Recipes
Recipes to Grill or Smoke in September
September is a wonderful time to renew vows with your grill or smoker. Cooler weather revives appetites suppressed by summer’s heat while gardens and farmers’ markets abound with fresh produce like tomatoes, artichokes, fennel, squash, kale, peppers, potatoes, cabbage, beets, and more. (For fresh veggie inspiration, treat yourself to a copy of Steven’s popular book, How to Grill Vegetables.)
Food holidays abound. Not only is September National Chicken Month, but September 3 is both International Bacon Day and National Baby Back Rib Day. Labor Day (September 4, often considered the unofficial end of summer, crowns that long weekend. (For two Raichlen Labor Day menus, click here.
Below are some of our favorite seasonal recipes:
Recipes to Grill or Smoke in September
Smoky Bloody Marys
Whether hosting a weekend brunch or a tailgating party, smoke-infused Bloody Marys will get the festivities rolling. A handheld smokerlike this one is a cool tool to have when making this recipe, but you can smoke the tomato juice mix on a regular smoker, too. Garnish each drink with a stick of beef jerky, a slice or bacon, or a Slim Jim.
Breakfast Pizza
Talk about a reason to get up in the morning! Bacon, eggs, and shiitake mushrooms redefine pizza. Make your own dough (give it a slow overnight rise in the refrigerator) or buy some ready-made from your local pizza joint.
Barbecue Titans’ Brisket
Even the most casual internet search of “barbecued brisket” will turn up the names of two iconic restaurants, Franklin’s Barbecue in Austin, Texas, and Fette Sau (aka “Fat Pig”) in Brooklyn, New York. A coffee-inflected rub from the latter and a complementary barbecue sauce from the latter make this brisket extraordinary. Leftovers? Unlikely, but see the next recipe.
Brisket and Bean Nachos
This was a huge hit with the crew when we made it on the set of Steven’s show, Project Smoke. We abhor wasted food, so turned some brisket leftovers into one of America’s favorite appetizers, nachos, ingeniously layered in a springform pan. Leftover steak would work just as well.
Grilled Venison Loin with Honey, Juniper, and Black Pepper Glaze
Admittedly, we rarely have access to game meats; the iguanas and peacocks that wander into Steven’s Miami yard are safe. However, if you have deer or elk meat in the freezer (a new hunting season is coming up), here’s a great recipe for the loin or backstrap. (You can substitute beef, too.)
Spit-Roasted Chicken with Pan-Roasted Root Vegetables
This embraces the best foods of fall. A plump chicken is spit-roasted, anointing root vegetables with its dripping, flavorful fat. A green salad rounds out the meal.
Grilled Vegetable Salad
The tsunami of vegetables in gardens and markets now are put to use in this colorful salad. Can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature.
What is your favorite dish for fall? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or Instagram!