Born to Grill

A cookbook for the RV lifestyle

You would be hard-pressed to come up with a better “go-to” RVing/backyard barbecue cookbook than Rob Rainford’s Born to Grill: Over 100 Recipes from My Backyard to Yours.

Reading through this book gives you the impression that you are sitting down in front of Rainford’s barbecue for a one-on-one grilling class. Each recipe walks you through from the preparation stage to the correct temperature for your grill—and how to get that temperature even on charcoal—all the way until the final touches.

Even if you have never heard of Rob Rainford before, reading the title of his book will give you a good idea of what kind of cooking to expect. There is everything from beef tenderloin, strip steak, brisket and ribs to numerous types of chicken and fish recipes. Rainford includes more barbecue and marinade sauces than you can count. 

What I didn’t expect to find were entire meal plans, refreshing cold soups, salads and vegetable recipes. These aren’t just any salad recipes either—how about Grilled Romaine Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette, Green Papaya Salad or Green Mango and Tomato salad.

But what I found even more astonishing were some of the other dishes that Rainford presents in his book.  I never thought of making meatballs on a barbecue, or what about Jamaican beef patties (not hamburger patties but small pastries), grilled cornbread—or the most surprising of all for me—quiche?

“I like to use my grill for things that are usually made in the oven because it allows me to stay outside,” said Rainford.  “And that, my friends, is what I call awesome.”

That pretty much sums up the RV lifestyle for many.