. Add wood. Place a fist-size chunk of hickory (or a handful of chips) over the hot side.
3. Cook gently. Arrange brats on the cool side, lid down, vents open. Cook to 155–160°F internal, 20–30 minutes, rotating once.
4. Optional crisp. Roll brats over the hot side for 30–60 seconds to blister the casing.

Time & temp cheatsheet

• Grill temp (indirect zone): 350–375^°F
• Wood: Hickory (oak or apple also fine)
• Target internal temp: 160°F (USDA for fresh pork)
• Typical time: 20–30 min indirect + 1 min crisp

Bratwurst Recipes

• Bratwurst “Hot Tub”
• Bratwurst with Curry Sauce (Currywurst)
• Mile-Long Smoked Bratwurst Sandwich
• Smoked Bratwursts

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Most griddling is done in a pretty straightforward manner. You heat the griddle and oil it well. Add the food. Cook until sizzling and browned on the bottom, then cook the other side the same way until done in the center. It’s as simple as that. The short list of foods that can be griddled in this way includes eggs, pancakes, French toast, thin steaks and chops, burgers, chicken breasts, fish fillets, shrimp and crabcakes, thinly sliced vegetables and fruits, noodles, rice, and more – which isn’t such a short list after all. Now, here’s how to griddle them.

Griddle Technique #1: Divide-And-Conquer Griddling

Best for thick sandwiches, like medianoches and muffulettas. Build the sandwich in two halves, with the cold cuts on top. Layer a sheet of parchment paper atop the cold cuts, and start griddling the meat with the parchment paper side down. When the meats are hot and sizzling, carefully turn the half sandwich so the bread side is down. Peel off and discard the parchment paper. Put the two halves together and your sandwich is ready.

Technique #2: Dome Griddling

This method is used for cooking larger or slower-cooking foods, like thicker steaks and chops, chicken pieces, fish steaks—any food that requires a little more heat and time to cook. Place a griddle dome or metal bowl over the food while it’s on the griddle to hold in the heat. Use dome griddling for melting the cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich and speeding up the cooking of a sunny-side up egg.

Technique #3: Steam Griddling

This is a technique developed in Asia to facilitate griddling dense vegetables, like broccoli and winter squash. Work over a medium-hot to hot griddle. Start by cooking the vegetables in oil. Then squirt a tablespoon or two of water on the vegetables. It will boil rapidly, steaming the vegetables in the process. Add more water as needed until the vegetables are sizzling and lightly browned. To intensify the effect, place a griddle dome over the food.

Technique #4: Salt Griddling

A unique method for griddling that Spanish chef José Andrés uses to cook carabineros—Spain’s supernaturally succulent scarlet shrimp. (They take their name from the scarlet uniforms once worn by Spanish carabineros, or police.) Spread out coarse sea salt in a .4-inch-thick (1 cm) layer over your plancha. Heat it well, then lay the shrimp on top. Note: The Spanish like their shrimp barely cooked (make that half-raw) in the center.

Technique #5: Smoke-Griddling

In this method, you smoke right on the surface of the griddle. Heat one zone to high and one zone to medium. Mound a handful of hardwood chips or pellets or a couple of tablespoons of hardwood sawdust directly on the griddle over the hot zone. When it starts to smoke, slide the wood to the medium zone and place the food to be griddled next to it (oil it first). Cover with the griddle dome. Griddle the food covered—the smoldering wood will provide a delicate smoke flavor.

Naturally, all of these recipes will be most successful if griddled on a high-quality grill – like the Wildfire Ranch Pro 30-Inch Stainless Steel Griddle* – with features that make it a superior choice over cast-iron products, including corrosion resistance and durability, 8mm surface (for heat retention and even cooking), and low maintenance (easy to clean, no seasoning required).

* Enter here for your chance to win this Griddle and Steven’s newest book, Project Griddle.

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Why Shrimp Is America’s Favorite Shellfish

Quick: what’s America’s favorite shellfish?

Lobster? Maybe if you live in New England. Oysters? Yeah, we love them raw on the half-shell, but grilled they’re still pretty niche.

No, it turns out that our most consumed shellfish is the smallest in size. Shrimp.

By dollar and poundage, this diminutive crustacean remains our hands-down favorite. We Americans eat an average of 5.9 pounds per person per year.

Shrimp Around the World

We’re not alone. South Africans prize their piri-piri prawns, spiced up with fiery malagueta chiles. The Spanish pay exorbitant sums for carabinieros, briny crimson shrimp fished from the cold deep waters of the Bay of Biscay. Venetians thread their gamberoni onto skewers to be dusted with breadcrumbs and grilled kabab style. No Indian feast would be complete without yogurt- and spice-marinated tandoori shrimp.

Regional Shrimp Varieties in the U.S.

But which shrimp? If you live on the southeastern seaboard, you eat delicate Carolina shrimp. If you come from Down East, you raise your fork for sweet white Maine shrimp. Down my way, in south Florida, we grill succulent Key West pinks. Californians and Hawaiians eat spot prawns (so named for the black eye-like carapace on the side of the shell.

Quite miraculously, in this age of global supply chains, shrimp remain mercifully regional, and each variety has its own distinct texture and flavor.

Buying Shrimp: Fresh, Farmed, or Imported?

But what if you don’t live near the coast? Seafood farms from around the globe (especially Southeast Asia) provide shrimp in all sizes as prices so modest, you wonder how they can do it.

The short answer is don’t ask. The longer answer requires uncomfortable questions about dubious labor and environment practices. Whenever food comes cheap, you pay the price in other ways. But ask to sniff the shrimp before buying it: if it smells like bleach, don’t buy it.

For this reason, I always try to buy fresh local domestic shrimp. When in doubt, I buy from a store merchant that vets the provenance of its seafood, like Whole Foods, or I check with the Marine Stewardship Counsel.

Why Shrimp Is Perfect for Grilling

But my main job is to whet your appetite, not suppress it, and shrimp possesses many qualities that endear it to us grillers.

First, it’s quick to grill, delivering pure protein and superb taste in a matter of minutes. It readily absorbs spice, marinade, and smoke flavors, without losing its briny uniqueness. Speaking of taste, it has one of those flavors that seems to appeal to everyone—without the squeamishness often associated with sea urchin, oysters, or other shellfish.
Did we mention that it’s available everywhere and as seafood goes, mercifully affordable?

Five Key Questions Before Grilling Shrimp

But before you fire up your grill, you need to ask 5 key questions.

Does size matter? As in the bedroom, not really. Shrimp range in size from the diminutive Dutch garnall (so tiny you can fit a dozen in a tablespoon) to the Kenyan King (a single shellfish tips the scales at 3 pounds—split and grill as you would lobster). Here in the U.S., shrimp are sold by the “U” size—for example a U-16 means that there are 16 headless shrimp to a pound. When making kebabs, I use extra-large shrimp (U 16s). When grilling individual shrimp, I use U8s or U10s—also sold as “colossal.”

Head on or head off? In much of the world, people grill whole shrimp (that is with heads on). I’m down with that. Head on shrimp look cool and there’s a lot of flavor in the head. To paraphrase how Louisianans eat crawfish: suck the heads and pinch the tails.

Shell on or shell off? Both. I like grilling shrimp in the shell. Fire-charred shells add flavor and keep the meat moist. I like grilling peeled shrimp because they’re quicker and easier to eat. There’s time and occasion for both.

Tails on or off? Toss up here. A lot of restaurants leave the tails on (perhaps to remind you that the creature you’re about to heat once swam in the ocean). That fire charred tail adds a bit of flavor. But it also adds another step come time to eat the shrimp, so you can omit it with a clean conscience.

Should shrimp be deveined? Large ones yes. A visible black vein in a cooked shrimp is unsightly and can taste acrid. With smaller shrimp (or shrimp with no visible vein), I don’t bother peeling. Unless my wife is watching. Then I always peel shrimp.

How to Devein Shrimp (3 Easy Methods)

Tip: There are three ways to devein shrimp.

1. Get yourself a shrimp peeler and deveiner. Insert the deveiner in the fat end of the shrimp and push. Vein removed QED.
2. Butterfly the shrimp, that is make a V-shaped cut along the back of the shrimp to cut out the vein and flesh immediately surrounding it. Advantage of this method: the shrimp curls into an attractive butterfly shape as it cooks.
3. The lazy way to devein a peeled shrimp: Insert the tine of a fork in the rounded part of the back under the vein and gently lift. Most of the time, the vein will pull right out.

How to Grill Shrimp

In a nutshell, direct grilled over high heat. I grill small shrimp kebab style (threaded on a bamboo or metal skewer). The skewer should pass through the head end and tail end so each shrimp lays flat on the grate. For the real monsters, I split them in half through the belly side, butterfly them open, and grill them as I would lobster.

Our 5 Favorite Shrimp Recipes

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It’s an article of faith, not to say dogma, that the proper way to cook brisket is low in slow—that is at a low heat for a very loooooooooong time—a half day or more for a full packer brisket. You need that slow, gentle heat to melt the collagen and make the meat tender without drying it out.

Yes, there are hot and fast briskets that cook in a few hours. Our test kitchen director made one that ranks pretty high on the deliciousness scale.

But what if I told you there’s a brisket dish you can cook in 2 minutes—I repeat 2 MINUTES—directly over a screaming hot fire. You’d think I was crazy.

The Secret to Cooking Brisket in Just Two Minutes

Or so I believed until I visited Baekjeong KBBQ restaurant in the heart of New York’s Koreatown. Here the chef slices frozen brisket points across the grain on a meat slicer. The slices come out so paper-thin, the meat cooks in a matter of minutes. It simply doesn’t have time or heft to get tough. You could think of this direct grilled brisket as steak on steroids, with a rich meaty beefy flavor every bit as intense as slow-cooked brisket, but as easy to chew as filet mignon.

The brisket itself comes unseasoned. The fireworks come from a table-burying selection of sauces and condiments collectively known as panchan. Like so much Korean grilled meat, you eat grilled brisket taco-style: wrapped in lettuce leaves. Think of it as barbecue health food.

The easiest way to slice the meat for this extraordinary brisket is on an electric meat slicer. Serious carnivores may own one already. I’ve come up with a work-around using a food processor. In a pinch, you could try hand slicing. Either way, place the brisket in the freezer until softly frozen. You don’t want it hard as a rock. If you happen to live in an area with a large Korean community, you may be able to buy the brisket pre-sliced.

Here, then, is a brisket dish most of us would never dream possible. Two minute brisket. Really! One bite of the luscious, seared, sizzling smoky beef will make you a believer.

Recipe: Two Minute Korean Brisket

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Photo by Rob Baas.

Updated for 2025

What Makes Jamaican Jerk So Fiery?

As anyone who has eaten real-deal Jamaican jerk can tell you, it hurts. Smoke gets in your eyes and Scotch bonnet chiles scorch your gullet.

“You need to sweat while you’re eating jerk,” says my friend, Gary Feblowitz (we met on the set of Project Smoke).

An Emmy award-winning videographer (you’ve seen his work on the Discovery Channel and PBS), Feblowitz is one of jerk’s most zealous evangelists. The license plate on his SUV reads “JRKMSTR.” (I’m guessing that would play well in Kingston, but might be misinterpreted in Gary’s home state of Minnesota.)

The Story Behind Authentic Jerk Ingredients

Gary’s jerk epiphany occurred when a vacation to Jamaica was extended two weeks by a medical emergency that prohibited air travel. He knew the key to authentic jerk was the pimento (allspice) tree—its fruit (allspice berries), leaves, and especially, its fragrant wood. He wanted to import these ingredients into the U.S., but the Jamaican government had banned pimento exports in the early 1900s after demand for the dense, beautiful wood nearly wiped out the supply. (At the time, it was popular for umbrella handles.) Gary proposed to use only trim or felled trees and plant three for every one he imported. The Jamaican officials agreed.

Gary Feblowitz (left), owner of Exotic Wood Chips, LLC, with Steven Raichlen on the set of Project Smoke. In addition to being a jerkmaster, Gary is an Emmy award-winning videographer. Photo by Rob Baas.

Like North American barbecue, Jamaican jerk is simultaneously a dish, a cooking method, and a way of life—a noun and a verb.

Historically, jerk is associated with the Maroons, runaway slaves who settled in the mountains when the British defeated their Spanish owners in 1655. The Maroons hunted wild boar, which they rubbed with a fiery paste of salt, spices, onions, ginger, and chiles, and cooked it slowly over smoldering pimento or laurel wood fires in earthen pits. The method tenderized and preserved the meat, and more importantly, produced little smoke, which would have given away their positions. (Cuba’s lechon asado and Hawaii’s kālua pig are similar.)

Modern Jamaican Jerk: Methods and Proteins

Today, Jamaica’s “jerkmen” are more likely to cook in modified steel drums or shallow trough-like grills covered with sheets of corrugated tin. Once you master the basics, you can jerk almost any protein on your gas or charcoal grill or smoker. Chicken and pork are the most popular meats, but I’ve also encountered jerk snapper, lobster, shrimp, and even tofu. Gary confided one of his favorite preparations is jerk brisket. We can’t wait to try that!

Key Ingredients in Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Most jerk ingredients are available at any supermarket.

• Scotch bonnet chile: One of the world’s most fiery chiles (100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units), with a sweet heat that blooms in the mouth rather than bludgeons. But still approach with caution. For less heat, seed the peppers. If you cannot find Scotch bonnets, substitute habaneros. Wear gloves when handling.
• Pimento wood: This fragrant tropical tree is one of the defining flavors of jerk. To be strictly authentic, cook the food on a grate of pimento wood sticks and generate smoke with pimento wood chips. Because it is so dense, the sticks can be reused if you work over a low fire.
• Pimento berries and leaves: Pimento berries—also called allspice—are available in the spice aisle of most supermarkets. Be sure to buy whole berries, not ground allspice. Gary (see website above) usually carries dried pimento leaves. If they are unavailable, substitute bay leaves.

Get The Recipes

Cooking Tips for Authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Use fresh ingredients whenever possible: Fresh scallions, thyme, and Scotch bonnet peppers make a huge difference in flavor compared to dried or bottled substitutes.

Marinate overnight: Let your chicken soak in the jerk marinade for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, to deeply infuse those bold, spicy flavors.

Get your grill ready for indirect heat: Jamaican jerk is traditionally cooked low and slow over indirect heat, often with pimento wood smoke if you can find it. This helps develop that smoky crust without burning the spices.

Don’t rush the cooking: Keep the grill temperature around 275-300°F (135-150°C) and cook the chicken slowly. This locks in moisture and allows the spices to caramelize nicely.

Use a meat thermometer: Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for safe, juicy results.

Add smoke for extra flavor: If you have a smoker or pellet grill, adding a bit of wood smoke (hickory, apple, or preferably pimento wood) enhances that authentic jerk aroma.

Baste occasionally: Spoon or brush reserved marinade or a bit of oil on the chicken during cooking to keep it moist and flavorful.

Rest before serving: Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes after cooking. This helps the juices redistribute for a tender bite.

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Do you love Bacon? Do you love Beef Jerky? Have you ever heard of Bacon Jerky? Recently, I tried something a little different for a Grilled BLT Salad — swapping traditional bacon for uncured bacon jerky!

The jerky came from JerkyBrands.com, an online store that offers a huge selection of jerky, including something rare like bacon jerky. I used a Smoked Applewood flavoring. But there are many others, like Old Fashioned Maple, Sriracha, and BBQ.

Why Bacon Jerky?

Bacon jerky isn’t your everyday snack. It’s not something you come across in your local grocery store very often. Unlike traditional bacon strips, bacon jerky is cured and dried like regular jerky, delivering an intense smoky flavor and chewy texture that’s perfect replacement for bacon on a BLT Salad.  But why replace bacon at all?  Because it’s fun and different.

For barbecue enthusiasts and jerky fans, bacon jerky is a unique twist that adds extra depth to dishes. The smoked applewood flavor I used brought a rich, sweet-smoky profile to the salad, complementing the fresh greens and ripe tomatoes perfectly.

Finding Great Jerky Online

If you have driven between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, you might know the famous Alien Jerky place off the 15 Freeway — a mecca for jerky lovers with its massive selection. There is also Buc-ees’s, a Texas staple. But outside of driving on the highway going on a special trip, it’s rare to find a store with as wide a range of jerky.

JerkyBrands.com caught my attention because of its huge variety — from classic beef jerky to exotic flavors, and yes, even bacon jerky. Shopping for jerky online means you get access to hard-to-find jerky.

How I Made the Grilled BLT Salad

I followed Steven’s Grilled BLT Salad recipe but with one key upgrade: instead of frying bacon, I added chunks of the smoked applewood uncured bacon jerky right on top. The jerky’s chewy, sweet and smoky goodness worked perfectly with the grilled lettuce, fresh heirloom tomatoes right from our garden, and creamy dressing.

Another option is to GRILL the bacon jerky. Steven always says that everything tastes better, grilled, and the bacon jerky did not disappoint. The sugar on the jerky caramelized and gave the jerky a nice crunch.

If you’re curious to try something different with your next grilled salad or just a snack, bacon jerky is a tasty way to add smoky flavor and texture. Thanks to JerkyBrands.com, it’s easier than ever to find unique jerky varieties like bacon jerky. Give it a try and see how a little jerky twist can change it up.

Related Reads

• • A Unique Twist on the Classic BLT Sandwich
  • Greens, Meet Grill: Grilled Salads

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The Surprising Technique of Smoking on the Griddle

Every once in a while, a cooking technique comes along that sounds so improbable, you’d never think to try it.

But that turns out to be so essential, you’ll wish you had thought of it earlier.

I speak of smoking on the griddle.  Aka barbecue on the griddle.   Aka an impossibility.  Only it’s not only possible.   It’s impossibly cool.

Why I’m Obsessed with Griddling Lately

If I seem obsessed by griddling lately, it’s because I just published a new book called Project Griddle.   No, I haven’t given up grilling—that will never happen.   But I have added several outdoor griddles to my grill collection at home and I use them to turn out some amazing food.

Why bother with outdoor griddles?   Well, there are certain foods you just can’t cook on a grill.   The short list includes pancakes, eggs, fried-rice, A5 wagyu steaks, and delicate fish.   More on those in a previous blog.   You can even use a griddle to cook steaks, chops, and kebabs.

But unlike a grill, the one thing a griddle can’t do is smoke.   As in smoking to make barbecue.   Or can it?   While writing Project Griddle, I came up with a revolutionary technique, for it turns out you CAN smoke on a griddle.   Not just one way, but two.

Smoke Griddling Method #1: Charcoal Grill with Cast Iron Griddle

I developed this technique during my first ventures with griddling on a charcoal grill.   I spread the coals in an even layer.   I set my portable cast iron griddle on the grate and heated it.   To check when it was ready, I sprinkled a few drops of water on the griddle—when they evaporated in 2 to 3 seconds, the griddle was sufficiently hot.    

Next, I added handfuls of hardwood chips (or a couple wood chunks) on the charcoal at the edge of the grill.   When I saw smoke, I placed the food—shrimp in this case—on the griddle.   I kept the grill lid closed to hold in the smoke.   My smoke-griddled shrimp were amazing, and so were the pork tenderloins, chicken breasts, and salmon steaks I griddled subsequently. 

No one was more surprised than I was.

Smoke Griddling Method #2: Smoking Directly on the Griddle Surface

Even more surprising was Smoke griddling method #2.   In this method, you smoke right on the griddle itself.

I was trying to make a griddled version of barbecued chicken with Alabama white sauce.   I heated one zone of the griddle to high and one zone to medium.   I mounded a handful of hardwood chips (you can also use hardwood sawdust or pellets) directly on the griddle over the hot zone.   When the chips started to smoke, I slid the wood to the medium zone and place the chicken next to it.   Then I placed a griddle dome on top.   I griddled the chicken covered, while wood smoke swirled all around it.   And damn if it didn’t taste like barbecued chicken I’d smoke on the grill. 

So before you dismiss outdoor griddles as being inferior to grills or smokers, try smoking on your flattop.

Related Blogs

• Steven Raichlen’s Project Griddle: Beyond Barbecue
• Peppered Pineapple on the Griddle or Grill: A Bold Twist on Dessert
• The Ultimate Memorial Day Menu (and yes, you can use your griddle)

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