The next time you grill, don't leave the vegetables behind. Yes, vegetables are grillable! What exactly makes them taste so good? The juices stay concentrated in the middle, while the outside becomes seared with smoky flavor. So why heat up the kitchen when you can do it all outdoors?
Grill Talk
Building Better Kabobs
Combine foods that cook in about the same amount of time. Or, if timing worries you, keep meats and vegetables
on separate skewers.
Cut foods in roughly equal sizes for even cooking.
If you don't have metal skewers, disposable
bamboo will do fine, especially for quick-cooking foods like vegetables
and thin strips of chicken, beef or pork. Soak bamboo in water for an
hour before cooking to keep them from burning.
How Hot Is the Fire?
Hot coals are barely covered with gray ash.
Medium coals glow through a layer of gray ash.
Low coals are covered with a thick layer of
gray ash.
More Grill Advice
Assemble everything ahead of time to avoid unnecessary trips back to the kitchen.
Keep the grill clean; charred buildup encourages food to stick. Scrub rack with a wire brush between grilling and
oil regularly.
Use vegetable cooking sprays to coat the rack and help keep foods from sticking.
Keep a spray bottle handy, filled with water, in case of flare-ups; aim where fat is dripping onto hot coals.
Use the microwave as a time-saver. Precooking chicken parts or larger cuts of meats will cut down on grilling
time without loss of flavor.
Discard leftover marinades that have been in contact with raw meat, fish or poultry.
Don't put grilled meats back on the same plate
that was used to carry raw product from house to grill.
Vegetable Grilling Guide
To keep vegetables from drying out and sticking to the grill, marinate or simply brush with a little olive oil before
cooking. Start vegetables over medium-hot coals to sear their skins (turn every 1 to 2 minutes), then remove them to the
side of the rack (over indirect heat) to finish cooking.
Use this chart as a general guide. The easiest way to tell if they're cooked is to poke them with a skewer. If it goes
in easily, the vegetables are done.
Vegetable
Preparation
Grilling Time
Artichoke
Halve lengthwise; steam or boil until just tender
8 to 10 minutes
Asparagus
Trim tough end
6 to 8 minutes
Corn
Soak ears in water 20 to 30 minutes (leave in husks)
30 to 40 minutes
Eggplant
Slice 3/4 inch thick
8 to 10 minutes
Fennel (Anise)
Remove leaves; cut bulb into quarters
10 to 12 minutes
Leeks
Halve lengthwise; rinse well
10 to 12 minutes
Garlic
Wrap whole bulb in foil; place over indirect heat
30 to 40 minutes
Mushrooms
Leave whole
6 to 8 minutes
Onions
Peel; cut in halves or quarters, then skewer
15 to 20 minutes
Peppers
Cut in halves or quarters; seed
10 to 12 minutes
Potatoes (white, yams)
Slice 1/2 inch thick
15 to 20 minutes
Squash, summer
Halve lengthwise or slice 1 inch thick and skewer
8 to 10 minutes
Tomatoes
Skewer quarters and cherry tomatoes, slice plum tomatoes lengthwise
You can also donate to help us to continue to provide our services Thanks for your support.
Clicking on these ads helps provide funds and scholarships to poor students at Pongyang Elementary School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The children there thank you for your support. And so does AsiaRecipe.com...
We know banners can be annoying at times, but we hope you will appreciate the good your support does. Thanks for your patience.
