When I think of the 4th of July, I think of friends gathering, cookouts, and backyard barbeques, so I was excited when I saw an article in a 1925 issue of American Cookery magazine titled “Mixed Grill.” I can’t quite tell if the author is only discussing broiling food in the house or if it is inclusive of outdoor grills. (I picture outdoor grilling becoming popular in the mid-20th century, but maybe some people had an outdoor grill a hundred-years-ago). Here are a few excerpts from the article:
Is a “Mixed Grill” as new to other housewives as it is to me, I wonder?
A “Mixed Grill” is, in short, only a mixed grill. It works out as a combination of almost endless variety, all cooked on the same broiler and leaving only that broiler to be washed – an excellent quality anywhere, and invaluable where time is short and space is limited. As for possible variations, anything edible, not too thick, too small, or too soft may be used. There is no limit, except the taste of the family, and the wit of the cook- also, it must be granted the size of the broiler.
Take, for example, a foundation of chop and potato. My husband has sausage, tomato, and mushroom with his. I have banana (which he detests) with mine, and a shirred egg is slipped in for a guest who is forbidden meat. Except for the chops, all these things are odds and ends, found in the pantry.
The process is simple, but requires more watchfulness and judgment than broiling one thing alone.
A gas broiler is more convenient than coal, as there is no smoke. A broiler with wires closer together than usual is a conveniences, but not a necessity.
Almost everything used in a grill, except tomato, needs to be dipped in oil, and a brush, kept for the purpose, with a cup of oil, is a great help. As a general rule, dry things should be oiled and moist ones egged and crumbed.
Lay the prepared articles on the broiler, putting the thicker ones where they will come directly under the flame. Finish cooking on one side, then pull the pan well out and turn quickly with a broad spatula or two knives, to avoid piercing.
Since, however, the special quality of a mixed grill is the perfection of each individual flavor, simple butter, salt, and pepper are better than a more elaborate sauce.
The grilled articles are necessarily thin, and cool fast, so special care must be taken to have service quick.
American Cookery (May, 1925)
On the 4th, I’m planning to make steaks, roasted asparagus, and roasted green, yellow, and orange peppers. Hmm. . . I guess that is a mixed grill.
Have a wonderful 4th!
It sounds like she is talking about an inside stove grilling because she mentions the fire being above, which it wouldn’t be on an outside grill. No plans for the 4th here.
That makes sense. I think you’re right that she’s talking about using an inside stove.
I hadn’t ever thought of referring to broiling as grilling before. I wonder who made cooking outside on a grill popular?
I tend to see broiling as a substitute for grilling, but use use different terms for the two. If I’m planning to grill steaks outside, I might instead broil them if it starts raining.
I’m baffled. Happy 4th to you! We are having a family get- together.
Have a wonderful day with your family!
Thank you!
Happy 4th! 🇺🇸 We are doing as little as possible! It’s been a wild summer so far.
Holidays can be a perfect day for taking it easy and relaxing.
Great article on mixed grill from 1925, Sherry, and perfect for the Fourth holiday. Happy Fourth to you!
And, happy 4th to you!
We are keeping it pretty simple here. The couple downstairs are making the main this year which is chili slaw dogs and I am doing a watermelon salad, potato chips and something sweet yet to be determined,
Sounds like a lovely way to spend the day.
You have done it again, Sheryl! I love these mysteries of words or phrases that are in general, unfamiliar to us! I looked at the term mixed grill in the 1925 newspapers. From the many times it was used, and not in reference to cooking food, it was in my best estimation, a term that meant “a mixed group” of anything. It was also used in describing preparing food as in your example. On item from the Washington, D. C. Evening Star (May 22, 1925, p. 36) was particularly descriptive about what the mixed grill was. It referenced it as “many things in one” and that “the foods are all cooked on the grill, that is, in the restaurant grill room. In the home they are cooked on a broiler, a hot, greaseless pan, or an old-fashioned gridiron.” Apparently, it was a popular order at “fashionable restaurants”, of which I imagine, D. C. had plenty! They gave examples of the types of meat, vegetables, and fruits that would be desirable, that it did not come with gravy, and is “liberally seasoned with salt, pepper, butter, and may have a garnish of cress or parsley. It was a dish designed for all the food to be cooked together as a whole, “cooked to order, and served piping hot.” The term mixed grill was also used in horse racing, sports, theater performances, and politics. It was the name of a gossip/humor column in the English papers.
Further exploration revealed the earliest use of “Mixed Grill” meaning meat and vegetables cooked on a gridiron was in 1902, Australia. Newspapers spread the term to other countries such as England and Scotland (part of the Commonwealth) and America. American papers referenced it as the English Mixed Grill, and that it was defined by them as “cooking over instead of in front of a radiant surface”–hence the gridiron, and in restaurants, what we would later term the “griddle.” It was adapted to the broiler (as best I can glean from the newspaper archives) in the US to enable home cooks to use the basic technique.
Good to hear that I’ve written something that intrigued you to research it further. I’ve learned so much from your findings over the years. It’s fascinating how the term “mixed grill” has evolved over over the years, and how it was popular in “fashionable restaurants” and then adapted so that cooks could prepare a mixed grill at home. It sounds like a way to serve each individual their preferred foods, which in some ways seems very modern. I know so many families today where preferred foods of each person are microwaved or otherwise prepared.
The word “mixed” seems like a key part of this phrase. As I think more about this, I realize that I don’t think I’ve ever heard the term “mixed grill” used in recent memory. People generally talk about “grilling” or “grilled foods.”
I guess when we think about it, “mixed grill” was likely begun by Asia, where to mix your food together in a wok was common, and still is. I did think about the Australian term of cooking on the barbie when that was the first place I found the term.
It’s interesting how, even in the days before the the existence of modern types of transportation, online information, and social media, words and their meanings moved from one continent to another in relatively short periods of time.
A perfect article to ponder this time of year!
It’s nice to hear that you enjoyed this post, and that it gave you something to ponder.