INTRODUCTION
When the weather is nice, gathering with friends and family outdoors transforms a meal into a
party. From spring to fall and all the warm weather in between, eating alfresco, or in the open air,
celebrates the foods of the season. A lazy afternoon picnic in the park, a fun-filled family barbecue,
a beachside bonfire, or even just dinner out on the deckeach of these settings conjures joy and
happiness.
Within these pages, youll find recipes for both classic and updated favoritesfrom starters and
salads to mains, sides, and dessertsthat are great for dining outdoors. Kick off your meal with grilled
asparagus with lemon-herb mayo, summer ceviche, or delicate ricotta and pea crostini with tarragon.
Vietnamese-inspired summer salad rolls or pesto chicken sandwiches would be perfect picnic fare,
and a lingering lunch under a shady tree could feature herbed quinoa with green onions, cucumber,
and avocado and crab cake burgers with green goddess and watercress.
Grilling takes center stage when eating outdoors. Memories of backyard barbecues featuring bone-in
rib eyes with chimichurri and bacon burgers with grilled onions and roasted tomato dressing, biting
into buttery-sweet Oaxacan-style corn, or saucy fingerprints left behind from mountains of smoke-
kissed ribs bring up the days of summer. Round out a summer alfresco meal with slices of blackberry
slab pie or big squares of smores brownies eaten around the firepit.
When the weather warms and in temperate climates, the opportunity to celebrate, gather, and eat the
best of the seasons bounty presents itself. Make the most of it with this cookbook as your guide.
GRILLING
Eating outdoors often includes a grill, and whether you opt for charcoal or gas, a round kettle
or a small hibachi, youll find that few cooking tools are as versatile or handyor can flavor
food as successfullyas an outdoor grill.
CHARCOAL GRILLS
GAS GRILLS
Cooking over a live fire with charcoal is gratifying but a bit
Gas grills use propane instead of charcoal to create fire
more work than a gas grill. However, the satisfaction and
and are both convenient and flexible. They can run from a
flavor of charcoal cant be beat. Charcoal grills come in
no-frills cart to a gadget-filled mini kitchen. Choose a model
many shapes and sizes, from small picnic grills to party-size
that has at least two burners, but if you plan to do indirect
ranch kettle models. Look for a well-built, high-grade steel
cooking, three to four burners will give you better control.
grill with a lid and at least two vents to control airflow and
Models with angled metal plates covering the burners
temperature. For many, the most useful size and model
are particularly effective and reduce flare-ups. Shoot for
is the standard 22-inch kettle. Many charcoal grills can be
cooking racks that are stainless steel, stainless steel with a
easily converted into smokers for slow low-heat cooking.
powder paint finish, or cast iron. Some models also include
smoker boxes, which are handy for low and slow barbecue,
like brisket and ribs.
LIGHTING A CHARCOAL GRILL
The easiest way to light a charcoal grill is to use a chimney
starter. Lightly stuff a few sheets of wadded up newspaper
LIGHTING A GAS GRILL
in the bottom of the chimney under the rack (alternatively
Turn on the gas and light the burners according to the
you can use paraffin cubes). Fill the top of the chimney
manufacturers instructions; its as easy as that! Turn on
starter with charcoal briquettes, then place on the lower
each burner to high (or as many burners as needed for what
grill rack. Light the paper or cubes and the airflow will
you are cooking), close the lid, and let the grill preheat for
take care of getting the coals lit. Once the coals are filled
10 to 15 minutes. Remember to brush the cooking grate
with gray ash, after about 15 minutes, carefully pour out
clean before using.
the charcoal in the configuration you desire (see Grilling
Methods, ). Place the cooking grate over the
coals, close the lid, and let preheat for about 10 minutes.
Remember to brush the cooking grate clean before using.
grilling 101
GRILLING METHODS
Two general methods are used in grilling: direct and indirect. Direct-heat grilling is used for
hot and fast grilling, or food that will be cooked directly over the fire. Indirect-heat grilling is
used for foods that either cook partially over direct heat and then finish cooking off heat, or
foods that are cooked entirely off heat at lower temperatures.
DIRECT GRILLING
When food is placed directly over the fire of a charcoal grill
or the heat elements of a gas grill, it cooks relatively quickly,
usually in less than 20 minutes. The intense heat sears and
caramelizes the surface, boosting the flavor. This is the most
common type of grilling and ideal for burgers, steaks, pork
chops and tenderloin, boneless chicken pieces, kebabs, fish
fillets, shrimp, and vegetables. A lid will help to reduce flare-
ups and control the temperature. If you plan to swab the food
with a sugary sauce, do it just before it comes off the grill so
the sauce doesnt burn from exposure to the intense heat.
To set up your charcoal grill for direct grilling, pour the
charcoal into the center of the heat grate, or to the side,
covering half to two-thirds of the grate. You can also add
the charcoal to baskets and center them in the grill.
To set up your gas grill for direct grilling, turn on burners
as needed for the amount of food you are grilling.
INDIRECT GRILLING
For large cuts of meat, like whole chicken, beef or pork roasts,
leg of lamb and bone-in chicken pieces, or when smoking,
indirect heat is the preferred way to go. Here, the food is
placed away from the heat source, so it cooks from reflected
heat. Sometimes, food like a thick steak or bone-in chicken
is first seared over direct heat and then moved to the indirect
area to finish cooking at a lower temperature. Other cuts, like
whole chicken or large roasts, cook entirely on the indirect
heat area of the grill, relying only on the radiant heat to cook it.
To set up your charcoal grill for indirect grilling, arrange the
hot coals on two sides of the grill so that the center of the
grill bed is not delivering direct heat, or arrange the coals
on one-half of the grill bed, leaving the other half free. Place
the food above the indirect space and cover the grill when
cooking, or according to the recipe directions.
To set up your gas grill for indirect grilling, make sure the
burners underneath where the food will go are off and turn
on burners on one or both sides of the indirect area. For a
two-burner grill, turn on one burner and grill on the opposite
