1 Cut and salt the ribs: Country ribs are usually more than a foot long. We recommend slicing them in half before cooking, as they'll be easier to handle. Coat the ribs in oil and then salt them well. Much of the fat will render away in cooking, leaving a crispy-salty-fatty bit you will be fighting over with your friends. 2 Slow cook the ribs for 90 min to start: To cook the ribs, you have several choices. You can bake them in a 250°F oven (line a baking pan with foil and cover the pan). You can slow-roast them in a gas grill (covered) with half the burners turned off (put them on the side that is not over direct flame). You can set up a large charcoal grill like a smoker and cook the country ribs on the cool side (again covered). But best of all would be to build a wood fire on one side of the grill and slowly barbecue these ribs over woodsmoke. No matter what you do, let the ribs cook untouched for 90 minutes. At the 90-minute mark, turn them and paint them with your barbecue sauce – we like the sweet-spicy Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce for this, but you could also use a South Carolina mustard-based barbecue sauce, a Bourbon BBQ sauce, or a traditional Kansas City-style sauce. 3 Then, every 30 minutes or so, turn your ribs and paint them again with the sauce. How long to cook? Depends on how hot your fire is. At least 3 hours. Maybe as many as 5 hours. You really, really want to slow-cook these ribs because they are pretty fatty. The slower you cook them, the more fat renders out and the smoother your ribs will be. Take your time. 4 Move to hot side of grill or broil: When the meat begins to fall apart – you’ll notice this when you turn the rib – you’re ready for the final step. Paint the ribs one more time and then move them to the hot side of the grill. If you are using the oven method, move the ribs to the broiler. Let the ribs cook a minute or two so the sauce can caramelize. Pay attention, and do not let the ribs get too blackened. A little char is good, but you don’t want a briquette. Serve with coleslaw, potato salad, deviled eggs or whatever you’d like. Oh, and napkins. Lots of napkins.

When it comes to the grill or barbecue, I defer to my colleague Hank, especially when it concerns meat. Here he shows us how to cook pork country ribs, slow and low. A favorite from the archives! ~Elise Country ribs. Big slabs of porky goodness cut from the shoulder of the hog. Sold boneless or bone-in, these are nothing like a rack of ribs. They are pork logs, laced with fat, and require slow, low-temperature cooking to become delicious. That’s the downside: You can’t do a fast country rib. The upside is that they are all meat, so you only need one to fill you up. In fact, I slice them in half because a full rib, which can weigh a pound, can be too much for some people. The best way to cook country ribs is over a wood fire, but you can cook them on a charcoal or gas grill, or even in the oven. Just repeat after me: Slow and low.. slow and low… You’ll want to sauce these ribs with something. It can be as simple as cider vinegar, or you could use your favorite barbecue sauce. We chose to use a sweet and spicy Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce.

For the salsa (makes 2 1/2 cups salsa): 1 cup finely diced strawberries 1 cup finely diced pineapple 1/2 cup finely diced red onion 1 clove minced garlic 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, loosely packed 1 small red chili, diced (optional) 1 lime, juiced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons juice) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional if the salsa is tart) For the tacos: 1 pound firm-fleshed fish (like sea bass, swordfish, halibut, mahi mahi or salmon) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Heavy pinch of cayenne (optional) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil Grapeseed or other high heat oil for grill 12 small (4- to 6-inch) corn tortillas To serve: Shredded red cabbage Sliced radishes Avocado Sour Cream Lime wedges Cilantro

1 Make the salsa: In a bowl, mix together all salsa ingredients, except for the sugar, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Taste and add sugar or additional seasonings to taste when ready to serve. 2 Heat the grill. If you have a gas grill, make sure to preheat it for at least 10 minutes with the lid closed. If you have a charcoal grill, push the coals to one side to make high heat and lower heat zones for cooking. 3 Prepare the fish: Remove fish from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl or jar, mix spices until completely combined. Brush the fish with a little oil, then sprinkle all over with seasoning. Rest the fish at room temperature while the grill heats up. 4 Oil the grill: When your grill is hot, wipe the grates with oil. You can either use a grill brush or a small wad of paper towels dipped in the oil. Wipe the grates 5 to 10 times until they look black and glossy. 5 Grill the fish: Place your fish, skin side down, on the grill. If using a charcoal grill, place over indirect heat. On a gas grill, turn the heat down to medium (about 350F) and close the lid. Grill 2 minutes, then check the fish by lifting one corner of the fish to see if it will come up without sticking. The skin should be crisp and brown. If it lifts easily, flip the fish and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes with the lid closed. If the fish doesn’t lift easily, continue cooking and checking every 30 seconds. Grill until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with an internal temperature of 145F. Transfer the fish to a plate to rest. 6 Grill the tortillas: Turn heat to high and brush grates with oil again (or cook over direct heat on a charcoal grill). Cook tortillas for 30 seconds on each side to warm and soften. 7 Serve: Cut the fish into several pieces. Serve on tortillas, topped with salsa and other toppings.

I love tacos, but if you ask for my favorite, it’s got to be tacos made with grilled fish. The recipe I’m sharing today is one of my favorite versions. It has a bright strawberry and pineapple salsa that truly makes it taste of summer! I like to use sea bass for the fish in my tacos, but these are also fantastic with swordfish, halibut, or any other firm, hearty fish. The salsa is made with pineapple and bright, juicy summer strawberries. If strawberries aren’t in season where you live, you can use blackberries, peaches, or even kiwi. (If the salsa is ends up being too tart, try adding up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.) Fish tacos are delicious on both corn and flour tortillas, but I almost always opt for corn because I love the taste and texture they add. I also tried these out with paleo tortillas and with lettuce wraps. Both tasted great! I like to preheat the grill while I’m making my salsa and prepping the fish. Fish tacos are best eaten as soon as they’re made.

1 Make the dry rub, rub all over ribs: Mix all the dry ingredients together. Rub them all over the ribs and, if you have time, set them in the fridge overnight. 2 Grill over low, indirect heat initially for one hour: Get your grill or smoker going. You want pretty low heat, about 200-220°F if you can measure it. Make sure you have a spot to put the ribs that is not directly over the heat source. Lay the ribs down. They should not sizzle. If they do, cool the grill down until the ribs no longer sizzle when placed down. Cover the grill or smoker and walk away for an hour. 3 Every hour or so after that, turn and rotate the ribs so they cook evenly. You should not have to baste them if you do this: The fat in the ribs will do the basting for you. Depending on how hot your set-up is and at what stage of doneness you like your ribs, they will be done in 4-8 hours.

There are wet ribs, sticky with a succulent, spicy barbecue sauce, and there are dry ribs, where the flavor is all in the dried mixture of herbs and spices, melded into something greater than the sum of their parts by time, smoke and pork fat. This is what they do in Memphis, Tennessee, and it’s why Memphis-style ribs are some of the best in the world. What goes into a Memphis rib rub is up to you, but most recipes rely on paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, cayenne, garlic and onion powder. All sorts of other ingredients find their way into everyone’s “secret recipe,” but the most common are cumin, dry mustard, celery salt or celery seed, dried oregano or rosemary, chili powder, ginger, allspice or even white pepper. Serious pit masters spend years perfecting the exact ratio of spices for their own personal styles. Cooking these ribs is simple: Rub the spice mix all over the ribs and cook them slowly over low heat until they’re done. Sounds easy, right? It is, sorta. We prefer to let the spice mix sit on the ribs overnight before we cook them, but you don’t have to. We also prefer to cook our ribs over a hardwood fire, but you can use charcoal or even a gas grill if you need to. Just don’t use an oven. In all cases, cook the ribs away from the heat source. If you use a grill, have the fire going slowly on one side of the grill and cook the ribs on the other side. Again, slow is good. I’ve cooked ribs for 12 hours before, and I’ve never had good ribs cooked less than 3 hours. Use our rib rub as a guide, and play with it to your own taste. What are your favorite ingredients in your barbecue rubs? Updated from the recipe archive, first published 2011

1 Marinate the steak: Combine the marinade ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl. Place steak in the bowl and turn so that it is completely coated with the marinade. (You can also place the steak and marinade in a freezer bag and place it in a bowl.) Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. 2 Prepare your grill for high, direct heat with one part of the grill for lower, indirect heat. The grill is hot enough when you hold your hand about an inch over the hot side and you can only hold it there for about a second. 3 Grill the steak: Remove the steak from the marinade and gently shake off the excess marinade from the steak (but make sure there is still a coating of it, you'll want the oil on it to help keep the steak from sticking to the grill). Place steak on the hot side of the grill. Grill for a minute or two on each side to get a good sear, then move the steak to the cooler side of the grill, cover and cook a few minutes more until done to your liking. How do you know when the steak is done? One way to tell is to poke it with your fingertips. While the steak is still raw, test it with your fingers; it will be quite squishy. That's what a very rare steak feels like. Touch the tip of your nose and that's what a very well done steak feels like. Here's a visual guide, the finger test to check the doneness of steak. Otherwise use a good meat thermometer (I recommend a thermapen.)  Pull the steak off the grill at 125 to 130°F for rare, 140°F for medium rare, and 150°F for medium. 4 Rest the steak: When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat while the steak rests for 10 to 15 minutes. 5 Slice across the grain: Notice the direction of the muscle fibers of the steak; this is called the grain of the meat. Flank steak is a very lean cut that will be tough and chewy unless you cut it in a way that breaks up the muscle fibers. So, cut the steak across the grain of the meat, at a steep diagonal, so that the slices are wide. I find it easiest to use a long serrated bread knife for this, but any long sharp knife will do. If you want, you can take the excess marinade and bring it to a boil, simmer for several minutes, and serve with the flank steak. Great also with salsa or horseradish sauce.

Flank steak is a lean, somewhat tough but flavorful cut of beef that benefits from the tenderizing effects of a marinade. It is best cooked medium rare and thinly sliced at an angle across the grain of the meat. Prepared this way, marinated, cooked quickly at high heat, thinly sliced, flank steak practically melts in your mouth. This recipe calls for grilling the steak, but if you don’t have a grill, you can prepare the steak on a large cast iron frying pan as well. For more Southwestern flavors, see our carne asada recipe. Do you have a favorite flank steak marinade? or grilling trick for flank steak? If so, please let us know in the comments.

For the tzatziki: 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste 2 cups plain Greek yogurt (full fat is best here) 1/3 cup lightly packed chopped fresh herbs (I used a equal amounts of mint, parsley, and dill) 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 3 cloves chopped garlic For the lamb burgers: 1 tablespoon dried onion granules 1 tablespoon dried garlic granules or powder 1/4 teaspoon dried lemon peel, optional 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (or a combination of beef and lamb) 4 burger buns To serve: Sliced tomatoes Lettuce Crumbled feta Red onion Tzatziki sauce

1 Make the tzatziki (up to 3 days ahead): Salt the cucumber slices with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours, occasionally turning cucumbers. (If you need to prepare the tzatziki right away, salt the cucumbers for just 10 minutes, then squeeze out excess moisture with a clean tea towel.) In a large bowl, mix cucumbers, yogurt, herbs, vinegar, and garlic. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt if needed. 2 Whisk together all spices for the burgers in a small bowl and set aside. 3 Shape the lamb burgers: Sprinkle the ground lamb with 2 teaspoons of the spice mix and gently work it into the meat with your finger tips or a spatula; try not to over-mix the meat or compact it too much as you work in the spices. Turn the seasoned meat out on a work surface and form into four (6 ounce) patties. Press a shallow dimple in the center of each patty to help the patties cook evenly and prevent them from forming domes in the middle. 4 Season and rest the burgers: Sprinkle additional seasoning onto both sides of the patties. Rest on counter for 20 to 30 minutes to allow burgers to come to room temperature. 5 Meanwhile, prepare your grill: If you have a gas grill, preheat at high temperature for at least 10 minutes with the lid closed. For charcoal grills, fill a grill chimney with charcoal and light it. When the coals are hot (they should be covered with a layer of fine gray ash) empty the coals into the grill. Set the grate in place and cover the grill. Heat for 5 minutes. 6 Grill the burgers: When your grill is ready, lightly brush the grates with oil. Add the burgers and close the grill. Cook the burgers to your desired doneness, flipping halfway through cooking. (Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare.) 7 Finish and serve: Rest your lamb burgers for 3 minutes while you toast the buns. Then serve immediately with tzatziki sauce and other toppings.

Up your burger game and be the hero of your next barbecue with Greek lamb burgers and homemade tzatziki! I season these lamb burgers with some of Greece’s most-loved flavors – like garlic, dried lemon peel, and oregano – before grilling them up and serving them on toasted buns. I like to set out a little buffet of Greek-inspired toppings near the grill for everyone to help themselves. Some of my favorites are fresh tomatoes, lettuce, feta, red onion, and of course, that tzatziki. You can make your tzatziki up to three days in advance. I like to pre-salt and drain my cucumbers for a few hours or as long as overnight. If you’re pressed for time, you can salt the cucumber, let it drain for just 10 minutes, and then use a tea towel to press out as much moisture as you can. If you’re wary of lamb because you find it too gamy and strong-tasting, I recommend trying lamb from New Zealand. It has a clean, grassy flavor and stays nice and juicy after cooking. And If you’re really unsure about lamb, you try mixing it with some ground beef — up to half of the total weight of the meat in this recipe. Lamb burgers may not be the most popular burger in the US, but this recipe might very well convince you that it should be!

1 Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 400F. Clean the grates once it has heated. 2 Whisk together the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Taste and season the mixture with salt if needed. (Crema has a little salt already, so add extra judiciously.) Set aside. 3 Grill the corn: Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3 minutes, undisturbed, or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate. 4 Top the corn with sauce and cheese: Using a brush or a spoon, coat each ear of corn with the crema mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled cojita cheese. Sprinkle with additional chipotle pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges.

Please welcome my friend and fellow blogger Megan Keno from Country Cleaver who is sharing a recipe for one of my favorite things to eat—Mexican Street Corn! ~Elise Whenever we go back to my husband’s hometown for any of the summer holidays – Flag Day, July 4th, or Labor Day – there is always a little taco cart sitting at the park with the rest of the food trucks. This one cart always a line stretching out in front and around the corner with people waiting to get their mitts on classic street tacos, burritos, and grilled Mexican street corn (elotes) slathered in sauce. There is absolutely no way to eat this messy corn on the cob delicately, but usually you’re not alone since half of the other people gathering for the event are equally covered in it as well. Small town events, and their street cart food, mean that summer is really here! When we are far away from the lively celebrations of his hometown, my husband and I can relive the fun by grilling corn on the grill and making our own version of Mexican street corn in just a few minutes. The charred kernels and the tangy sauce really make this different from your everyday corn on the cob. If you aren’t able to find traditional Mexican crema in your local grocery store, by all means, use regular sour cream. Crema is a little thinner than sour cream and has added salt, which makes it extra divine. It’s usually what we keep in our house now! And if cotija isn’t available, feel free to omit it, or just use grated Parmesan instead.

1 Make barbecue sauce at least 30 minutes ahead of grilling: Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a 2-quart saucepan and set over medium-high heat on a back burner. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until mixture is very steamy. (The sauce can bubble and spit, so use caution. To avoid burns, stir the sauce constantly to distribute heat.) Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook until sauce has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes more. When done, the sauce should be thick enough that a spoon will leave trails through the sauce when you stir. Set aside to cool. Once cool, measure 3/4 cup into a small bowl for the chicken. Set aside remaining sauce for serving. (Prepared sauce can also be made ahead and kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.) 2 Twenty minutes before cooking, rub the chicken pieces on both sides with sea salt. Set in fridge while you prep grill. 3 Prepare a charcoal grill. When coals are gray and very hot, carefully move them to one side of the grill so that one side has hot, direct heat and the other side has indirect heat. (Alternatively, prepare a gas grill with two temperature zones for cooking.) 4 Brush chicken generously on both sides with 3/4 cups of prepare barbecue sauce. 5 Grill the chicken over high heat to sear: Place the chicken on the hot side of grill directly over coals, placing thighs skin-side down. After 2 to 3 minutes, flip chicken and grill another 2 to 3 minutes, or until chicken is nicely browned or even slightly blackened on both sides. 6 Finish cooking the chicken over indirect heat: Move the chicken over to side without coals to finish cooking over indirect heat. Brush once more with barbecue sauce. Cover the grill. After 5 to 7 minutes, flip chicken. Cook another 12 to 15 minutes until chicken is a rich golden brown, cooked through, and reaches an internal temperature of at least 175 degrees F. (I usually cook these thighs and drumsticks to a slightly higher internal temperature to be sure the meat is thoroughly cooked; the sauce and indirect heat keep the chicken from drying out.) 7 Serve immediately with extra barbecue sauce.

Barbecue sauce is contentious in a way that few condiments are. Local pride is on the line. Sauce-wise, I’m mostly stateless and am just as happy with North Carolina-style vinegar sauce as I am with a Kansas City sauce made with tomatoes and molasses. But when it comes to grilled chicken, nothing feels as perfect as the tang of a mustard-based South Carolina-style barbecue sauce. This recipe pairs zesty, mustard-based barbecue sauce with grilled chicken. The resulting dish has a hint of sweetness and spice, and every bite is wonderfully smoky with an ideal balance of piquant flavors. Keep in mind that grilling chicken slathered in sauce is a messy business. Be sure to begin with a clean grill grate and then scrub the hot grate with a wire brush after grilling, too. When preparing your grill, create two zones of heat for hot and indirect heat cooking. First, sear the chicken over hot coals, and then smoke it over indirect heat until cooked through.

1 pound (12-20 count), raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (tail on) 2 Tbsp olive oil Zest from 1 lime 2 Tbsp lime juice 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or chili powder (less or more to taste) 6-10 strips thin bacon, cut in half (half as many pieces of bacon as there are shrimp) Skewers (for grilling) or toothpicks (for oven) Optional brine: 4 cups water 1/4 cup kosher salt 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup ice

1 Toss shrimp with lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, chipotle powder: Mix together in a small bowl the lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, and chipotle powder. Put the shrimp in the lime chipotle mixture; make sure each piece is well coated. 2 Partially cook the bacon: Spread the bacon pieces out over several layers of paper towels on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with another layer of paper towel. Microwave on high until the bacon fat begins to melt but the bacon is still pliable, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. 3 Prepare grill or preheat oven: Prepare grill on high, direct heat (if grilling) or preheat the oven to 450°F. 4 Wrap the shrimp with bacon: Working one at a time, wrap a half piece of partially cooked bacon around each piece of shrimp. 5 Secure bacon to shrimp with skewers if grilling, toothpicks if oven cooking: If you are grilling, thread the shrimp onto long, flat skewers (flat skewers make turning the shrimp on the grill easier). If you don't have flat skewers, I've used two thin bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes beforehand) to the same effect. If you are using the oven, secure each the bacon onto the shrimp with toothpicks. Place the bacon-wrapped shrimp on a slotted baking pan (lined with foil inside for easy cleaning). Brush remaining lime chipotle mixture on the outside of the bacon-wrapped shrimp. 6 Grill or bake the shrimp: Grill uncovered for 3 minutes on each side (less or more time depending on the heat of your grill), or bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes, or until the bacon is browned and the shrimp is just cooked through.

Looking for a crowd pleasing-appetizer? Make bacon-wrapped shrimp! Kinda ridiculously good. I blame the bacon. Seriously, this one is really easy and crazy good. Bacon and shrimp make a very happy couple. For this recipe we are coating the shrimp with some lime and chili powder, and then wrapping them in slices of bacon, and either oven baking or putting on the grill. Here are a couple of tips that can help make these even better. First, especially when grilling shrimp, we highly recommend brining them first for 30 minutes in a sugar, salt, water solution. The brine helps the shrimp hold onto its moisture on the high heat of the grill. The shrimp remain plump and juicy. Second, make sure to pre-cook the bacon a bit before wrapping them around the shrimp. (We microwave the strips.) Otherwise no amount of brining will keep the shrimp from drying out in the time it takes for the bacon to be cooked. Recipe and photos updated, first published 2007

1 Make marinade: In a small saucepan, bring the soy sauce, marmalade, honey, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the flame and let cool. Reserve half of the marinade for serving as a sauce with the finished tenderloin. 2 Marinated the tenderloin: With the remaining half of the marinade, marinate the tenderloin for 1 hour. 3 Prepare the grill: While the tenderloin is marinating, prepare your grill for high direct heat on one side, and a low heat on the other side. 4 Sear tenderloin on all sides: Remove the tenderloin from the marinade and coat with olive oil. Place on the hot side of the grill, with the narrower end of the tenderloin more toward the cool side of the grill. As soon as the tenderloin gets grill marks on one side (a minute or two), turn it to get grill marks on another side. Continue until all sides are lightly seared. 5 Finish on cool side of the grill: Move the tenderloin to the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook a few minutes more, until the internal temperature of the tenderloin reaches 140°F (no higher). Remove from heat. 6 Tent with foil and let rest: If you have let the temp get too high above 140°F, you may need to slice the pork immediately or the meat will continue to cook as it rests and become overcooked. If you have taken it out in time, tent the tenderloin with foil and let it rest 10 minutes. Thinly slice, sprinkle with the remaining glaze and scallions. Serve with rice.

Do you like grilling pork tenderloin? We love it! It cooks up so quickly and lends itself to any number of savory glazes. The glaze we are using for this recipe couldn’t be easier to pull together. It uses orange marmalade, soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. We marinate the pork first in half of the glaze sauce, and then use the remaining sauce to coat the finished tenderloin. The secret to grilling pork tenderloin is to watch it carefully, with a meat thermometer in hand, because once it goes, it goes quickly. A pork tenderloin is a long, narrow cut of meat which cooks very quickly, so that the difference between perfectly done and over-cooked is slim, time-wise. Have a meat thermometer ready, and start checking with increasing frequency as you approach the expected cooking time. Recipes and photos updated, first published 2007

1 Preheat your grill for high, direct heat. 2 Prep asparagus, coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt: Prepare the asparagus by breaking or cutting off any tough bottom ends (can save for stock, or discard). Place the asparagus in a pan (to contain the spears while you put them on and take them off the grill). Coat them with olive oil and sprinkle salt over them. 3 Grill on high, direct heat: Brush the grill grates lightly with olive oil. Place the asparagus spears on the grill so that the thickest ends are aimed toward the hottest part of the grill. Alternatively, you can use a grill pan, heat on high. Grill the asparagus spears for 2-4 minutes, until lightly charred and just fork tender, turning them often so that they brown on all sides. Remove from grill and serve.

Mmm. Asparagus. You can steam them, boil them, roast them, but I don’t think anything beats the flavor of asparagus that are simply grilled. The smoky flavor, the char marks. Tender, but still with a little crunch. Seriously good! I could (and have) eat them like French fries. The best thing about grilling asparagus? So easy. You don’t need anything more than thick asparagus spears, olive oil, salt, and hot grill. It just takes a few minutes to get some char.

1 Roast (or grill) the eggplants: Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). (Alternatively you can grill the eggplant, in which case, prepare the grill for medium high direct heat.) Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the cut side of the eggplants in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife, in lines about an inch apart. Poke the skin sides of the eggplants with the tines of a fork all over. Line a sheet pan with foil. Spread olive oil over the bottom of the sheet pan, and sprinkle evenly with salt. Place the eggplants cut side down on the foil lined pan. Place in oven and cook for 35 minutes, or until completely cooked through and very soft. If grilling, cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, and poke the skin sides with the tines of a fork. Brush the cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill cut side down until lightly browned and cooked all the way through. If the eggplants brown too quickly, turn them over and finish the cooking on the skin side. Once the eggplants have cooled to the touch, peel off the tough outer skin and discard. 2 Roast the red bell pepper: While the eggplant is roasting in step 1, roast the red bell pepper. There are three ways in which you can do this. Coat the bell pepper lightly with olive oil first. You can put the bell pepper under a broiler in a broiler pan and broil on all sides until the skin is completely blackened. OR you can place the bell pepper directly on the grates of a gas stove and roast over the open flame, until blackened on all sides. OR you can grill on high direct heat, turning, until blackened on all sides. Once blackened, place the bell pepper in a bowl and cover with a plate to steam for several minutes. Once the bell pepper has cooled to the touch, peel off the charred outer skin. Remove the stem and seeds. 3 Purée garlic, roasted eggplant and bell pepper: Place garlic, peeled eggplant, peeled roasted bell pepper in a food processor and pulse until smooth. 4 Mix with oil, vinegar, salt, basil, pepper: Transfer the eggplant mixture from the food processor into a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, minced basil, and pepper. Serve with crackers, pita chips, crostini toasts, or for gluten-free option celery or cucumber sticks.

Please forgive the exalted name of this simple dish. Like its black-eyed pea cousin Texas caviar, “eggplant caviar” has nothing to do with salty sturgeon eggs. It is so named I suppose for several reasons. You place a dollop of it on a cracker to eat, it has somewhat of a tiny bumpy texture, and the taste is exquisite. It’s not remotely fancy, but one can pretend, right? My friend Kathi brought this eggplant caviar to a dinner I hosted this summer and if not for the fact that there were several people to be served, I could easily have eaten the whole batch. (I got my wish the following week when we made another batch together. Amen for recipe testing.) It’s paleo. It’s vegan. It’s amazing. It looks like baba ganoush, but without the sesame tahini. Just roasted eggplant, roasted red bell pepper, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.

1 Prepare your grill for direct high heat, with one part of the grill cool. 2 While the grill is heating, make one or two "boats" with heavy duty aluminum foil. Double or triple layer the foil and make 1-inch rim around the edges. Coat the bottom of the boat generously with olive oil so that the trout does not stick while it is cooking. 3 Rinse the trout with water and pat them dry. Open up the fish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add lemon slices to the inside of the fish in a single layer. Top with sprigs of dill and dots of butter. Close the fish over the stuffing. Brush both sides of the fish with olive oil. Place fish in the aluminum foil boat(s). 4 Place fish boats on the hot side of the grill. Cover and let cook for 3 minutes. The oil and the juice from the fish will get bubbly. Move to the cool side of the grill. Cover and cook for 3-5 more minutes, until the fish are just cooked through. You can peek inside the fish for doneness. Once opaque, the fish should be removed from the grill.

I once was the proud owner of a fly reel. Just the reel mind you. I was 10 years old and I never did get a fishing rod for that reel. The fishing rod I did have came with its own reel, and was the type with which you used a little bobbing float, and a hook to attach something wriggly. Hapless in the fishing department, I eventually gifted my gear to my younger brother, and stuck to collecting crawdads, tadpoles, and minnows. Over the years my brother regularly brought home trout (usually steelhead), salmon, and assorted other fish he caught in the American River, a short walk from our house in Sacramento. It was only years later, on a trip to western Montana, that I learned that a fly reel is what is used in fly fishing, which is how one fishes for trout. So now, every time I pass by the fish counter at the market and see beautiful fresh trout staring back at me, I think of fly fishermen, standing in their waders in the shallows of either the Madison or American rivers, casting for a bite. Trout is, one of the most delicious fish you can eat, and not only is it relatively inexpensive (for fish), it’s really easy to cook. It’s usually sold deboned, and with head and tail. A video posted by Elise Bauer (@simplyrecipes) Trout does have rather delicate skin. So rather than grilling it directly on the grill grates, the best way to ensure that the fish holds together and results in a beautiful presentation, is to create an aluminum “boat” to hold the fish, and place that boat on the grill. Keep the boat open, and cover the grill so that the trout absorbs some of the smokiness from the grill.

1 Make the marinade: Put the ginger and garlic into a mini-chopper or food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Remove to a bowl. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, green onions, cilantro, seasoned rice wine vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil. Stir to combine. Remove and reserve (for basting) 1/4 cup of this marinade. 2 Marinate the pork tenderloin: Place pork tenderloin into a marinating bag or bowl and cover with the remaining marinade. Marinate at room temp for an hour, while you prepare your grill. 3 Prepare the grill: Prepare your grill for both direct and indirect heat. When your grill is ready (you should be able to hold your hand an inch above the grill grates on the hot side for only one second), remove the tenderloin from the marinade and brush the tenderloin with olive oil. 4 Sear tenderloin on all sides on high direct heat: Place tenderloin on grill on direct high heat. After the tenderloin sears on one side, turn it to sear on another side. Keep turning until the tenderloin has been nicely browned on all sides. Baste the tenderloin with reserved marinade while you grill it. 5 Move to cooler side of the grill and cover: Once all side have been nicely browned, move the tenderloin to the cooler side of the grill. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more until just done. Remove from grill when the internal temperature of the tenderloin is no more than 140°F. 6 Tent with foil and let rest: Tent with foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. 7 Slice and drizzle with reserved marinade to serve: Slice and arrange on a serving plate, drizzle with remaining reserved marinade. Serve with bok choy, rice, asparagus, or snap peas.

Looking for something quick, easy, and spectacularly delicious to grill? I recommend this pork tenderloin. Tenderloin is a little finicky, in that you do have to pay attention so you don’t overcook it. There’s not much margin for error with this cut. But the overall recipe? Easy. An asian inspired approach to grilled pork. The tenderloin is first marinated in a soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil marinade. Then you sear it on the hot side of the grill and finish it on the cool side. Drizzle with a little reserved marinade to serve! Great with rice and greens.

1 Make the pizza dough or use prepared pizza dough. 2 Prepare the grill for high direct heat. Prepare a small bowl with olive oil for greasing the grill grates and for brushing the pizza. Prepare the toppings so they are ready to go on the pizza—tomato sauce, cheese, and anything else you wish. 3 Shape the pizza dough by flattening it with your hands on a slightly floured surface. Either use your fingers to stretch the dough out, or hold up the edges of the dough with your fingers, letting the dough hang and stretch, while working around the edges of the dough. Once you've stretched the dough, let it sit for 5 minutes and then push out the edges with your fingers again, until you have a nice round shape, about 12-inches in diameter. Do not make a raised rim, it will interfere with the grilling process. Note that if you are preparing the pizza dough for a party, you can make several pizza dough rounds, stack them separated by parchment paper, and keep them in the refrigerator for up to two hours before cooking. 4 Once the grill is hot (you can hold your hands an inch over the grates for no more than 2 seconds), dip a tightly folded up paper towel in olive oil and use tongs to wipe the grill grates. Then place a pizza dough round on a lightly floured (or you can use cornmeal) rimless cookie sheet (or pizza peel if you have one). Let the dough slide off the cookie sheet onto the hot grill grates. Close the lid of the grill and let cook for 2 minutes. 5 After 2 minutes, open the grill and check underneath the dough to see if it is getting browned. If it is on one side, but not another, use a spatula or tongs to rotate the dough 90 degrees and cook for another minute. If it is not beginning to brown, cover the grill and continue to cook a minute at a time until the bottom has begun to brown. It should only take a couple minutes if you have a hot grill. The top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets. 6 Once the pizza dough has browned lightly on one side, use your cookie sheet or pizza peel to remove it from the grill. Use a spatula to flip the dough over so that the grilled side is now up. Keep the grill covered so it retains its heat for the next step. 7 Paint the grilled surface of the pizza with a little olive oil, then cover with 1 ladle of sauce – no more, or you'll end up with a soggy pizza. Sprinkle on your toppings, ending with Mozarella cheese (if using), and if using meat, put that over the cheese. Remember to go light on the toppings, or your pizza will be heavy and soggy. 8 Slide the topped pizza back onto the grill. If you are using a gas grill, reduce the heat. If working with a charcoal grill, close the vents on the cover almost all the way. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until the bottom begins to char and the cheese is bubbly. Pull off the grate with a spatula onto a cutting board or other flat surface and let rest for a couple minutes before cutting into slices. Slice and serve!

The first time I heard of making pizza on a grill all I could think of was, why would anyone want to do that? Now that I’ve done it more than a few times I can think of several reasons, the first being who wants to heat up an oven to 450°F or higher on a hot summer day? If you use a grill to make pizza, you can keep the heat outside where it belongs. Grills also better mimic a wood fired oven than your conventional indoor oven. Whether using charcoal or gas, the smoke from the grill will help give your pizza great flavor that you simply cannot get from a regular oven. It’s also easy! No, the pizza dough does not fall through the grill grates. Assuming you’ve properly heated the grill, your dough will form a lovely lightly browned crust. The trick is that you cook the plain dough first, on one side, on the grill. Then remove it, flip it, brush the grilled side with sauce and toppings, and return the pizza to the grill for final cooking. This is a quick how-to on the grilling steps. I’m assuming that you already have pizza dough ready to go, but if not, we have a great recipe here on our homemade pizza post. Here’s a suggestion. Make a double batch of the dough, then divide it, wrap it in plastic and freeze it. Then, when you want pizza for dinner, take the dough out of the freezer and put it into the fridge before you go to work, and when you come home take it out of the fridge and put the dough on the counter to warm while you heat up the grill. Updated from the recipe archive. First posted 2010.

In this recipe we sear the lamb first, on both sides, grilling on high heat for a short amount of time. Then we cook the lamb on lower heat until it is cooked through. In our opinion, the only way to eat lamb is medium rare or rare. There is nothing more depressing than dried-out, over-cooked lamb. For this reason it is essential that you use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the roast.

1 Make the marinade: Put onion, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil into a food processor and pulse to combine. (If you don't have a food processor, just chop the onions, garlic, and rosemary very well and combine with the rest.) 2 Marinate the lamb: Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper over the lamb. Place marinade and lamb into a 1-gallon freezer bag. Spread marinade over all sides of the meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. 3 Remove lamb from refrigerator and let come to room temperature (about 20 minutes). When ready to put on grill, remove from marinade bag. To help make the lamb easier to turn on the grill you can insert a couple of skewers through the lamb, crosswise. (A tip learned from Rick Rodgers in Kingsford Complete Grilling Cookbook.) 4 Prepare grill: If you are using a charcoal grill, prepare the coals so that they are double layered on one side of the grill, and sparsely single layered on the other side of the grill (this is called "banked" grilling). If you are using a gas grill, heat the grill on high on all burners to start. After the initial browning you will reduce the heat. 5 Sear the lamb: Place the lamb, fat side down, on the grill on the hot side (double layer charcoals). You will get likely get flareups, so be prepared with a squirt bottle of water or a couple of cups of water (if using a charcoal grill) to control the flames if needed. (My brother Matt swears by shaking the bottle of beer he is drinking to squirt some beer on the coals when needed for flareups.) Sear one side for 4 minutes, then flip the lamb over to sear the other side for another 4 minutes. 6 Move to cool side of grill and finish cooking: If you are using a charcoal grill, move the roast to the less hot side of the grill. If you are using a gas grill, lower the heat to low. You will want to maintain a temperature of 300-350°F. Cover the grill and let cook for an additional 35-45 minutes (depending on how thick, and how many pounds the roast is), until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 130°F (for medium rare). 7 Let rest before cutting: Transfer to a cutting board with a well to catch the juices. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Remove the skewers if you are using any. Cut across the grain, 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Serve slices on a warm platter; pour meat juices over the slices. Serve with mint jelly or horseradish. Serves 8-10.

Where to start? Somehow I suspect that the following method—fat is good, flame is good—is going to get me in trouble with some of you. But since this was the best lamb roast I’ve ever eaten in my life, I will forge ahead and tell you how we did it. The lamb roast was succulent—crusty, flavorful char on the outside, pink and tender on the inside. Note that the more fat on the lamb roast, the more likely you’ll have flare-ups when you grill. Flare-ups are okay as long as they are controlled and don’t get out of hand. Why use a butterflied the leg of lamb? A butterflied lamb roast is one that has the leg bone removed so that you can lay the roast out flat. You can do it yourself or have your butcher do it. Laying the roast flat on the grill helps it cook faster and more evenly. By the way, it used to be that people were worried about char grilling being carcinogenic. Turns out if you marinate the meat in an acid-based marinade first, you negate the cancer-causing elements. (Grillers everywhere rejoice.) Some people take offense at the very idea of using mint jelly with lamb. I wouldn’t have lamb without it. Homemade mint jelly is fantastic with lamb. And if we’re out, I’ve been known to chop up some fresh mint leaves just to go with the lamb. So, to each her own when it comes to the jelly. What is your favorite way to prepare leg of lamb?