It’s Grilling Week at Kitchn!
The sun is shining, the grass is growing, Memorial Day is coming: Guess what time it is? Time to LIGHT. IT. UP. The grill, I mean. Those of us with big boxes o’ fire on our porches, decks, and patios are turning on the grill and getting ready to apply fire to food. It’s the smokiest, happiest time of the year — and this week we’re going deep on the fired-up kitchen.
But wait, you say: I am a little bit nervous around my grill. Or maybe you only get to grill somewhere other than home (the park, the pool). Or maybe you, like me for so long, think of the grill as a one-dimensional tool for basic summer food: burgers, brats, and dogs.
There is so much more to the grill, and if you’re on the fence about buying one perhaps we can convince you this week to take the plunge. (If you’re in the market, this Weber model is the one I have, and I love how compact it is while still holding a remarkable amount of food at once. The folding side tables are a nice touch.)
The grill, after all, is good for so many things beyond weekend cookouts. Let me count them off for you.
- Weeknight Essentials: First, it’s the easiest way to cook the simple things I love to eat each week, from chicken thighs to veggies. This week we are sharing some truly hands-on, helpful how-to recipes on how to grill chicken and other basics like a pro. And remember: The grill is so much easier to clean up than your stove.
- Meal Prep: Next, the grill is the secret to really easy, fabulous meal prep. One of our favorite ways to meal prep is just to marinate and quickly prep food for the grill. Throw it all on as you walk in the door from work and you have zero weeknight prep — no-muss, no-fuss weeknight meals. This month we’re sharing a few Power Hour Meal Prep Plans specifically tailored to grilling.
- Eat More Plants! And last but decidedly not least, the modern grill cook understands that the grill is the secret to eating the way we all want to eat: more plants, more vegetables, more flavor. We are expanding our grilling repertoires this week with surprising, inspiring vegetable-first recipes, and hosting a lively conversation between two cooks and authors that we admire who both add a lot to the conversation about shaking up our palette (and palates), thanks to the grill.
Whether you’re a grilling noob or a seasoned pro, we’d love to hear from you as we roll out Grilling Week. Come play with fire with us and tell us: What do you need and want to feel more at home at the grill this summer?