Tahoe grill tips (and tri-tip)

Nothing compares to the thrill of the grill in Tahoe.

I wasn’t too into the barbecue until I moved to the lake in 1992. Being from the coastal town of Arcata, it’s not practical to Q in the rain. But it’s great during Tahoe’s glorious summertime, and even kind of fun in the snow.

In summertime, I probably barbecue one or two times a week. I’m no expert but I do know enough to keep myself well fed. Here’s a few things I like to do when I barbecue.

• Enjoy the process and the occasion: The best part about barbecuing is being outdoors at Tahoe. In the early 1990s, several of my Tribune co-workers shared a house on Inca Avenue. The barbecues at the “Ink Pad” were famous. Because they were such a social and relaxed events, the food might have not been ready until 8, 9 or even 10. I’ve learned to be OK with that. In fact, that’s often the case at my house.

• Use a chimney starter to light the coals, which are much better than gas — unless time is a factor. A chimney starter is a metal cylinder with a grate. Pour the coals into the cylinder. Light a piece of fire starter — the sticks you use to light wood stoves — and place it under the coals. The chimney will be flaming in about 20 minutes. With a chimney, there is no reason to foul the food, or the air, with the awful taste of lighter fluid. If you don’t have any fire-starter sticks, newspaper works fine. I once started a chimney on an extremely windy day at Pac Bell Park with a single piece of 8 1/2-by-11 paper.

• There has been a no-pork rule in effect since 1994. What Jules Winfield (Samuel L. Jackson) said in “Pulp Fiction” still resonates: “I don’t dig on swine. Pigs are filthy animals. I don’t eat filthy animals. Sewer rat could taste like pumpkin pie but I wouldn’t know because I wouldn’t eat the filthy (refer to Jules’ wallet).”

• Don’t let snow deter you from barbecuing. There’s nothing like a tailgate before a football game, and the second half of football season coincides with winter. I always host a barbecue on New Year’s Day, the greatest day of the football season. But be aware that the all-day parties can wear on you. After the 2002 Outback and Rose Bowl games, an obnoxious Pac-10 fan met the same fate as the filthy swine: no Rich Hodge at the barbecues.

• Unfortunately, we don’t barbecue lamb, either. For some reason, my two dogs, both huskies, freak out anytime I try to cook lamb. Maybe it’s because they both came from the pound. If somebody can explain this phenomenon to me, I’d love to hear it.

• It doesn’t have to be all about meat: Asparagus dripped in olive oil and covered in garlic is quite tasty. Corn is great, too. Soak the unshucked corn in water for about an hour then place it on the grill. Be patient, because the corn takes nearly an hour to cook. And when shopping for corn, think about folks who want it unshucked before you begin a mass inspection.

My old standby is tri-tip, asparagus and corn. For the tri-tip, cook it very hot — about seven minutes on each side, then pull it off to the side. Use a thermometer to determine when it’s ready. It should be about 135 degrees.

There are two cookbooks I recommend: “Napoleon’s Everyday Gourmet Grilling” by Ted Reader, and “The Sunset Grill, 125 Taste Recipes for Casual Get-Togethers and Easy Weeknight Cookouts.”

“Napoleon’s” is comprehensive and easy to read. The recipes take examples from different regions from the United States. There are detailed instructions for rubs, marinates and sauces before getting into grilled vegetables and fruit, side dishes, appetizers, salads and sandwiches. Then there’s various techniques and ideas for poultry, seafood, beef, veal, lamb, seafood and, yes, pork.

“The Sunset Grill” is not as elaborate and, frankly, it’s better-suited for guys like me. I had a recent success when my cousin’s family visited from Sacramento. Everyone agreed that the sticky coconut chicken was delicious,. The thighs were mixed with coconut milk, ginger, pepper, pepper flakes and green onions. I made a glaze with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and more pepper flakes.

No matter what level you are in the barbecue realm, there’s always room to kick it up, as Emeril Lagasse says, a notch.