To describe David Joachim as a grill master would only be scratching the surface of his talents. He’s a man who loves cooking with fire and will seize every chance he can to take command of the 10 grills he keeps in his backyard. From patio to kitchen he travels back and forth concocting recipes for cookbooks, clients and public appearances.
Joachim literally dreams in recipes and he is never at a loss for ideas. At the time of our interview he had just returned from judging the famous Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, helping to decide which home cook’s recipe was worthy of the $1 million prize. Afterward, he hopped a plane to New York City to speak at the annual International Association of Culinary Professionals conference before heading home to Center Valley.
From his home base Joachim will simultaneously work on three cookbooks at any given time (and is of course dreaming up others along the way). Creating on his own or alongside famed foodies like Marc Vetri, Andrew Schloss and Robert Rose, Joachim has produced many titles you may have on your kitchen shelf—The Food Substitutions Bible, The Tailgater’s Cookbook, A Man, A Can, A Plan and most recently Fire It Up, which features 400 recipes so you can grill absolutely anything. He just completed his 36th cookbook project with Top Chef Season 6 favorite Kevin Gillespie titled Fire In My Belly (set to be released this fall).
Joachim gets involved with every facet of the cookbook writing process, from concept, to editing to photo choices, and being that hands-on comes naturally to him. “Creating things with my hands is really rewarding. It’s the reason I write cookbooks. From idea to when it actually becomes a book is magical. It’s satisfying to produce a book and influence people in a positive way,” says Joachim, who also uses that energy to drum for his rock band Tavern Tan.
His experience with grilling began in the ’90s when he was the food editor at Vegetarian Gourmet magazine. The Rodale publication focused on healthy cooking methods, which grilling offers along with unmatched flavor. “Few things get between the heat and food so you taste the flavor of the fire,” Joachim says. “It makes everything taste great and I just gravitated to the grill.”
David Joachim’s Kitchen Essentials • A grill, of course! • Chef Salt • Mortar and pestle
But Joachim was no stranger to grilling. He grew up cooking alongside his grandparents and watching his grandfather roast pork shoulder in his kamado oven, a traditional Japanese outdoor oven famous for its amazing heat retention. His parents were also avid cooks who left their day jobs behind to start a small-scale farm on their one-acre property in northeast New Jersey when Joachim was in his early teens.
They specialized in heirloom produce and Joachim remembers the 36 varieties of garlic and assortment of eggplant his father planted. “I was cooking with everything they planted. I was the kid that hung out in the kitchen. I just thought it was more exciting than watching sports,” says Joachim, who also recalls regular family camping excursions where he got “a great education in outdoor live fire cooking.”
These days Joachim takes advantage of the produce and meats available at neighboring farms. Suckling pigs for his rotisserie spit, sausage links for his smoker, juicy tomatoes for atop his burgers. Having these ingredients at his disposal certainly comes in handy in his home test kitchen where he’s currently developing recipes for Panera, Whole Foods and various Rodale publications. Or when he feels like cooking with Chef Salt, the line of artisanal seasoning blends featuring unrefined sea and volcanic salts he co-founded with friend Andrew Schloss (found locally at La Belle Cuisine in Emmaus, or nationwide at Crate & Barrel and Whole Foods). His expertise was also put to good use recently when he provided commentary on the Cooking Channel’s Unique Eats.
But preparing meals for his wife, Christine, and sons August, 13, and Maddox, 9, takes priority and the family certainly reaps the benefits of his culinary creations daily. “I like learning about every facet of food but mostly I love dining with people.” Just in time for Father’s Day Joachim shares with us a meal sure to impress and surprise the entire family—a succulent watermelon appetizer bursting with flavor, the best burger you’ll ever make and doughnuts (yes, doughnuts!) grilled to perfection. Fire it up!
Marinated Watermelon Steak with Pink Peppercorn Rub
1 crosswise center-cut slice of a largewatermelon, about 1 1/2-inches thick3/4 cup light rum5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint1 limeCoarse salt2 Tablespoons pink peppercorns, crushed2 teaspoons sugar2 Tablespoons honey
Remove green and white rind from the watermelon, and then cut crosswise into quarters to make 4 wedge-shaped steaks.
Combine rum, butter and mint in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Grate zest from half the lime into the bag, then squeeze in all the juice. Add a pinch of salt and the watermelon steaks. Press out air, seal and shake gently to blend. Let stand at warm room temperature (at least 72 degrees) for 1 to 2 hours.
Light a grill for indirect medium heat, about 350ºF.
Combine the crushed pink peppercorns, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small dish. Remove watermelon from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; reserve the marinade. Sprinkle the rub all over the steaks.
Brush grill grate and coat with oil. Grill watermelon directly over the heat until nice grill-marks appear, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Move watermelon away from the heat, close the lid and cook until very tender and slightly shrunken, 30 to 40 minutes.
Boil the marinade in a small saucepan until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Stir in honey and drizzle over steaks.
Makes 4 servings
Adapted with permission from Fire It Up: 400 Recipes for Grilling Everything by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim (Chronicle Books, 2011).
Bison Cheeseburgers with Horseradish Mustard
1/3 cup whole grain Dijon mustard2 Tablespoons mayonnaise1 Tablespoon horseradish2 pounds ground bison chuck1/4 cup bottled steak sauce, such as A11 Tablespoon olive oil3 scallions (green and white parts), sliced3/4 teaspoon coarse salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper6 slices sharp cheddar cheese6 hamburger buns
Mix the mustard, mayonnaise and horseradish in a small bowl.
Heat a grill for direct medium heat, about 375ºF. Using your hands, mix together the bison, steak sauce, oil, scallions, salt and pepper in a bowl until well blended; avoid over mixing. Using a light touch, form into 6 patties no more than 1-inch thick.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the burgers directly over the heat for 6 to 7 minutes for medium-done (about 150ºF on an instant-read thermometer, and slightly pink in the center), flipping once. Put the cheese on the burgers 1 minute before they come off the grill. To toast the buns, grill them, cut-side down, directly over the heat for 1 to 2 minutes. If serving the burgers directly from the grill, serve on the buns. If the burgers will sit, even for a few minutes, keep the burgers and buns separate until just before serving.
Makes 6 servings
Adapted with permission from Fire It Up: 400 Recipes for Grilling Everything by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim (Chronicle Books, 2011).
Grilled Glazed Doughnuts with Chocolate Espresso Dunk
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder1 1/2 cups brown sugar, light or darkPinch of salt2 cups freshly made espresso orstrong coffee2 Tablespoons unsalted butter6 glazed doughnuts, preferablycinnamon-glazedCooking spray1 1/2 cups half-and-half, warmed (optional)
Light a grill for direct medium-low heat, about 325°F. Mix together the cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt in a large heavy saucepan. Whisk in the espresso and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula, until the sauce comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, until slightly thickened and very smooth. Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring until melted. Cover and keep warm.
Coat the doughnuts on both sides with cooking spray. Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the doughnuts until the glaze melts and they are browned on both sides, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Do not allow to burn.
Pour 1/2 cup warm chocolate dunk into each of 6 small coffee cups and serve one to each guest with a doughnut for dunking. Serve warm half-and-half on the side for adding to the chocolate dunk, if desired.
Makes 6 servings
Adapted with permission from Fire It Up: 400 Recipes for Grilling Everything by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim (Chronicle Books, 2011).
