Chef and TV Host Steven Raichlen Is Cooking Up Barbecue University at Alisal Ranch

Television host, culinary writer, and Barbecue Hall of Famer Steven Raichlen will be bringing his grill expertise to Alisal Ranch, the upcoming setting for the chef’s Barbecue University. The three-day interactive cooking course provides participants with live fire cooking experience taught by Raichlen himself.

Raichlen’s barbecue concentration is primarily on the art of global grilling, having traveled around the world to learn about the variety of different cultural approaches to grilling. His 1998 book, The Barbecue Bible, was an international bestseller, kicking off Raichlen’s career in the barbecue world.

“It was based on a very simple premise: that people grill all over the world, but everywhere they do it differently. Every culture, every country has a different style of cooking,” Raichlen said.

Using the success of The Barbecue Bible, Raichlen began to take steps toward a television career, becoming the host of multiple cooking shows, the most notable being the 2003-2006 American Public Television show Barbecue University. On Barbecue University, Raichlen demonstrated the vast assortment of barbecue techniques, recipes, and approaches on-camera, offering a more in-depth approach to the art of grilling.

Yet Raichlen wanted to continue spreading his knowledge beyond the television screen. “One of the things I wanted to do was set up a school where people could come and learn how to grill,” he said.

From there, Barbecue University was born. The school aims to help students perfect their grilling skills, teaching them the ins and outs of barbecuing.

No skill level is required for the school — anyone from amateurs to seasoned professionals are invited to participate.

“We get people with a lot of different skill levels. Some are professional. Some have never fired up a grill before, but somehow it all works,” he said.

“We start with 40 people who don’t know each other. Many of them have never been to my barbecue school,” Raichlen said. “The first day, everybody is a little bit nervous, like ‘What am I supposed to do?’ And by the third day, we have a kitchen brigade that is an awesome force.”

Raichlen also praised the supportive nature of Barbecue University students. “The people with more experience help the people with less experience. Everybody leaves with a great repertoire of recipes and an understanding of how live fire cooking works. Just watching how everybody comes together … they really mastered live fire cooking.” 

At the beginning of each Barbecue University class, Raichlen performs demonstrations of live fire cooking, teaching a variety of techniques for the expansive menu. This allows participants to fully understand the depth of the lesson before applying it to their own cooking. Students are then divided into teams to tackle the menu items as Raichlen and his staff walk around, providing help and guidance.

Raichlen’s favorite dish to teach? The Caveman T-bone — a steak cooked directly on the coals of a grill.

“You take the grill grate off, you fan off the coals to get rid of the loose ash, and then you lay the steak directly on the embers,” said Raichlen. “It’s a real eye-pop, jaw-drop kind of dish.”

Raichlen makes sure to incorporate his cultural knowledge into the menu items of Barbecue University, providing participants with a unique experience like no other. While lessons include barbecue classics, such as lamb chops, Texas-style brisket, and Memphis dry ribs, Barbecue University also teaches participants how to make dishes like Thai rotisserie chicken grilled pizza, Thai grilled beef salad, and pan bagnat sandwiches, a French grilled tuna sandwich.

“It’s a very varied menu. It’s kind of my territory in the world of grilling, global grilling,” Raichlen said. “There will be a global influence, but we’re also trying to teach the real core basics: barbecue, steak, brisket, pulled pork, etcetera.”

The course ends with a final exam to test the student’s grill and fire cooking abilities. Students who pass are presented with a diploma to conclude their time at the school. But don’t worry — failure is not a part of Barbecue University.

“We like to say that at Barbecue University, the only marks you get are grill marks,” Raichlen jokes. “I have yet to fail anyone.”

The next session of Barbecue University takes place at Alisal Ranch from September 3-6. Alisal Ranch is a personal favorite location of Raichlen’s, having filmed his Project Fire and Project Smoke television shows at this Santa Ynez location.

“[Alisal Ranch] is a magnificent setting, just a perfect spot for barbecue,” Raichlen said.

Guests will lodge in cabins on the ranch and will have access to a variety of accommodations and activities, such as horseback riding, an on-site spa, riverside golf course, and scenic hiking trails. For more information on Barbecue University and how to enroll, visit the Alisal Ranch website at bit.ly/3yJ46qK. Space is limited.