I’ll admit it—my eyes started to tear up a little bit. No, I wasn’t crying from sadness, but the raw onions I was chopping up to put on the grill must’ve touched a nerve.
Now that we’re moving into June it’s time to start enjoying the culinary power that’s sat untouched on your back patio for a year. Holidays like Memorial Day and July Fourth are famous for their cookouts (think beer and brats). See, that signature smoky flavor embedded in your meats is a real treasure of the summer months.
Unfortunately, the extent of most teenagers’ knowledge of cooking is how to toast a frozen Eggo waffle, or at the very most, how to prepare a box of mac n’ cheese. Let’s change that this summer; grilling’s good.
Just a few weeks ago The Washington Post reported in the food section on the power of smoke in cooking, explaining that all people love the flavor because it is “elemental” and “universal.”
Essentially, the beauty of the taste is in its simplicity. This is true of grilling as a whole. It appears difficult and labor-intensive compared to the ease of a microwave, but the reward is apparent in the first bite. Even from just the smell of smoke wafting in the breeze, that distinctive aroma calls out to people.
Whether the grill is gas or charcoal, the charred results are always delicious—the perfect balance of crisp, barbecued outside skin and tender, juicy inside meat. Of course, don’t just use your grills for steaks, wings and sausages.
Vegetables like corn and peppers take on a whole new twist when thrown on the grill. Or get creative and search a recipe online; use some pineapple, some okra or whatever you like.
The power of a grill is nearly limitless, so use it to the fullest extent possible this summer. Because, hey, there’s not much better in life than enjoying a warm summer night with friends, a cold glass of lemonade in one hand, and a plate of smoked ribs fresh off the grill in the other.
***Click here for 101 recipes for grilling.***
