Brian Baumgartner Dishes On His New Barbecue Cookbook

After Brian Baumgartner launched Severely Good Chili Cookbook: 177 of the Greatest Recipes within the World — a cookbook devoted to chili, a nod to his character, Kevin Malone, in The Workplace — in 2022, he turned fascinated with placing out one other cookbook, however this time round, it might be one thing he was obsessed with.

“I make chili now — that’s true, however it wasn’t one thing I had ever actually made rising up and even as an grownup now. Let’s simply say the incident occurred [referring to Kevin making his famous chili in the series], and since then, I’ve made fairly a little bit of chili. However one thing I really do so much is barbecue and grill. I grew up within the south, and it was all the time a part of my tradition. I journey fairly a bit, however after I’m dwelling, I am on the grill and I am cooking stuff open air. I find it irresistible. It is a communal exercise for me. It is a chance for me to type of let the whole lot else go and give attention to an exercise that’s totally different than what I do many of the remainder of the day,” the actor, 51, solely tells Morning Honey whereas discussing his new enterprise Severely Good Barbecue Cookbook, which releases on June 11.

“I like doing it. Fortunately, I’ve had plenty of cooks give me some nice recipes to attempt to create an incredible assortment for individuals this summer time,” the star, whose go-to is an “superb dry tip,” continues. “I like to eat barbecue meals, however I additionally like to prepare dinner it. It is a kind of issues that usually occurs in teams, and it is an effective way to attach with family and friends.”

Rising up, the Georgia native and his household would fireplace up the grill usually on the weekends. Now that he lives in Southern California, it is a no-brainer for him to place one thing on the grill about 4 or 5 days per week because the climate is just about good all 12 months round. “I’ve all the time used cooking generally as form of a distraction from my day job,” he notes. “I used to be extra round barbecue after I was youthful and in Texas, however now that I am in California, there is not any low season for grilling.”

Even earlier than releasing his first cookbook, Baumgartner was fascinated with engaged on a guide devoted to barbecue because it’s one thing he “enjoys a lot.”

“I took a visit in the course of the pandemic. I had watched this sequence on Netflix about these pit masters in barbecue from everywhere in the world and one of many ones they talked about was Rodney Scott, who is a good chef and has a restaurant down in Charleston, S.C. It was in the midst of the pandemic, and for work I needed to get on a airplane to Nashville, which isn’t that near Charleston. I hadn’t seen my mother and father in 9 or 10 months, so I used to be like, ‘Nicely, I’ll drive alone and go to them.’ On my manner, I went out of my approach to go to Rodney Scott’s barbecue place in Charleston. By that have, I used to be like, ‘I wish to get some of us collectively. I wish to speak about this myself, get some nice recipes going and put out a guide,'” he remembers.

The tome consists of over 100 barbecue recipes and consists of well-known regional kinds together with Texas, Kansas Metropolis, North Carolina, Memphis, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida and Alabama, plus worldwide, seafood, and accompanying facet dishes, all submitted by dwelling cooks, award-winning cooks, and well-known pitmasters from all corners of the earth. “There have been some suggestions and tips I’ve discovered through the years. I additionally included some recipes of my very own after which went to individuals way more expert than me to get some nice recipes,” he explains. “Some have been cooks that I knew needed to have their enter on this guide and lots of others I attempted to get by way of pals or different cooks prior to now. In the event that they’re keen to surrender their secrets and techniques, I wish to embrace it for readers.”

“The beauty of this guide is there’s this debate of what’s grilling and what’s barbecue? The act of barbecue by definition is utilizing extra oblique warmth and smoking and stuff like that whereas grilling is extra on the flame,” he explains. “We have got a mixture of all of these issues as a result of I really feel like why restrict ourselves by form of a slim definition? Along with that, we have got numerous enjoyable and artistic sides that you would be able to get pleasure from along with your most important course. They praise each the style and the sensation of summer time.”

One of many writer’s favorites consists of utilizing a hen with a particular marinade. “I am tremendously happy with it! I prepare dinner it so much,” he gushes.

Finally, Baumgartner by no means “thought he would have a cookbook.”

“I labored for a director for an extended time frame after I was doing theater, and it is what he did. I might say he form of taught me or confirmed me that cooking may assist in the work that you simply’re doing. I discovered what paella was from him,” he shares. “Generally with actors, artists, administrators, you attempt to give attention to the work an excessive amount of with no break or interruption and the wheel simply begins to spin with out transferring ahead. He wanted that form of break, which is why I wish to prepare dinner.”

He is additionally grateful that Kevin taught him about chili. “After I posted an image of myself making chili, individuals went berserk,” he says. “I met a bunch of world champion chili makers and received into that tradition, which got here from my work on The Workplace and that specific character. It was not an preliminary curiosity of mine, however now it certain is! The chili is Kevin’s factor and barbecue and grilling is way more for me.”

As for if extra cookbooks are within the works, he says, “We’ll see! I actually find it irresistible. I like cooking any form of main meal for the vacations or for my household. We’ll get this one on the market and see what individuals give it some thought and go from there.”