Labor Day Steven Raichlen Primal Grill Streaming

[Michael_in_TX]

Hey all,

Steven Raichlen's older show, Primal Grill, is streaming all day today on Samsung TV Plus (channel 1206) and you can also watch it on Twitch at https://twitch.tv/hungry


Primal Grill aired in 2008, so it isn't as polished as the later shows Project Smoke and Project Fire. You'll also see some earlier stuff that has fallen out of use over time. For example, Steven really uses soaked wood chips in Primal Grill and you won't see instant-read thermometers anywhere.

Kinda fun to see how BBQ has evolved.

[Michael_in_TX]

(Wow, he was really into soaking things back in the day. I just saw him toss two soaked oak logs into an offset.)

[Jerod Broussard]

Dang!!! That's worse than me and the wood chunks on my very first cook. You wouldn't believe the flames shooting into the smoke box once the water evaporated.

[Sid P]

Until Meathead straightened him out he did all kinds of crazy stuff. I love him anyway.

[Reds Fan 5]

Soak wood, cross-hatch grill marks, done by time/feel…all hallmarks of early Raichlen. He has definitely evolved. His recipes, even the early ones, are excellent.

[Michael_in_TX]

I've had it on the background for a few hours now. I am a huge Steven Raichlen fan, but I don't think I can handle another poke test lol.

Was certainly a different time fourteen years ago.

Wild to consider that this is all pre-YouTube (nearly pre iPhone)....this is essentially all we had back then.

[STEbbq]

It is amazing that just about 15 years ago, one of the preeminent BBQ folks was basing his work on stuff that is decidedly not recommended today.

I don’t know enough about the history of cooking in general. However, I wonder if we can say the same for baking bread techniques in the last 15 years for example. It makes me wonder if BBQ evolution took part alongside a general refinement of technique across a variety of spaces or if BBQ was based on myths and poor science for longer than most.

Maybe our SheilaAnn can comment?

[SheilaAnn]

Honestly, I am not a big fan of watching SR. Can’t stand his voice and take off 90% of your bracelets please. 🤣🤣 that said, I was given his sauces/marinades book as a gift. A lot of fun things in there!

Plus I think that we have evolved as cooks/bakers because ingredients have evolved, as well as equipment. Think about it, pastry chefs have been churning about perfect baguettes for centuries without fancy thermometers, spray bottles, etc.

[SheilaAnn]

And Pitmasters have been smoking meat since God was a boy without temp control fire boards and Wi-Fi and all that. Heck, before coming here, I filled by big ole grill and counted on the breeze to smoke what ever I was working on for that meal.

[Michael_in_TX]

I'm really enjoying this.....I've been wanting to see episodes of Primal Grill for some time. They aren't available on MPT's website; only Project Smoke and Fire are.

I wonder if it isn't a rights thing, but that -- while the recipes are awesome -- the technique is dated in places. In fact, as I write this, we just had a "cook the chicken until the juices run clear" moment.

I have noticed one thing interesting. I recognize some of these recipes....they were redone in Project Smoke/Fire. I wonder if that was done to update the technique.

[bbqLuv]

I guess Hollywood BBQ streamer has a following,

[Michael_in_TX]

I really enjoyed this, as I have been wanting to see Primal Grill for a very long time.

They actually got all 39 episodes in, so I got to watch essentially most of the series. It tightens up as it goes along and the production quality takes a huge jump in season three, which was the first season to be shot in HD.

Yes, there were an uncomfortable number of poke tests and "until the juices run clear" moments, but that is just the era of the show. Primal Grill is actually really solid. Like many of Steven's shows, they often track one of his books. Primal Grill seems to draw heavily on Planet Barbecue. The internationally-focused shows are the clear strength of the series and are some of the most interesting episodes.

It was a nice way to leisurely spend Labor Day.

[smokin fool]

I was gifted on of his books on smoking years ago....still haven’t read it....