Grillin' season

Charcoal or gas?

When it comes to backyard barbecues, that simple choice can start fights among grown men toting slabs of steak.

Regardless of your personal choice -- the convenience of gas compared to the authentic taste of charcoal-cooked meat -- the summer was meant for grilling and barbecuing, from wings to chicken to steaks.

With Memorial Day here, many neighborhoods will be filled with the smoky smell of backyard barbecues. Grilling, it seems, is as much a ritual of summer as the grass turning green.

A good barbecue starts well before the briquettes are lit. Homemade marinades and rubs can make chicken, fish, pork or beef even better when placed on the hot grill. Barbecue sauces made from scratch can lend a sweetness to barbecued meats, and can be served as condiments when the grill gets extinguished.

Choices are many when it comes to the main dish. Poultry is tough to beat, but some would argue that a juicy steak on the grill is the best food around. Still others will make a case for grilled salmon or halibut steaks.

While meat is the typical barbecue fare, roasted vegetables can compliment the main course, and roasted fruit can even make a great grilled dessert.

If you need more inspiration to dig the grill out, check out www.barbecuebible.com for a complete list of recipes and tips.

Below are some favorite recipes from grillers around the country.

Some recipes require a lot of preparation, but the joy of grilling is that if you don't have the time, it can be as easy as flopping a steak on the grill.

Memorial Day barbecue recipes

Lip smackin' barbecued chicken recipe

3 pounds chicken pieces

1/2 cup Italian dressing

1/2 cup bottled chili sauce

1 tablespoon molasses or Dark corn syrup

If desired, pull off and discard the skin from the chicken. Place the chicken in a shallow dish and brush with 1/4 cup of the Italian dressing. Refrigerate, covered, up to three hours. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1/4 cup Italian dressing, chili sauce and molasses, and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for five minutes. Grill the chicken over medium coals, turning two or three times, for 15 minutes. Brush with some of the sauce and continue to grill, turning and brushing two or three times, until chicken is tender, juices run clear and meat is no longer pink, 10-15 minutes.

Coca-Cola

barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Bay leaf, crumbled

2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup Coca-Cola

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 teaspoons wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook one minute. Add garlic and cook four minutes longer. Do not brown. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, one hour. Brush on chicken during final 10 to 15 minutes of grilling.

Tomato-cucumber relish

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

4 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 roasted red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup cider vinegar

4 tablespoons honey

Salt to taste (optional)

In a medium-size bowl, combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, red pepper, green onions and parsley. Mix together the vinegar and honey in a small saucepan, cook for a few minutes. Pour over the vegetables. Mix well. Serve with turkey tenderloins. Remove the tenderloins from the heat and let stand a couple of minutes. Cut into 1-inch diagonal slices. Makes 4 servings.

The above recipes are from Al and Abigail's Country Place.

Barbecued

cedar-planked salmon

1 untreated cedar plank (about 16 inches by 8 inches)

1 whole salmon fillet, skin on, 2 to 3 pounds and about 16 inches long

1/4 cup white wine

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Salt

In a container large enough to hold the plank, immerse the plank in water for one hour or longer (you may need to weigh it down). Lift the plank from the water and rinse it before grilling. Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, on a baking sheet with sides. In a small bowl, mix together the white wine, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the salmon. Cover the salmon with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Uncover the salmon and place it, skin side down, in the middle of the plank. Cook the salmon (on the plank) until just opaque at the thickest part, 30 to 40 minutes, brushing with barbecue sauce during the last 10 minutes. The internal temperature should be 145 degrees. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

Grilled new potatoes with parsley-chive pesto

1/2 cup stemmed parsley sprigs

1/2 cup minced fresh chives

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

12 small (about 2 inches) red new potatoes, scrubbed

To make pesto, puree parsley and chives together in a food processor to make a paste. Add lemon juice and Parmesan and process again. With the machine running, pour olive oil through the feed tube until thoroughly incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to 2 small bowls. Slice each potato at 1/8-inch intervals to create accordion-like slits, taking care not to slice all the way down the bottom of the potatoes. Each potato should have 6 or 7 slices but remain intact. Using a pastry brush, brush half of the pesto generously in between the slices on each potato and over the outer skin to infuse with flavor. Making 4 packets total, wrap 3 potatoes tightly in foil. Grill the potato packets until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully remove from the foil, top with remaining pesto and serve at once. Serves 4.

Recipes courtesy of Weber-Stephen Products Co.