Chapter 9: Mastering Vegetables and Other Sides

Appears in

Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking

Published 2007

About

Veggies on the Grill

Vegetables come in all shapes, sizes, and densities. Each one requires a slightly different preparation. And some vegetables can be grilled in more ways than one. For instance, eggplant can be sliced and grilled over direct heat to keep the slices intact, or whole eggplant can be grilled with indirect heat so you can scoop out the softened flesh from the skin. Sliced sweet potatoes can be grilled over direct heat, or you can bury whole sweet potatoes in the coals and eat them out of their skins like a baked potato.

In general, most vegetables should be grilled quickly over a medium-high fire. It helps to add some fat and flavor, so we recommend brushing or tossing most vegetables with oil and sprinkling them with salt and pepper or the spice rub of your choice (see Chapter 11 for various rubs). We prefer to grill whole vegetables or large pieces directly on the grill grate. This method works well for lengthwise slices of zucchini or eggplant, quartered bell peppers, quartered onions, and lengthwise slices of fennel. For smaller pieces, such as crosswise slices of zucchini or unpeeled garlic cloves, a grill screen coated with oil prevents the pieces from falling into the fire (for more on grill screens and grill trays).

Here are general prep guidelines and cooking times for various vegetables. All cut vegetables should be washed, trimmed, and tossed with oil and the seasonings of your choice before grilling. For the larger vegetable pieces listed in the chart, we recommend grilling the vegetable and then cutting it into bite-size pieces after cooking. All vegetables listed below are cooked over direct medium to medium-high heat, turning once or twice during cooking, until just tender and grill-marked. Some whole vegetables are left unseasoned and are grilled by indirect heat; those are noted in the chart. Check out the recipes throughout this chapter for more creative ways to flavor and serve grilled vegetables.