The Grill-Up

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Table of Contents
A Note From Us The Community Grill Smarty Pants Grilling The Unexpected Grill Korean BBQ at Home Hot Diggity Dog

A Note From Us

Portraits each of Ariel Knutson and Myo Quinn on a yellow to white gradient background

An outdoor grill is summer incarnate. As the days get longer, our goal is to soak up the sun, shroud ourselves in smoke, and end the day giddy and with our bellies full. At the park or in our backyards—it doesn’t matter. As long as there’s something good on the menu. 

Instead of using the grill for just the basics—like burgers, steaks, and corn—in this digital issue, Simply Recipes will help you take your grilling game to the next level in simpler, faster, smarter, and more delicious ways. As busy folks, we know you’ll appreciate our editor Laurel Randolph and writer Megan Steintrager's brilliant tips for grilling frozen meals—no thawing necessary because who has the time? And since hot dogs are always a family-favorite, we found two superior ways to grill ‘em up for maximum char and flavor.

Our editors at Simply Recipes believe that simple recipes are best, but we want to shake up our grilling routine without too much effort or stress. So we created new options: unexpected, but easy-peasy recipes for appetizers, sides, desserts, and even a cocktail on the grill, like a Paloma with grilled grapefruit and tear-apart s’mores made with sweet rolls. We can’t name a kid—or a kid-like adult—that would turn down this treat. 

And though the love for melty marshmallows and chocolate and char-grilled foods are universal, we know that grilling looks and feels different across cultures. In “The Community Grill,” writer Valorie Castellanos Clark explored how families gather around the grill to share their cultural heritage. She watched the Ayalas’ grill whole spring onions on a comal and the Monteiro family’s picanha enveloped in fire and smoke. In “Nunchi and the Art of Korean BBQ,” writer Irene Yoo uncovers the secret (hint: watch carefully) to grilling spicy pork bulgogi and stuffing ssam in your mouth in one go.

Your turn: Light up the grill, gather your friends and family, and enjoy every bit of summer for all it’s worth. Happy grilling 2.0!

-Ariel Knutson, Editorial Director, and Myo Quinn, Senior Editor

The Pfeffer parents and their three children play outside alongside a table of food
"When the summer sun streams down, and the afternoons linger like old friends catching up, I remember the smell of smoke and sunscreen and the feeling of bonding. Under the blue skies, the grill connected me to my Salvadorean family."

Smarty Pants Grilling

Grilled steak and corn on a platter
The 9 Foods You Can Grill From Frozen, According to a Grilling Expert
Pizza on cutting board
Quit Baking Frozen Pizza—Here’s a Better Way To Cook It
labeled burger buns
The Genius Hack to Never Forget Who Ordered Which Grilled Burger
skewered chicken kebabs
The Easy Hack That Will Forever Change the Way I Grill Chicken Kebabs
Grilled cedar plank brie, topped with blackberries and served on the plank with crostini
Grilled Cedar Plank Brie
Platter of Grilled Meatballs With a Small Bowl of Tzatziki, All on a Blue and White Stripped Kitchen Towel
Grilled Greek Meatballs
Portobello mushroom pizza with pepperoni on the grill
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Pizzas
Triangles of grilled watermelon with small bowl of spice mix, sprig of mint and lime wedges alongside
Sweet & Salty Grilled Watermelon
Grilled Banana Split Topped With Chocolate Sauce, Peanuts, Whipped Cream, and Three Maraschino Cherries in a Banana Split Dish
Grilled Banana Split
Two Salt Rimmed Glasses of Grilled Grapefruit Paloma With Two Grilled Grapefruit Slices on the Glass Rim Next to More Slices of Grilled Grapefruit on a Small Tray, and in the Surroundings, a Bottle of Club Soda and a Cream Pitcher
Grilled Grapefruit Paloma
Side View of Grilled S'mores Slider on a Wooden Board
Grilled S'mores Sliders
Two woman enjoying Korean BBQ
Irene Yoo on Nunchi and the Art of Korean BBQ "As a kid sidling up to dinner, there was nothing odd about Umma (my mother) firing up a portable camp stove right on the table, when the kitchen stove was six feet away. Even though she had already washed the lettuce leaves and made the jjigae—Korean for “stew”—in the kitchen, the main part of the meal had to be cooked where we sat down to eat, because when Koreans barbecue, the eating and grilling happens at the same time."
Spicy pork bulgogi on a platter, surrounded by condiment bowls
Spicy Pork Bulgogi
Close-up: Cast Iron Skillet With Korean Corn Cheese Topped With Sliced Green Onions and a Spoon (After Some of the Korean Cheese Corn Was Served)
Korean Corn Cheese
Overhead View of Doenjang Jjigae in a Clay Pot on a White Kitchen Towel and Surrounded by a Bowl of Rice, a Small Bowl of Sauce, and a Wooden Spoon
Doenjang Jjigae

Hot Diggity Dog

Top This! Our Favorite Celebrity Hot Dog Toppings
hot dog brands on counter
My Family Taste-Tested 7 Different All-Beef Hot Dogs—Here’s What We Thought
spiralized hot dogs on a platter
The 3 Reasons You Should Absolutely Spiralize Your Hot Dogs
split hot dogs on a platter
The Superior Way To Cook Hot Dogs, According to a Food Editor

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