You Go, Grill!

My husband and I recently refurbished our outdoor gas grill. We've done this several times before, opting to install new components rather than trash the whole thing. This time, the overhaul was a little more extensive than prior rebuilds and took a little longer (thanks, supply chain!). After starting disassembly and placing an initial order for at least half a dozen parts, we discovered more components that needed replacing and had to send for new back panels and a new drip tray.

From the time I removed the rusted-out burners until the new firebox was installed, I lost about 7 weeks of prime summer grill time.

Once everything was finally pieced back together and fully operational, I was gunning to make up for lost time. I mean, I started grilling everything. If I ate it, I grilled it. Tomatoes! Lemons! Salad! Strawberries! Cake! And, of course, I grilled fish, meat and LOTS of chicken.

I could eat chicken every day, especially off the grill. It takes on a wide variety of seasonings incredibly well, and there are tons of ways to enjoy it – warm or cold, sliced atop a salad or grain bowl, on pasta or in a sandwich. The key, for me, is to always marinate it. Even a quick 15 minutes is enough to turn plain chicken into perfect poultry.

My formula for a Basic Wet Rub is simple to customize to work with whatever direction dinner takes. I start by drizzling my chicken – whether bone-in, boneless, breasts, thighs or drums – with oil before seasoning to taste with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and white or brown sugar. (Sugar – just a pinch per piece of protein – is optional, but I find it really balances out the flavor and helps produce a nice caramelized crust.) I almost always use granulated garlic and onion (fresh garlic burns easily) plus some dried oregano or marjoram. From here, I'll simply add the herbs and spices best suited to my supper. Measuring only with my heart, I'll add the following to push whatever flavor profile I'm partial to.

Basic Wet Rub

Listed in proportional order from most to least:

Italian

Dried parsley and basil plus crushed red pepper and extra oregano

Mexican or Southwestern

Ancho or chipotle chile pepper • sweet paprika • ground cumin • fresh lime zest • extra oregano and sugar

Mediterranean or Greek

Your choice of dried rosemary, dried thyme or fresh mint • dried or fresh parsley • fresh lemon zest

Blackened

Dried thyme • smoked paprika • cayenne • ground cumin • a pinch of nutmeg • extra sugar

This same formula works on practically any meat or seafood, including salmon, shrimp, pork chops, ribs and even steak. Winter is coming, so get out there and get grilling!