Growing up I always thought my mom wasn’t cool because she used a homemade chimney starter to light the charcoal in her grill. That was two major strikes against her: charcoal instead of gas, and a chimney starter instead of lighter fluid.
Now that I’ve spent the last few months learning from the master griller Steven Raichlen, I realize my mom was not lame at all. She knew that grilling with charcoal can produce complex, rich, smoky flavors that gas can’t duplicate.
It’s that same pure charcoal grilling that’s going to drive my Memorial Day cookout. I’m taking inspiration from Steven’s Ultimate Grilling Menu to impress my friends this year. We’re not only going to grill with coals, but right on them! We are tossing the grate aside and throwing steak on the coals, corn on the coals, and pretty much everything else that looks fresh and hearty at the farmer’s market–right on the coals.
Hopefully my guests will leave with ideas of their own, and then enter them in Steven’s Ultimate Grilling Recipe Contest. I know my hungry friends have some clever ideas brewing. How about you?
Delicious recipes for Memorial Day grilling
Caveman T-Bones With Hellfire Hot Sauce (on the coals)
Mussels Grilled on a Bed of Flaming Pine Needles
How to Grill Corn
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