x

The Best BBQ Delivered to You!

Sign up here for Steven’ Raichlen’s weekly Up in Smoke e-newsletter (and get a free ‘Best Burgers’ e-book!).


Menu

Hot Stuff

8 Recipes You’ll Want to Grill or Smoke in July

Mid-summer is the perfect time to get out of the kitchen. Instead, take the party outdoors. Burnish your grilling and smoking skills by adding new recipes to your repertoire. Below are eight recipes that showcase seasonal fruit and vegetables while demonstrating what a difference wood smoke makes!


Top 8 Things to Grill or Smoke in July

1. Smoked Nectarine Bellinis

Smoked Nectarine Bellinis

Though traditionally made with peaches, this sophisticated Bellini cocktail features one of summer’s most luscious stone fruits, nectarines. It was a hit with students at Barbecue University, recently completed at the Montage Palmetto resort in Bluffton, South Carolina. They sugared and smoked the nectarines until they were lightly caramelized, then added the puree to bubbly Italian prosecco.

Get the Recipe »

 

2. Smoked Deviled Eggs

Smoked Deviled Eggs

These are not your grandma’s deviled eggs! Burnished with wood smoke, their savory filling topped with appealing, barbecue-centric garnishes like brisket and pulled pork, these eggs just might become a staple at your cookouts. Pro-tip: For the creamiest filling, push the cooked egg yolks into a mixing bowl through a fine mesh strainer with the back of a spoon before blending with the mayonnaise and other ingredients. Or use a small food processor.

Get the Recipe »

 

3. South African Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Rooster Brodje)

Attend a proper braai in South Africa, the birthplace of live-fire cooking, according to anthropologists, and you’ll likely be served a grilled cheese, bacon, and tomato sandwich (known as rooster brodje) with your first beer. A slather of fruit chutney—Major Grey’s or a local favorite, Mrs. Ball’s—nod to the British Empire’s historical influence over the region. Grilled directly on a grill grate or on a plancha or cast iron skillet, the sandwich can also be served on its own as a light lunch, dinner, or midnight snack.

Get the Recipe »

 

4. Grilled Asparagus and Corn Salad with Charred Lemon Vinaigrette

Grilled Asparagus and Corn Salad with Charred Lemon Vinaigrette

You’ll be glad you braked for that fresh farm stand corn when you taste this bright, citrusy salad. Dressed with an Asian-inflected vinaigrette, it comes together in minutes. Though it’s great with grilled or barbecued meats, this salad’s substantial enough to serve as a vegan entrée.

Get the Recipe »

 

 

5. Bell Pepper Salad with Capers, Pine Nuts, and Feta

The jewel-like colors of bell peppers—red, orange, green, yellow, and even purple—are at their beautiful peak in July, and too alluring to pass up. We love to roast them, caveman-style, in the embers of a mature fire before peeling and seeding. Drizzled with a simple vinaigrette and topped with capers, currants, feta, and pine nuts, this salad will become a family favorite.

Get the Recipe »

 

6. Peruvian-Style Spatchcocked Chicken with Aji Amarillo Sauce

Peruvian-Style Spit-Roasted Chickens with Aji Amarillo Sauce

One of Peru’s most beloved dishes—chicken roasted over wood or charcoal fires and served with a creamy chile- and herb-inflected sauce—was actually created by a Swiss immigrant, Roger Schuler. You can find take-out versions of this dish, called pollo a la brasa, in communities with high populations of Peruvian immigrants, such as Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. While not traditional, this succulent chicken is spatchcocked rather than spit-roasted. But the flavors are spot-on authentic. Especially if you enhance your fire with Barbecue Essentials Wood Chips and Chunks

Get the Recipe »

 

7. Grilled Tuna Tacos

Grilled Tuna Tacos

There are fish tacos…and there are fish tacos! Raise the bar with these upscale tacos made from seared sushi-quality tuna steaks. Top with shredded cabbage, tangy cilantro lime sauce, and fresh pico de gallo. Accompany the tacos with a pitcher of refreshing Mezcalinis or margaritas in salt-rimmed glasses.

Get the Recipe »

 

8. Smoky Bourbon Peach Cobbler

Smoky Bourbon Peach Cobbler

The design impresario of Kalamazoo Gourmet, Russ Faulk, combines peaches (in season now) with bourbon, brown sugar, and pecan wood smoke in this superlative cobbler. (The recipe first appeared in his book, Food + Fire.) Pair it with smoked vanilla ice cream (find the method here) or whipped cream.

Get the Recipe »

 

What are you grilling this month? Share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram!