MANILA, Philippines—There’s more to barbecue than the classic “toyomansi” (calamansi and soy sauce) with sugar and black pepper.

Celebrity Chef Robert Rainford suggests experimenting with herbs and spices to “elevate your food.”

Rainford’s grill churns out classic as well as exotic fare – from Jerk Chicken, a nod to his Jamaican heritage, to chicken marinated in coffee and cinnamon.

“Pick up some new spices that you might not have seen before, cardamom, cinnamon,
cinnamon sticks instead of just getting the powder, start to grind these things yourself, this is the way you elevate your food,” Rainford told INQUIRER.net during a break from his two-day Manila promo tour last week.

Rainford said sticking to classic recipes would “get you there nine times out of ten” but there should be room to experiment with flavors.

“I suggest to people just go slowly work your way up to it, don’t go crazy up front, just go slow,” Rainford said, adding “salt and pepper are always great.”

Rainford also suggests investing in a good gas or charcoal grill and a pair of tongs.

“Make sure you have a great pair of tongs nice and long so you don’t have to go near the heat,” he said.

He recommends marinating meats in resealable plastic bags, “plastic baggies” as he likes to call them, to ensure maximum flavor. It takes up less space in the refrigerator, too.

However, Rainford draws the line at grill pans.

“Grill pans, they’re different, it’s grilling (but) it’s not barbecuing… If you have a grill pan you’ll get the nice char marks on it but you know what is barbecue to you, to me it’s when I can smell it,” he said.

Rainford said he did not have enough time to visit Manila’s food destinations during his short visit, but he enjoyed interacting with Filipino foodies during his two mall shows.

“They asked every kind of question, personal questions, cooking questions, you know, vegetarian questions. I was quite surprised and really surprised,” he said.

“I kind of feed off the interaction. I need somebody to say something, although I can talk on my own for quite some time,” he said.

Rainford’s “License to Grill” airs on weekdays on the Asian Food Channel, which is available on local cable.

Chef Rainford’s Lemon-Lime Chicken

Ingredients
chicken breast
zest of lemon
zest of lime
olive oil
honey
star anise
cinnamon powder
garlic
salt
pepper

Rub chicken breast with the lemon and lime zests and star anise. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder. Add a splash of olive oil. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper just before putting it on the grill. Glaze with honey and crushed garlic before the chicken is done. Finish off with lemon or lime juice.

Tip: Rainford said chicken is done when its temperature reaches 165 F. Stick a food thermometer on the thickest part of the meat to check.