Gonzo Grilling

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People tend to think (shrimp) are delicate. They are actually very forgiving.

— Cheryl Jamison, grilling cookbook author

Standard Techniques Still Work

Cheryl Jamison and her husband, Bill, are James Beard Award-winning authors who have produced nearly a dozen cookbooks including "Good Times, Good Grilling: Surefire Recipes for Great Grill Parties" and "Born to Grill: An American Celebration." Cheryl Jamison, who lives outside Santa Fe in Tesuque, New Mexico, uses gas and charcoal grills, a wood-burning oven and a smoker. But she says the average backyard grill can serve most of the same functions as her quartet of fiery tools.

Jamison's technique on her patio is the same no matter what she is grilling: timing, temperature and tools.

"Once you put it on the grill, don't move it for at least a minute," Jamison said. "Don't play with the food too much."

Her method works on items you aren't likely to find on the grill, such as oysters in the shell. Jamison suggests that you arrange a dozen or so on the grill, deeper side down, on high heat. Leave them on the grill for five to 10 minutes until they pop open. Serve them drizzled with a mixture of red wine vinegar, shallots, salt, pepper and a bit of lemon zest. If the shells don't pop, discard them.

Whether you try oysters or buffalo steaks, Jamison offers her guideline. "Generally, turn it so that each surface faces the fire twice," Jamison said.

If you try those buffalo steaks, keep in mind they are much lower in fat than their beef counterparts and must be watched more closely to prevent burning, she said.

Grilling Veggies

Michele Cody uses her grill to transform flavors, too. Cody, a development director for a nonprofit organization in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has owned a restaurant and worked as a food writer. "I have visited a whole lot of kitchens all over the world to learn about food," she said.

Along the way she has tried grilling a range of foods. Among her favorites are radicchio and endive.

"Radicchio, when it is raw, is very bitter. But when you grill it, it becomes so sweet," she said.

Cody cuts the radicchio into quarters and grills it with cut sides down for just a few minutes, until the outer leaves become soft. She mixes it with strips of mango and finely diced white onions and tosses the mixture with a little salt and olive oil, then serves the resulting mango slaw with grilled chicken sausages.

Rubs the Right Way

Jamison's spice rubs transfer nicely to new dishes. She has used ground coffee beans with a sprinkle of sugar for a caramelized crust on pork or quail. For fruit she uses cinnamon or allspice. The crusty outer surface helps keep the inside moist. "It complements everything," she said.

One of her favorite fruit desserts is grilled peaches, apricots and cherries served on a piece of lightly grilled pound cake.

If you aren't comfortable grilling fruit, start with something easy, such as pineapple spears on a medium to medium-low heat, she said. After the initial searing, the length of time any fruit is left on the grill is up to the cook.

"Fruit is done when you say it is done," she said.

Experiment with different oils on fruit. Jamison uses almond or light vegetable oil or even honey butter.

Grilling the Whole Meal

To do an entire meal on the grill instead of just the entree, Jamison suggests using different temperatures. Start a vegetable on medium heat on one side and grill your entree on higher heat, which is perfect for shrimp. "People tend to think they are delicate," Jamison said. "They are actually very forgiving."

Jamison coats the shrimp in a Romesco sauce, which includes olive oil, red peppers, tomatoes and almond oil. "It intensifies the flavor," she said, tweaking it but not changing it.

Whether she's cooking exotic fare or old standards, Jamison bypasses the familiar oversized grilling tools, which she considers too big and awkward. Instead, she opts for three basic tools: tongs, a spatula and small grill grates for fruits and vegetables instead of skewers.

With all these new food options, grilling might become a favorite way to cook, not just reserved for steaks and burgers. "It is a fun and freeing cooking technique everyone can enjoy," Jamison said.

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