4 Recipes to Spice Up Your Summer Grilling

Nothing says summer quite like the sounds and smells of the grill. A juicy sizzle and a waft of hickory set the perfect scene, just before you share a memorable summer meal in the backyard with loved ones. It's all a part of summer, and arguably the best part. Summer meals mean taking the cooking outdoors. But grilling doesn't mean you're relegated to smothering sauce on a hunk of meat.

You can spruce up your al fresco meals with flavorful alternatives to the traditional grilling experience. Give these grilling accessories a go with these delectable recipes, perfect for firing up the barbecue.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsps chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 onion, cut into wedges and separated
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 10 cherry tomatoes

Instructions:

1. In a shallow dish, mix together olive oil, cumin, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and mix well. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
2. Preheat grill for high heat.
3. Thread chicken, zucchini, onion, red bell pepper, and tomatoes onto skewers.
4. Brush grill with oil and arrange skewers on hot grate. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, turning to cook evenly.

COOKING TIP: Once you're done grilling, you can serve these tasty kabobs with tortillas and rice or pick one of your favorite dishes to serve on the side. Add Monterrey Jack or Cotija cheese for a cheesy effect, if you like.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
• 3/4 cup kosher salt (plus more for seasoning)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 small red onion
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Barbecue sauce

Instructions:

1. Remove chicken from its packaging and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Discard giblets and trim any excess fat.
2. In a large pot, mix one gallon of cold water with 3/4 cup kosher salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved to create the brine.
3. Submerge the chicken in the brine and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
4. Just before removing the chicken, dice the onion, garlic, and cilantro. Mix together and set aside.
5. Take the chicken out of the brine mixture and rinse thoroughly to remove all excess salt. Pat dry.
6. Carefully stick your fingers between the skin of the chicken and the breast meat to create an opening. Stuff the vegetable mixture beneath the skin of the chicken and rub it inside the chicken as well. Season with extra salt and pepper.
7. Truss the chicken with cooking twine. This is important for sealing the cavity of the chicken to ensure even and slow cooking.
8. Make sure the drip pans are in place to catch drippings and prevent flare-ups. Set the grill for medium-high to high heat and preheat to 375°F (190°C).
9. Securely clamp the chicken between the spit forks and turn on rotisserie motor.
10. With a basting brush, thoroughly coat chicken with the barbecue sauce of your choice. You will want to baste the chicken (with sauce and drippings) at 20 to 30 minute intervals throughout the cooking process.
11. Let chicken cook over indirect heat until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F and has a deep golden skin (1 to 2 hours).
12. When finished cooking, remove the chicken from the rotisserie spit and let it set at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. This will give the chicken time to reabsorb its juices.
13. After the chicken has sufficiently rested. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound flank steak, skirt steak, hanger steak, or flap meat, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (divided)
• 1/3 cup shaoxing wine or dry sherry (divided)
• 2 tbsps corn starch
• 1/3 cup low-sodium homemade or store-bought chicken stock
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 green bell peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch squares (about 2 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch squares (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch strips from pole to pole (about 1 1/2 cups) 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 2 tsps)
• 2 tsps finely minced fresh ginger
• 3 scallions, whites only, finely minced
• 4 tbsps vegetable, peanut, or canola oil
• Kosher salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine beef, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon xiaoshing wine in a bowl and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature and up to 3 hours.
2. Meanwhile, combine remaining soy sauce with corn starch and stir with a fork to form a slurry. Add remaining xiaoshing wine, chicken stock, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper. Set aside. Combine peppers and onions in a bowl and set aside. Combine garlic, ginger, and scallions in a bowl and set aside.
3. To Grill with a Wok Insert:
1. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals in a pile on center of cooking grate. Place wok in center.
2. Add oil and heat until smoking. Add beef and cook, stirring and tossing until beef is lightly charred but still pink in spots, about 1 minute.
3. Push beef to sides of wok to clear space in center. Add peppers and onions and cook, stirring vegetables in center until lightly charred, about 30 seconds. Toss with beef and push up sides of wok.
4. Add garlic/ginger/scallion mixture to center of wok and immediately push all ingredients into center, tossing and stirring until beef is cooked through and vegetables are just barely tender, about 30 seconds longer. Stir sauce and pour into wok (it should immediately start to boil).
5. Toss all ingredients to coat in sauce and cook until lightly thickened, about 30 seconds.
6. Carefully transfer to a serving platter and serve.
4. To Cook on a Burner:
1. When ready to cook, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add half of beef and cook without moving until well seared, about 1 minute. Continue cooking while stirring and tossing until lightly cooked but still pink in spots, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon of oil and remaining beef, adding beef to same bowl.
2. Wipe out wok. Repeat with 1 more tablespoon oil and half of peppers and onions. Transfer to bowl with beef. Repeat with remaining oil and remaining peppers/onions. Return wok to high heat until smoking.
3. Return peppers/onions/beef to wok and add garlic/ginger/scallion mixture. Cook, tossing and stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add sauce and cook, tossing and stirring constantly until lightly thickened, about 45 seconds longer.
5. Carefully transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
• Tomato sauce or pesto sauce
• Shredded Mozzarella or other firm grating cheese (or sliced fresh Mozzarella)
• Favorite toppings (such as arugula, olives, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and prosciutto)

Instructions:

1. Put your pizza stone on the center of the grill. Turn the grill to the highest setting. For a charcoal grill, get the charcoal going. Close the lid to the grill.
2. Divide the pizza dough into 2 equal balls. Lightly coat pizza peel with flour. Roll out one ball of dough into a very thin circle (9 or 10-inches in diameter) that is slightly thicker around the edges for the crust. As you are rolling, periodically check to see that the dough isn't sticking at all. If it is, scatter a little more flour on the board.
3. Once the dough is rolled out, jostle the pizza peel to be sure the pizza will be able to move freely off the board when the time comes. Lightly brush or spoon tomato sauce or pesto sauce onto the pizza, leaving the crust free of sauce.
4. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the pizza and finish with favorite toppings.
5. Once the pizza oven is piping hot, open the lid and carefully transfer the pizza from the peel to the stone. Tilting and jiggling the peel as you transfer the pizza will help it along.
6. Shut the lid and bake until the dough is firm and crusty and the cheese is bubbling. This can go as quickly as a couple of minutes. Once done, use tongs to pull the pizza off the grill onto a cutting board.
7. While the first pizza cooks, assemble the remaining pizza on the peel.