Beyond Hot Dogs and Hamburgers: 5 Grilled Favorites for Memorial Day
Tara Donne
This Memorial Day weekend, as you fire up the barbecue and host the first backyard cookout of the season, think beyond basic burgers and hot dogs — though there is nothing wrong with either of those classics — and let other main dishes shine in your holiday spread. We’ve rounded up five must-try meat and fish recipes, for beef, pork, trout and more, that can be quickly and easily cooked on the grill.
The ultimate in finger-lickin’ barbecue, the Neelys’ Wet BBQ Ribs (pictured above) are juicy, succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender. The secret to cooking these saucy beauties is to grill them over indirect heat in a slow-and-low process, allowing the meat to become soft and rich. Pat recommends basting the ribs during only the final 30 minutes of cooking, so as to prevent the ketchup-vinegar-brown sugar sauce from burning.
If you’ve shied away from grilling seafood in the past for fear of delicate fish falling apart, give it a try this weekend, using Food Network Magazine’s no-fail aluminum-foil cooking technique. By wrapping up fish fillets in foil and grilling the entire pouch, the seafood is protected and can’t tear or shred on the grill. Simple, light and ready to eat in just 25 minutes, Food Network Magazine’s Citrus Trout Almondine is prepared by placing seasoned trout fillets in foil, adding crunchy almonds and refreshing orange slices and grilling until the fish is cooked and the nuts are toasted.
A go-to appetizer pick or easy dinner option, Tyler’s Grilled Beef Satay recipe uses just a handful of ingredients and requires only a few minutes on the grill. Before cooking, Tyler soaks the wooden skewers in water — so they don’t burn on the grill — and bathes the beef in a curry-scented, yogurt-ginger mixture. Garnish with fragrant cilantro and let guests enjoy the meal with their hands.
As versatile and easy to prepare as chicken, pork chops are quick-cooking, lean cuts of pork that pair well with almost any flavor. Cooking Channel’s Grilled Pork Chops With Corn, Tomatoes and Basil are first brined in a concentrated garlic-coriander-anise seed water and grilled over a combination of indirect and direct fires. Plate each juicy chop with a warm, colorful salad of sweet corn, bright cherry tomatoes, scallion greens and torn basil to complete this in-season supper.
Tara Donne
Iron Chef Marc Forgione’s easy recipe for Marinated Chicken Thighs is a party-ready dish that will wow your guests with its bold taste and texture. To prepare, Marc creates a flavor-packed combination of fresh herbs, garlic, shallots and a duo of peppercorns, and lets tender chicken thighs marinate in it overnight. When he’s ready to cook, he grills the chicken for just 7-8 minutes per side until it’s moist, tender and deliciously juicy.
Stop by Food Network’s Grilling Central to find easy recipes for Memorial Day mains, side dishes, desserts and more.