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Community Corner

Master (and Maker) of the Grill

Artisan grill Tom Coates designed allows him to make unique 'Naked Ribs.'

Tom Coates’ pursuit of the perfect grilled meat like his dad and grandpa used to cook over an open wood fire wasn't just a success.

It drew him into an entirely new business.

“I was looking for something different to do,” explained Coates, a home designer for 25 years and a Brighton resident whose family has lived in Livingston County since the 1930s.

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One thing he believed could be improved was the grill. His product is also different from other grills, both in appearance and how it works. To him, “all grills looked alike” and were fast-cooking.

Coates’ current grill, which he describes as a combination of a grill and a wood burning oven, took two years to design and develop into what he considers "the perfect way to grill meat." That wasn’t his primary challenge, though.

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“The biggest challenge is starting a new business and not knowing what to expect.” He said he had to be absolutely certain that he wanted to go ahead with his new grills.

“Casting tools are expensive,” he noted, but he’s pleased to have started a new “made in Michigan” business.

Coates tried and rejected several kinds of metals before settling upon cast aluminum. He said it retains heat better so less fuel is needed. He uses chunks, not large pieces, of wood along with match-lit charcoal.

Coates believes that food cooked without excessive sauces or seasonings over wood brings out the true flavor of the meat. He said he favors wild cherry wood, though he’s tried lots of different kinds of wood.

 “You kind of become a wood scavenger,” Coates added. “Sometimes, I feel like George Washington, cutting the cherry tree down.

 “Wood and charcoal gets the best flavor, no doubt about it,” he said. “You can’t get these flavors on a gas grill.”

While it takes longer to cook (an average of about 45 minutes for the ribs, just until they start to pull away from the bone), Coates said it’s worth the wait.

“It’s cooked until done, not falling apart," he said. "I like to have a rib that you can chew on.”  

He added, “I think not having any oil or sauce on the ribs lets the smoke flavor enrich the ribs better.”

To accompany the ribs, Coates uses an Italian salsa verdi (recipe below), blue cheese, Caesar dressing, mustard béarnaise sauce and hollandaise to dip the ribs in. He said they’re all good.

When he’s not cooking, Coates can be found fly fishing, golfing, swimming, sailing or learning gardening, but wryly added, “My thumb isn’t quite green enough!”

He also enjoys spending time with his two sons, Tommy III, 25, is in the Marines and will be heading for a second tour of Afghanistan this fall, and Andy, 22, also of Brighton, who works at a restaurant in Dexter.

Tom Coates’ Naked Ribs

What you need:

1. Grill with wood and charcoal, heated to about 350 degrees F.

2. 1 slab of ribs, precut into serving size pieces (which shortens cooking time)

3. Sea salt and pepper to taste

4. Finely chopped fresh rosemary, fresh oregano and fresh garlic cloves blended until smooth with olive oil, salt, pepper and a few anchovies (to taste), making Salsa Verdi or your choice of dipping sauce (see other suggestions above)

Make it:

  1. Add a little sea salt and pepper and mix with hands in bowl to coat ribs evenly.
  2. Slow cook cut rib pieces for about 45 minutes or until the meat just starts to separate from the bone
  3. Make a salsa verdi sauce, using fresh very finely chopped rosemary, oregano, garlic, olive oil salt and pepper and a few anchovies, mixed in a blender (use about ¼ cup of this concentrated sauce per slab)
  4. Serve with just a spoonful of sauce over the meat at first; add more if desired.    
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