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There's no question that grilling is widely recognized as the traditional all-American cooking method. Yet, today, this well-known and loved method has grown up and gone global as today's grilled meats are being infused with diverse flavors from America's melting pot of ethnic populations. The nation's top chefs are leading the way in this pursuit by paying tribute to world flavors, ingredients and cooking techniques.

Grilling Takes On Global Flavors
Everyday patio pitmasters are right in sync with our country's chefs in following this trend. A recent survey from the National Pork Board found that nine out of 10 Americans are interested in experimenting with flavors - using an array of seasonings and marinades. Of the more than 66 million Americans who plan to grill this summer, 98 percent will introduce bold, new ethnic flavors to their patio palates. In fact, eight out of 10 Americans will combine these flavors with the world's most widely consumed meat: pork.

"Pork is a perfect partner to pair with bold and ethnic spices, herbs and marinades because of its versatility and ability to 'jazz up' the flavor when grilled," says Jeff Hartz, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Pork Information Bureau of the National Pork Board. "Whether it's pork chops flavored with a simple Southwestern marinade or a slow-cooked pork roast coated with a Jamaican jerk spice rub, pork is an ideal choice when seeking fun with flavor this grilling season."

Grilling with Pork Goes Global
With exotic spices, condiments and techniques now more readily available in the U.S., American grill masters are turning up the heat by grilling pork using flavors inspired by such faraway places as South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean.

Steven Raichlen, multi-award winning author and host of "Barbecue University of TV," is no stranger to the ethnic flavors and traditions of global grilling. His best-selling Barbecue Bible cookbook series and prestigious Barbecue University have virtually reinvented American barbecue.

"As the world gets smaller through travel and communication advances, Americans are getting more curious about combining foreign flavors with traditional American foods," says Raichlen. "And, the grill is the perfect place to start experimenting. Grilling is the cooking method that brings out the best in bold flavors from around the world." Raichlen also points out that home cooks can learn from the country's top chefs and, of course, through cooking traditions found in their own regional and ethnic background. The following culinary experts on global flavors - from faraway lands of North Africa to Thailand to the Caribbean - offer their takes on adding global gusto to the grill.

• Thailand Barbecue
  Su-Mei Yu is the chef and owner of Saffron, a popular Thai restaurant in San Diego. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed book Asian Grilling, released in 2002, which was inspired by the time-honored tradition of grilling in Thailand.
  
  According to Yu, the basic seasonings used in Asia for grilling meat are ginger, salt, white pepper and garlic, ingredients that are readily available in American supermarkets everywhere. Her Asian Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple combines ginger, soy, cumin and grilled pineapple with pork tenderloin for a tangy and elegant summer dish.
  
  "Grilling is one of the most popular ways of cooking in Thailand, mainly because of the marvelous, smoky flavor that it adds to meat, such as pork," says Yu. "Unlike Western grilling, we don't use big pieces of meat. Instead, in Thailand we prefer to segment meat into bite-size pieces, which we can cook quickly."
  
  Yu says the other main difference between the two grilling styles is that, in Asia, people tend to marinate their meat more than in America. "We also like fruity flavor for marinating and dressing our meat," says Yu. "Pork is wonderful with a marinade of orange or apple juice. Just add ginger, salt and pepper. The natural sugars from the fruit also give the meat a nice golden color."

• Africa Barbecue
  Bruce Aidells, nationally recognized meat expert and author of Bruce Aidells' Complete Book of Pork: A Guide to Buying, Storing and Cooking the World's Favorite Meat scheduled for release this fall, is a chef who is a connoisseur of North African cuisine. According to Aidells, spices form the basis of North African recipes and often include turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger and saffron. His Grilled North African Marinated Pork Kebabs on Couscous with Apricot Sauce is prepared by marinating small pieces of pork tenderloin, threading on skewers and grilling over coals for 8-12 minutes while turning frequently.
  
  "Cooking with African flavors isn't as daunting as one would think," says Aidells. "And, Americans are sure to love the blend of olive oil and lemon flavors widely used in many North African dishes."



• Caribbean Barbecue
  Cindy Hutson is a self-taught chef and owner of Ortanique in Miami's upscale neighborhood of Coral Gables. Through her travels to Jamaica, Hutson developed her
  own unique style of Caribbean cooking, which she refers to as "edible art," or a "Cuisine of the Sun." Hutson loves to share her secrets on preparing Jamaica's signature jerk seasoning, which pairs perfectly with pork tenderloin, chops or roast. Try her Jerked Pork Tenderloin with Guava-Rum Glaze.
  
  Her spicy and smoky jerk seasoning is prepared with basic Caribbean ingredients, including allspice berries, parsley, green onions and one of the hottest chiles, scotch bonnet peppers. The seasoning is then rubbed directly onto the meat or blended with a liquid to create a marinade.
  
  "In Jamaica, we cook the jerk-seasoned pork by slow-cooking the meat in pits in the ground and then grilling over open flames with pimento wood," says Hutson. "Because pimento wood is not available in America, the grill provides a way for us to maintain the delicious jerk flavor."



• German Barbecue
  In addition to his African cooking expertise, Bruce Aidells holds a worldwide reputation as "Sausage King" and innovator in the gourmet sausage arena. Aidells' Grilled Bratwurst with Onions Braised in Beer and Mustard (recipe attached) uses German-inspired ingredients to prepare this savory sausage. His recipe combines the
  traditional German sausage, bratwurst, grilled over direct heat, with an onion and beer sauce. Aidells recommends smothering the bratwurst in an onion and beer sauce and serving on a kaiser roll.
  
  While sausage has its long-standing roots in Germany, Aidells finds it an excellent companion to flavors from other places, such as Italy, South America and India. So, in
  addition to making sausage interesting with German flavors, Aidells suggests other regional condiment favorites, including salsa verde, chimichurri, chutneys and curries.
  

More Web Sites of Interest:

Sausage Links - UK - Bangers - Recipes and More

Barbecue Recipes