See How Some of Our Favorite Food Bloggers Have Kicked Off Grilling Season

published Jun 28, 2018
Post Image
Kitchn Art Director Samantha Bolton started her summer by seriously spatchcocking a grilled lemongrass and mint chicken. (Image credit: Samantha Bolton)

There are so many things to love about summer. Standing by the grill, a cold drink in one hand and a juicy burger in the other. That perfect diamond pattern seared into grass-fed steaks as you take them off the grill. The sound of charcoal being poured into a portable grill while you’re half-asleep under a beach umbrella.

What we’re trying to say is that we really love grilling—especially when we see the mouthwatering meals that some of our favorite food bloggers cooked up with the 10 meat cuts in the Ultimate Summer Grill Box. It’s one of Strauss Direct’s seasonally curated boxes of chef-quality meats delivered right to you. They also deliver both individual items and subscriptions at customizable intervals. So, let’s see what these bloggers did with their boxes…

Courtney Lopez from Courtney’s Sweets finished these half-pound grass-fed brisket burgers in a cast iron skillet and topped them with caramelized onions. She says she cooked enough for two, but we’d have a really hard time surrendering that second burger

Food stylist Elliott (one-half of Fred + Elliott) found the perfect, subtle garnish for her brisket burgers: a whole smorgasbord of heritage-breed pork brats and perfectly crispy chicken wings.

Speaking of pork brats, Brandi of CocoaAndSalt topped hers with sauerkraut and pickled vegetables. All she needs is some potato salad and top-shelf mustard, and those American-raised brats will be fully Bavarian. Guten appetit!

Loving what you’re seeing? Strauss Direct is offering Kitchn readers 25 percent off their first order with the code KITCHN25OFF. Click here to get grilling!

When you have three pounds of party wings, the only questions you need to ask are, “When’s the party, and what are we celebrating?” Bee of Rasa Malaysia would answer, “The party starts as soon as these lemongrass chicken wings finish marinating,” and, “We are celebrating the fact that these lemongrass chicken wings have finished marinating.” (Grab her recipe from her post!)

Potato salad does make a guest appearance next to the St. Louis pork ribs Dini from The Flavor Bender grilled up. These heritage-bred, all-natural ribs arrive in a three-pound package, so she had enough to share.

MomFoodie‘s Robin Gagnon served these 14-ounce long bone pork chops with charred red and yellow peppers and sauteed spinach, onions, and mushrooms. They make for a lovely photograph, but we’re marveling at the willpower it took to ‘gram them instead of diving right in.

Have you ever seen anything more perfect than the sear marks on this 10-ounce grass-fed ribeye? Photographer and nutritionist Nancy Buchanan said that her family called this beauty “tender, juicy and delicious.” She didn’t say whether or not their mouths were full when they gave the compliment.

Forget what the calendar says because it’s not officially summer until you’ve grilled at least a half-dozen hot dogs. Food photographer Rikki Snyder topped these quarter-pound all-beef hot dogs with grilled peppers, jalapenos and an unexpected choice, corn and black bean salsa.

When you have ripe mid-summer tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese, there’s nothing like a Caprese salad. Especially when you plate it directly on top of a grass-fed brisket burger, like Rachel Gurk from Rachel Cooks did.

How do you feel about putting ketchup on a hot dog? Some people love it and some loathe it (you are seen, Chicagoans), but surely we can agree that these grass-fed, 100-percent beef hot dogs will taste great under any (or no) toppings. (But we’re not turning down these mustard and ketchup dogs that Lee from Fit Foodie Finds put on her grill.)

What are your summer grilling goals?

For the past 80 years, the Strauss family has worked with America’s farmers to provide the highest quality cuts of meat to chefs, grocery stores and probably your favorite restaurant too. And now, you can get those same cuts of ethically raised, antibiotic- and hormone-free meats sent directly to your door. Kitchn readers get 25 percent off their first order from Strauss Direct with the code KITCHN25OFF.

Go ahead and light the grill: That’s what summer is all about.

This post was created by the Kitchn Creative Studio and is sponsored by Strauss Direct.
Thank you for supporting the brands that make Kitchn possible.