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Charred & Scruffed
“The best grilling book on the market.”
— GQ
With Charred & Scruffed , bestselling cookbook author and acclaimed chef Adam Perry Lang employs his extensive culinary background to refine and concentrate the flavors and textures of barbecue and reimagine its possibilities.
Adam's new techniques, from roughing up meat and vegetables ("scruffing") to cooking directly on hot coals ("clinching") to constantly turning and moving the meat while cooking ("hot potato"), produce crust formation and layers of flavor, while his board dressings and finishing salts build upon delicious meat juices, and his "fork finishers"—like cranberry, hatch chile, and mango "spackles"—provide an intensely flavorful, concentrated end note.
Meanwhile, side dishes such as Creamed Spinach with Steeped and Smoked Garlic Confit, Scruffed Carbonara Potatoes, and Charred Radicchio with Sweet-and-Sticky Balsamic and Bacon, far from afterthoughts, provide exciting contrast and synergy with the "mains."
— GQ
With Charred & Scruffed , bestselling cookbook author and acclaimed chef Adam Perry Lang employs his extensive culinary background to refine and concentrate the flavors and textures of barbecue and reimagine its possibilities.
Adam's new techniques, from roughing up meat and vegetables ("scruffing") to cooking directly on hot coals ("clinching") to constantly turning and moving the meat while cooking ("hot potato"), produce crust formation and layers of flavor, while his board dressings and finishing salts build upon delicious meat juices, and his "fork finishers"—like cranberry, hatch chile, and mango "spackles"—provide an intensely flavorful, concentrated end note.
Meanwhile, side dishes such as Creamed Spinach with Steeped and Smoked Garlic Confit, Scruffed Carbonara Potatoes, and Charred Radicchio with Sweet-and-Sticky Balsamic and Bacon, far from afterthoughts, provide exciting contrast and synergy with the "mains."
280 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2012
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110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 23, 2012
“People love barbeque. The combination of fire, smoke, salt, and meat is probably the first recipe that humans ever discovered. Even vegetarians are programmed to love meat prepared this way: they choose not to eat it, which just leaves more for the rest of us.” (Forward, page IX)
It quickly becomes clear Charred & Scruffed: Bold new techniques for explosive flavor on and off the grill is not a normal cookbook. This is as 280 page cookbook with serious attitude. Adam Perry Lang does barbequing and grilling quite a bit differently than the way most of us gave been taught through family traditions. If the forward written by his coauthor Peter Kaminsky does not make that clear, Adam Perry Lang does in the introduction when he states he actively moves the meat and checks it constantly while cooking. That is totally opposite to long standing belief that when cooking meat on a grill you just have it leave it alone. As the rest of the book will make clear that isn’t the only change he makes.
Before getting to the actual recipes, various different ideas are explained in “Part 1: The Theory and Practice of Barbeque.” This section goes from page 2 to page 27 and covers various topics such as his preferred four seasonings (salt, black pepper, garlic salt, and cayenne), scuffing the meat so that the taste fills the nooks and crannies better, basting, layering flavor, working the heat correctly, and other points of interest. Along with the informative text there are plenty of pictures of food and Adam Perry Lang in action using his techniques.
Recipes begin with “Part II: Meat, Fish, and Fowl” on page 28. He opens with “classics” as he defines them such as “Man Steak With Thyme Zinfandel Salt” on pages 34-39. Along with the recipe and detailed instructions (with pictures) of the cooking process, there are tips and pictures of how to clean the grill while cooking so that the meat is properly cooked. This is done while the meat is on a “pause break” resting away from the grill after the crust has formed on the outside of the meat. In addition to this recipe there are six other detailed recipes here in the “classics” part of part II.
“High and Slow” comes next starting on page 50 and throws the age old mantra of “low and slow” away. Instead, he believes the way to do it is build the fire, cook the meat high and away from the heat sources, and then right at the end, drop the meat close to the fire to finish it off while basting frequently. This part contains six detailed recipes such as “High-Low Boneless Rib Eye” (pages 62-65) and “Thick Pork Chops Guaranteed Juicy” (pages 76-79) among others.
The opposite idea of high and slow is getting the meat right down in the flames and that is the point of “Clinching: Down and Dirty.” This starts on page 84 with an explanation of the technique involved before moving on to such recipes as “Clinched Strip Steak” (pages 92-97) and “Clinched Boneless Pork Chops” (page 100-101) among others. By doing it this way, you form the charred crust around the meat quickly and lock in the flavor while continuing to cook the meat as close to flame as possible.
Those five recipes have company in the eight recipe “Clinched And Planked” area which immediately follows. This is when you place the item to be cooked, after it has a crust, on a presoaked plank of wood and keep it covered. This gives the item being cooked a uniform temperature while also creating flavorful smoky steam to surround the food. “Clinched-And-Planked Shrimp (pages 110-113), “Clinched-And-Planked Chicken Legs” (pages 124-127) and “Clinched-And-Planked Fish Steaks” (pages 130-131) are just some of the choices here.
Side dishes are just as important as the main part and are covered in “Part III: Co-Stars.” This part runs from page 132 to page 205 and features various subsections use designed to give you the perfect side dish to accompany the meal. Variety is key here as these recipes are broken down into different parts based primarily on the taste they create in your mouth.
This begins with “Melting, Creamy, and Comfortable” area that features ten dishes that “….calm down the strength of barbeque without getting in the way of flavor.” (Page 134) Here is where you go for “Mushrooms In Parsley Cream” (pages 138-139), “Bubbling Bacon Butter Beans” (pages 142-143) or “Melting Potatoes” (pages 150-151) among others.
“Crispy, Fresh, And Sprightly” comes next. This area features sides that will crunch when you bite into them giving you a crisp flavor in contrast to the meat. “Green Apple, Cabbage And Caraway Slaw” (pages 162-163) kick off the seven salad type recipes here. No grilling is involved with these.
Leafy Vegetables are the focus of the next area “Leaves, Lettuces and Greens.” 7 recipes starting with “Charred Radicchio with Sweet-And-Sticky Balsamic and Bacon” (pages 178-181) and ending with “Warm Crunchy Broccolini With Prosciutto and Scruffed Croutons” (pages 192-193 are here.
Maybe you are in the mood for French Fries or onion rings. “Duck-Fat Fries” (page 198) and “Crispy Moonshine Onion Rings” (page 200-201) are here in the next area titled “Crispy Bits.” Three other recipes are also present in this area.
That leads readers to “Part IV: Finishing” starting on page 206. This is where you learn to finish the dish by way of several different options. The author opens with “Spackles” which are designed to wake up the taste buds so that you don’t just taste the barbecue smoke. “These spackles are a finishing touch, a powerful uppercut that jolts the senses.” (Page 208) This is where you go for “Red Pepper Spackle” (page 212-213), “Tomato Sparkle” (pages 218-219) and five others.
“Bastes” come next and “. . . are based on combinations of sweet, sour, salty, and hot.” (page 226) You can go with a “Basic Baste” (page 230), or a “Classic Southern Baste” (page 234) or “BBQ Sauce” (page 237) among other choices. There are a total of ten bastes here with very different tastes so you have variety to pick and choose from.
Using salt as a flavor enhancer correctly comes next starting on page 240 with “Finishing Salts.” There are 8 suggestions here such as “Thyme, Rosemary and Sage Salt” (page 244), “Lime Coriander Salt” (pages 248-249) and “Charcoal Salt” (pages 253-256). For the “Charcoal Salt” you will need “a lump of good-quality hardwood lump charcoal, briefly rinsed and dried” that you can grate onto other ingredients before running the whole deal through a clean spice or coffee grinder.
The book closes with a one page “sources” listing, a one page “Conversion Charts” and an eight page index. Unfortunately, there is no nutritional information in the cook book beyond number of servings. Therefore there is no information on fats, calories, etc., regarding any of these dishes.
This cookbook is perfect for barbeque enthusiasts and those who want to learn how to grill correctly and effectively. Not only does it teach you various cooking strategies it also provides considerable variety in dishes. Whether you want to feed a small gathering of friends and family or you want to entertain on a large scale there is something in this very well done cookbook for you.
Charred & Scruffed: Bold new techniques for explosive flavor on and off the grill
Adam Perry Lang
http://www.adamperrylang.com
With Peter Kaminsky
Artisan (division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc.)
http://www.artisanbooks.com
May 2012
ISBN# 978-1-57965-465-8
Paperback
280 Pages
$24.95
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Apartment tenant policies set by our apartment management team prevented this reviewer from attempting any of these dishes. Grills of any type or size using any fuel source are banned from the property due to structure fires at this property and elsewhere directly caused by tenants failing to monitor their grills. Possession of a grill is a fineable offense that can also result in forfeiture of said lease and eviction. That fact makes any outdoor cooking impossible.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2012
Author of the e-book short story collection Mind Slices available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords in a variety of formats.
Contributor to the Carpathian Shadows, Volume II anthology available in print and e-book.
Book Reviews and More http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
It quickly becomes clear Charred & Scruffed: Bold new techniques for explosive flavor on and off the grill is not a normal cookbook. This is as 280 page cookbook with serious attitude. Adam Perry Lang does barbequing and grilling quite a bit differently than the way most of us gave been taught through family traditions. If the forward written by his coauthor Peter Kaminsky does not make that clear, Adam Perry Lang does in the introduction when he states he actively moves the meat and checks it constantly while cooking. That is totally opposite to long standing belief that when cooking meat on a grill you just have it leave it alone. As the rest of the book will make clear that isn’t the only change he makes.
Before getting to the actual recipes, various different ideas are explained in “Part 1: The Theory and Practice of Barbeque.” This section goes from page 2 to page 27 and covers various topics such as his preferred four seasonings (salt, black pepper, garlic salt, and cayenne), scuffing the meat so that the taste fills the nooks and crannies better, basting, layering flavor, working the heat correctly, and other points of interest. Along with the informative text there are plenty of pictures of food and Adam Perry Lang in action using his techniques.
Recipes begin with “Part II: Meat, Fish, and Fowl” on page 28. He opens with “classics” as he defines them such as “Man Steak With Thyme Zinfandel Salt” on pages 34-39. Along with the recipe and detailed instructions (with pictures) of the cooking process, there are tips and pictures of how to clean the grill while cooking so that the meat is properly cooked. This is done while the meat is on a “pause break” resting away from the grill after the crust has formed on the outside of the meat. In addition to this recipe there are six other detailed recipes here in the “classics” part of part II.
“High and Slow” comes next starting on page 50 and throws the age old mantra of “low and slow” away. Instead, he believes the way to do it is build the fire, cook the meat high and away from the heat sources, and then right at the end, drop the meat close to the fire to finish it off while basting frequently. This part contains six detailed recipes such as “High-Low Boneless Rib Eye” (pages 62-65) and “Thick Pork Chops Guaranteed Juicy” (pages 76-79) among others.
The opposite idea of high and slow is getting the meat right down in the flames and that is the point of “Clinching: Down and Dirty.” This starts on page 84 with an explanation of the technique involved before moving on to such recipes as “Clinched Strip Steak” (pages 92-97) and “Clinched Boneless Pork Chops” (page 100-101) among others. By doing it this way, you form the charred crust around the meat quickly and lock in the flavor while continuing to cook the meat as close to flame as possible.
Those five recipes have company in the eight recipe “Clinched And Planked” area which immediately follows. This is when you place the item to be cooked, after it has a crust, on a presoaked plank of wood and keep it covered. This gives the item being cooked a uniform temperature while also creating flavorful smoky steam to surround the food. “Clinched-And-Planked Shrimp (pages 110-113), “Clinched-And-Planked Chicken Legs” (pages 124-127) and “Clinched-And-Planked Fish Steaks” (pages 130-131) are just some of the choices here.
Side dishes are just as important as the main part and are covered in “Part III: Co-Stars.” This part runs from page 132 to page 205 and features various subsections use designed to give you the perfect side dish to accompany the meal. Variety is key here as these recipes are broken down into different parts based primarily on the taste they create in your mouth.
This begins with “Melting, Creamy, and Comfortable” area that features ten dishes that “….calm down the strength of barbeque without getting in the way of flavor.” (Page 134) Here is where you go for “Mushrooms In Parsley Cream” (pages 138-139), “Bubbling Bacon Butter Beans” (pages 142-143) or “Melting Potatoes” (pages 150-151) among others.
“Crispy, Fresh, And Sprightly” comes next. This area features sides that will crunch when you bite into them giving you a crisp flavor in contrast to the meat. “Green Apple, Cabbage And Caraway Slaw” (pages 162-163) kick off the seven salad type recipes here. No grilling is involved with these.
Leafy Vegetables are the focus of the next area “Leaves, Lettuces and Greens.” 7 recipes starting with “Charred Radicchio with Sweet-And-Sticky Balsamic and Bacon” (pages 178-181) and ending with “Warm Crunchy Broccolini With Prosciutto and Scruffed Croutons” (pages 192-193 are here.
Maybe you are in the mood for French Fries or onion rings. “Duck-Fat Fries” (page 198) and “Crispy Moonshine Onion Rings” (page 200-201) are here in the next area titled “Crispy Bits.” Three other recipes are also present in this area.
That leads readers to “Part IV: Finishing” starting on page 206. This is where you learn to finish the dish by way of several different options. The author opens with “Spackles” which are designed to wake up the taste buds so that you don’t just taste the barbecue smoke. “These spackles are a finishing touch, a powerful uppercut that jolts the senses.” (Page 208) This is where you go for “Red Pepper Spackle” (page 212-213), “Tomato Sparkle” (pages 218-219) and five others.
“Bastes” come next and “. . . are based on combinations of sweet, sour, salty, and hot.” (page 226) You can go with a “Basic Baste” (page 230), or a “Classic Southern Baste” (page 234) or “BBQ Sauce” (page 237) among other choices. There are a total of ten bastes here with very different tastes so you have variety to pick and choose from.
Using salt as a flavor enhancer correctly comes next starting on page 240 with “Finishing Salts.” There are 8 suggestions here such as “Thyme, Rosemary and Sage Salt” (page 244), “Lime Coriander Salt” (pages 248-249) and “Charcoal Salt” (pages 253-256). For the “Charcoal Salt” you will need “a lump of good-quality hardwood lump charcoal, briefly rinsed and dried” that you can grate onto other ingredients before running the whole deal through a clean spice or coffee grinder.
The book closes with a one page “sources” listing, a one page “Conversion Charts” and an eight page index. Unfortunately, there is no nutritional information in the cook book beyond number of servings. Therefore there is no information on fats, calories, etc., regarding any of these dishes.
This cookbook is perfect for barbeque enthusiasts and those who want to learn how to grill correctly and effectively. Not only does it teach you various cooking strategies it also provides considerable variety in dishes. Whether you want to feed a small gathering of friends and family or you want to entertain on a large scale there is something in this very well done cookbook for you.
Charred & Scruffed: Bold new techniques for explosive flavor on and off the grill
Adam Perry Lang
http://www.adamperrylang.com
With Peter Kaminsky
Artisan (division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc.)
http://www.artisanbooks.com
May 2012
ISBN# 978-1-57965-465-8
Paperback
280 Pages
$24.95
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Apartment tenant policies set by our apartment management team prevented this reviewer from attempting any of these dishes. Grills of any type or size using any fuel source are banned from the property due to structure fires at this property and elsewhere directly caused by tenants failing to monitor their grills. Possession of a grill is a fineable offense that can also result in forfeiture of said lease and eviction. That fact makes any outdoor cooking impossible.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2012
Author of the e-book short story collection Mind Slices available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords in a variety of formats.
Contributor to the Carpathian Shadows, Volume II anthology available in print and e-book.
Book Reviews and More http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
August 13, 2012
Phenomenal grilling and non-grilling recipes. The explanationsf ofthe phrase "charred and scruffed" are worth reading alone, even if you don't eat meat. I will never cook potatoes the same way again. Also this book makes me want to make my own salt. Ashy, smoky, salty tinges. The final thing worth remembering, use a wooden spoon wrapped with fresh herbs to baste your meat. The serve your herby paintbrush with your meal as a chopped treat. Beautiful, process-based, and tantalizing. Recommended for anybody who just grilled all summer and wonders what else there is to do. I will never buy a gas-powered grill because of this book. I just gotta try cooking meat directly on charred wood.
June 6, 2012
beautifully photographed book, i like his no nonsense approach to grilling, i want a MAN steak, i dont even know what it is or how to ask my butcher for it but im gonna find it and then im gonna grill the ever lovin shit out of it! also cannot wait to make his UKBB or his bubbling butter beans or the thyme lemon salt or well mostly i just love my new grill and i love this guys laissez faire approach to grilling, go weber!
September 13, 2012
This book continues Adam Perry Lang's "assault" on traditional barbecue. Instead of rehashing yet another standard brisket recipe, he embarks on new techniques and flavor profiles. His background working at La Cirque and with Daniel Boulud, comes through in his approach, both conceptually and technically.
December 28, 2017
Finally, a new look and approach to grilling. most grilling books are a rehash of the same old slow roasting approaches and BBQ spices. Charred and Scruffed takes a fresh new approach and turns out meats that are amazing.
May 24, 2018
Ok I don’t usually review cookbooks but this really demonstrates some new techniques. I highly recommend trying his board sauces. Simple
December 10, 2020
Best grilling cookbook in my most humble opinion!
May 31, 2020
Interesting approach to grilling and very much some alternative techniques. I'm not sure how many of the recipes I'm going to use but there are some techniques here which are keepers.
December 12, 2018
A great read. Very contrarian vis a vis grilling orthodoxy.
The 'Hot Potato' technique makes sense when you think about how the heat moves through the material. So keeping both top and bottom hot will balance heat conduction to the interior. As far as the 'Clinched' technique, I have not had the courage to throw an expensive cut of meat directly on the coals so I may not try this.
Also Scruffing makes sense to me. However the flavour layering is a bit more controversial for me. The 'charred crust' does not seem to be a hospitable residence for aromatic oils.
Finally the resting of meats between sessions on the grill seems at odds with the 'Hot Potato' method. I think resting is more suited to thicker cuts of meat so that the interior has time to warm up, since heat conduction in the interior is slower than the the grilling fire burning the exterior.
Finally his sides are very nice. I also believe in flavoured salts and adding finishing flavours at the end of grilling.
The 'Hot Potato' technique makes sense when you think about how the heat moves through the material. So keeping both top and bottom hot will balance heat conduction to the interior. As far as the 'Clinched' technique, I have not had the courage to throw an expensive cut of meat directly on the coals so I may not try this.
Also Scruffing makes sense to me. However the flavour layering is a bit more controversial for me. The 'charred crust' does not seem to be a hospitable residence for aromatic oils.
Finally the resting of meats between sessions on the grill seems at odds with the 'Hot Potato' method. I think resting is more suited to thicker cuts of meat so that the interior has time to warm up, since heat conduction in the interior is slower than the the grilling fire burning the exterior.
Finally his sides are very nice. I also believe in flavoured salts and adding finishing flavours at the end of grilling.
August 29, 2012
Game Changer!!! Genius. Impressive!! A must have!
Soooooo creative & Adventurous
Michalin Star Chef who gets "wild" with his cooking. if this doesn't get the James Beard award I will be shocked.
presented in an Alton Brown manner
Here is an exerpt from the publisher's description."Adam's new techniques, from roughing up meat and vegetables ("scruffing") to cooking directly on hot coals ("clinching") to constantly turning and moving the meat while cooking ("hot potato"), produce crust formation and layers of flavor"
Quote I totally agree with,
“Adam Perry Lang is the Yoda of grilling. This is his third book on the subject and his most in-depth yet.”
–The Daily
Soooooo creative & Adventurous
Michalin Star Chef who gets "wild" with his cooking. if this doesn't get the James Beard award I will be shocked.
presented in an Alton Brown manner
Here is an exerpt from the publisher's description."Adam's new techniques, from roughing up meat and vegetables ("scruffing") to cooking directly on hot coals ("clinching") to constantly turning and moving the meat while cooking ("hot potato"), produce crust formation and layers of flavor"
Quote I totally agree with,
“Adam Perry Lang is the Yoda of grilling. This is his third book on the subject and his most in-depth yet.”
–The Daily
September 30, 2012
Disappointing. If you are going to describe new techniques spend a lot more time on the techniques, and the science underlying. I found the herb brush a gimmick.
The worst sin is that the physical construction of the book is cheap. Not worth $25 cover price.
The worst sin is that the physical construction of the book is cheap. Not worth $25 cover price.
July 9, 2015
Four stars only because I've not had opportunity to try any of Lang's methods or recipes. He really goes to the edges of bbq and cooking with fire in this work, exploring all types of new methods of teasing out flavors. Intimidating, but challenging.
June 25, 2012
An interesting take on grilling, with some great recipes.
August 12, 2014
When I grow up, this is who I want to be. Meat. Flavor, and how to maximize it. Outstanding!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews