8 Grilling Recipes For Your Summer Cookout | Our State (2024)

Baked & Grilled Barbecued Ribs

Yield: 2 to 3 servings.

1 rack baby back pork ribs
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 250°. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, black pepper, lemon pepper, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper.

Place ribs on aluminum foil, meat side down. Prick back of rib rack several times with a knife. Generously apply dry rub to all sides of rib rack.

With meat side down, fold foil around rib rack to create a tight seal. Transfer to sheet pan. Bake until tender and cooked through, about 2 hours. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes.

Preheat grill to medium or about 350°. Open foil and discard juices and fat.

Place ribs, meat side up, on grill for 10 minutes, and brush a layer of barbecue sauce on meat side only. Repeat grilling and brushing with sauce 4 more times, for a total of 50 minutes.

Cut rack into individual rib segments and serve with more barbecue sauce.

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Grilled Beef Kebabs

Yield: 4 servings.

1 pound new potatoes, washed
2½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (4-ounce) beef filets, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 lemons, halved or quartered (for garnish)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender and parboiled, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain well. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Set aside.

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for a few minutes. Season steak cubes on all sides with salt and pepper. Thread potatoes, steak, onion, and bell peppers onto skewers and brush with marinade.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place kebabs onto grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the steak is cooked through to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for rare, 7 to 8 minutes for medium rare, or 8 to 10 minutes for medium. Garnish with lemons. Serve immediately.

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Grilled Beef & Bacon Burgers

Yield: 6 servings.

1½ pounds ground beef
½ cup onion, finely diced
2 slices bacon, finely diced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1¼ cups fresh, soft bread crumbs
1 large egg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 slices cheese (optional)
Hamburger buns
Toppings and condiments

Combine ground beef, onion, bacon, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix with hands until blended. Shape ground beef mixture into 6 patties.

Oil grill grate and heat half of it to high or about 400° to 450°. The other half of the grill should be low heat.

Place burgers on the high-heat side and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until well browned. Move them to the low-heat area and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until each burger has reached an internal temperature of 160°. Top with cheese, if desired, and let sit for 1 minute. Serve on buns and add your favorite toppings.

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Grilled Amberjack with Citrus

Yield: 6 servings.

½ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
¼ tablespoon dry white wine
2 pounds amberjack fillets, or 3 medium to large whole cleaned fish
Kosher salt to taste
3 tablespoons lemon pepper
Ground black pepper to taste
2 limes, sliced (for garnish)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together orange, lime, and lemon juices; olive oil; and white wine. Place the fish into a large glass baking dish and season with salt and lemon pepper on both sides. Pour juice mixture over fish and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill to high. When the grill is hot, scrape the grate clean and oil the grate.

Place fish on the grill and discard the marinade. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and add salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with lime slices.

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Grilled Snapper with Melon Salsa

Yield: 6 servings.

For the salsa:
1 cup peeled English cucumber, diced
1 cup cantaloupe, diced
1 cup honeydew, diced
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the fish:
Vegetable oil
6 (4- to 6-ounce) snapper fillets (about 2 pounds)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa: Combine all of the ingredients in a large glass bowl and toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the fish: Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high (about 375° to 425°) or a grill pan over medium-high heat and rub the grill or grill pan with a towel dipped in vegetable oil. Coat both sides of the fish with oil and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Place the fish on the grill and cook until dark grill marks form, about 3 minutes. Turn fish with sturdy metal spatula and grill until the fillets are just cooked through and opaque, about 3 minutes more.

Transfer the fish to individual plates, top each fillet with salsa, and serve.

Note: Snapper, grouper, and yellowfin tuna may be found in season during August.

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Grilled Summer Vegetables

Yield: 6 servings.

2 pounds assorted vegetables, trimmed and halved or cut into 2-inch pieces (we recommend carrots, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, and red or sweet onions)
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
¼ cup parsley leaves, chopped
Lemon wedges (optional)

Place the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add vegetables to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high or about 400°. Add denser vegetables like carrots to grill first. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the rest of the vegetables.

Cook vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until browned and tender. Place vegetables on a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges if desired.

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Grilled Pineapple with Basil Vinaigrette

Yield: 6 servings.

1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut in 1-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, cut in ½-inch-thick slices
Olive oil

Vinaigrette:
1 bunch (approximately 1 cup) fresh basil, sliced
½ cup orange juice
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat grill to medium or about 350°. In a small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Set aside.

Brush pineapple and onion slices with olive oil, place on the grill, and brush again with oil. Grill for 2 minutes on each side.

Arrange pineapple and onion slices on a serving platter. Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

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Grilled Peaches with Goat Cheese & Honey

Yield: 4 servings.

4 large, ripe peaches, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces plain goat cheese, crumbled
4 teaspoons honey
Juice from 1 lemon
½ cup chopped pecans Rosemary sprigs (for garnish)

Prepare grill for medium-high heat with no flame. Scrape grate clean.

Brush inside of peach halves with melted butter and place facedown on grill. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until grill marks are visible. Remove from grill.

To serve, place 2 halves on each salad plate, top with crumbled goat cheese, and drizzle with honey and lemon juice. Sprinkle pecans over cheese and garnish with rosemary sprig.

Note: If not using a grill, place buttered peach halves in a hot cast-iron skillet on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcrowd pan.

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