GRILLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN
Ten things to cook on the grill, all summer loooong.
If you’re charcoaling it, rip open a bag of charcoal (preferably “lump” or chunk, not pressed briquettes) and fire up 20 or so fist-sized lumps. Or rev up that propane or gas. In either case, leave one section of the grate heat-free, fire to one side only. (That’s called “the indirect method” and allows for slow-cooking or finishing of any food.)
1. Meats and fishes.
Back to basics here, back to the days of caves. Just steer to sear, or fin and gill to grill.
Grill in some smoked flavor and aroma to rich cream. Why? Read on.
2. Smokin’ cream.
And, what?!, you ask, is a pitcher of cream doing on the grill? It’s picking up some smoke so that when you add it to the mashed potatoes . . . yep, smokin’ spuds. (Use a metal pitcher or small bowl and place it over the no-fire zone of the grill while you cook the rest of the meal on the fire side.)
3. Reheating bread, baking bread and pizza pie-ing.
Crisp up the crust on day-old baguette with a few secs on the grill. You also can bake a loaf made of raw dough: Tent the proofed and risen dough and “bake” it on the no-heat side of the grill. Or, place rolled-out pizza dough on the grill until one side bakes and blisters a bit, then flip it over, put on the toppings and grill some more until done.
4. Dessert.
Toasting s’mores is a gimme, given a grill. (Looking for a less-sweet changeup? Use saltines instead of graham crackers.) But grilling ripe fruit is a nice touch, too: halves of ripe peach, cut-side down first; slices of pineapple; or a whole peeled banana. (It’s a fruit hot dog, OK?)
Use a grill pan to keep thinner vegetables from falling through the grates.
5. Vegetables.
Nearly any vegetable takes to grilling, from Colorado corn on the cob, to halves of heads of romaine lettuce or radicchio. Use a grill pan if the greens are small or thin (such as asparagus or broccolini) and could otherwise fall through the grate.
6. Foiled again.
The French prep called “en papillote” places foods inside a pouch, seals it, then bakes it. You can do the same on a grill. Making a packet out of aluminum foil is safest, plus it seals well. Filets of fish are perfect for en papillote; just close them up along with some aromatic fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, a healthy splash of extra virgin olive oil, even julienned carrot or summer squash if you like.
7. Let them grill cake.
Thick slices of pound cake or other firm-crumbed pastry take on an added dimension of flavor when grilled. Top the grilled slices with grilled fruit, too, such as large strawberries or berries grill-cooked in a grill pan.
8. The best baba ganouj.
Slowly grilling an entire eggplant makes for the best, smokiest insides for killer baba ganouj. (Pierce the eggplant in a couple places with tines of a fork so it does not burst.)
9. You can yam.
Cooking a large yam or sweet potato off to the side of the grill for a good while (depending on the size, an hour, maybe more) yields pillow-soft, smoky-flavored flesh. Eat it any number of ways, even cooled down. Buttered? Sure. But also fruity extra virgin olive oil is super too.
10. Sheet pan grilling.
Almost anything that cooks in an oven also can cook on a covered grill, especially if the grill grate is large and you use the indirect method of heating. One great way to keep heat out of the house is to do sheet pan cooking, where the entire meal is in pieces on a sheet pan and cooked together.