The Grill-Up

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 Community Grill

Valerie Castellanos Clark writes, "Most cultures have some form of grilling as part of their cooking heritage—Brazilian churrasco, Mexican comal, and American cookouts. The grill is an outdoor hearth, a place for communities to bask in the joy of cooking, eating, and linking our lives.

"Recently, over three sunny weekends in Southern California, where I live, and near Fort Worth, Texas, where my mom lives, I joined three families—Mexican, Brazilian, and Polish—in their homes and observed them firing up the grill in their unique cultural ways."

Read the Story: How 3 Families Fire up the Grill in Their Cultures

Smarty Pants Grilling

Wouldn't it be so much easier if you didn't have to thaw the food before grilling? You don't! Well, not always. Writer Megan Steintrager spoke to a grilling expert and learned about nine foods that can go straight from the freezer to the hot grill.

Read the Story: The 9 Foods You Can Grill From Frozen, According to a Grilling Expert

Frozen pizza may be synonymous with last-resort, no-brainer, and too-busy-I-need-a-back-up plan-for-dinner, but it doesn't mean you can't zhuzh it up. We're not talking about extra toppings or even extra work. Simply bake your frozen pizza on the grill—it'll be crispier and pick up great smoky flavor.

Read the Story: Quit Baking Frozen Pizza—Here’s a Better Way

You text everyone to come on over for grilled burgers in the backyard. It's all fun and games until orders start flying in—medium! medium-rare! well-done! Here's a brilliant trick for keeping track of who ordered what. Plus, it's the best party trick!

Read the Story: The Genius Hack to Never Forget Who Ordered Which Grilled Burger

We love chicken kebabs, but they’re not quick to prepare. You have to cut the chicken into same-sized cubes so everything cooks evenly and you have to skewer each piece of chicken individually. Here’s an ingenious hack that makes the whole process faster.

Read the Story: The Easy Hack That Will Forever Change the Way I Grill Chicken Kebabs

Korean BBQ at Home

Irene Yoo writes, "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."

Read the Story: Irene Yoo on Nunchi and the Art of Korean BBQ

The Unexpected Grill

Hamburgers and hot dogs are summer grilling standbys, but why not challenge ourselves to think a little outside the box this summer? From grilling sweet wedges of watermelon to meatballs on a skewer, there's just so much the grill can do!

• Cedar Plank Brie

• Grilled Greek Meatballs

• Grilled Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

• Grilled Grapefruit Paloma

• Sweet & Salty Grilled Watermelon

• Grilled Banana Split

• Grilled S'mores Sliders

Hot Diggity Dog

What toppings do Padma Lakshmi, Danny Trejo, Chef Jacques Pépin, and Joy Wilson like on their grilled hot dogs? We asked our favorite food people: If you had a hot dog named after you, what would be on it? Not surprisingly, their answers were as unique as we expected.

Read the Story: Top This! Our Favorite Celebrity Hot Dog Toppings

Hot dog season is finally upon us! Perhaps you are loyal to one brand of hot dogs or you grab whatever is on sale. This should be the year you try a new dog—one you'll love forever. But how to decide? We got you! Food writer and dad Nick Evans tested seven brands with his family to find the best.

Read the Story: My Family Taste-Tested 7 Different All-Beef Hot Dogs—Here's What We Thought

Borrow this technique for butterflying and grilling hot dogs from a popular South American sandwich called choripán, and it's the only way you'll be grilling them going forward. You'll get more char and flavor and a bigger surface for all of your favorite toppings.

Read the Story: The Superior Way to Cook Hot Dogs, According to a Food Editor

One look at these spiralized hot dogs and we're already having a more fun summer! And they're more substance over form. Spiralized hot dogs give you more crispy bits and create crevices for your toppings.

Read the Story: The 3 Reasons You Should Absolutely Spiralize Your Hot Dogs

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.