Steve Raichlen's Ultimate Grilling Contest

¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 strips of lemon zest
3 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, or a mix of all four
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Combine lemon juice, pepper flakes, pepper and salt in a nonreactive (glass, ceramic or stainless steel) bowl and whisk until salt dissolves. Add lemon zest, garlic, parsley and basil. Stir or whisk in olive oil. The virtue of this marinade is its freshness: Use it within 1 to 2 hours of making. Stir again before using. Makes 1 cup.

Recipe by Steven Raichlen.

2 pounds (40 to 50) mussels in the shells
1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
Melted butter, for serving

2 quarts dried pine needles
2 13 x 9–inch aluminum foil pans

1. Scrub mussels well with a brush under cold running water, discarding any with cracked shells or shells that fail to close when tapped. Using needle-nose pliers, pull out and discard any clumps of black strings at the hinges of the mussels. Using a metal skewer or an old pointy knife, poke 1/2-inch holes, spaced 2-inches apart, in the bottom of one of the aluminum foil pans.

2. Fill perforated foil pan with pine needles; they should be loosely mounded rather than tightly packed. Arrange mussels on top.

3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high. There is no need to oil the grill grate.

4. When ready to cook, place pan on hot grate. The pine needles will start to smoke and catch fire after a few minutes. If you’re working on a gas grill, you may need to use a butane match or lighter to help ignite pine needles. Once pine needles have caught fire, place second foil pan over the mussels and pine needles. Grill mussels until shells open and bivalves are cooked, 5 to 8 minutes.

5. Once mussel shells begin to open, sprinkle mussels with raspberry vinegar. Cover mussels again and grill 1 minute longer. The vinegar is optional, but it adds an extra dimension of flavor.

6. Transfer smoking, steaming pan to a heatproof platter and serve mussels at once, discarding any that have not opened. Eat the mussels with your fingers right out of the pan. Serve with melted butter, if using. Serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main course.

Recipe by Steven Raichlen

Steaks:
4 (10 to 12 ounce) T-bone steaks, cut about 1 inch thick
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
Cracked black pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced crosswise
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1. To grill steaks, build a charcoal fire and rake coals into an even layer. When coals glow orange, fan with a newspaper to blow off any loose ash.
2. Generously season steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Place steaks directly on embers about 2 inches apart. Grill until cooked to taste, 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare, turning with tongs.
3. Using tongs, lift steaks out of fire, shaking to dislodge any embers. Using a basting brush, brush off any loose ash and arrange steaks on a platter. Let steaks rest loosely tented with aluminum foil.
4. To make sauce, heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet directly on embers, on side burner of a gas grill or on stove. When oil is very hot, add jalapeños, garlic and cilantro. Cook over high heat until sauce is aromatic and garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Immediately pour sauce over steaks and serve at once. Serves 4.

Recipe by Steven Raichlen

1 ripe pineapple
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Vanilla or crème brulee ice cream
1 bunch fresh mint

spiral cuts to remove the eyes.
2. Place sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl; stir to mix.
3. Set up grill for spit-roasting following manufacturer’s instructions and preheat as hot as it will get.
4. Thread pineapple onto rotisserie spit crosswise so spit passes through middle of fruit and ends will be closest to the fire. Working over a tray or sheet pan, sprinkle about half the sugar mixture on all sides and the ends of pineapple, crusting it as thickly and as evenly as possible.
5. When ready to cook, attach spit to rotisserie mechanism and turn on the motor. Spit-roast pineapple until it is darkly browned on outside. This can take as little as 10 minutes or as long as 20 depending on how hot your fire is. (I suggest doing this on a charcoal-burning rotisserie, which gets hotter than a gas one. Keep the grill covered, which will make it hotter, still.) Halfway through spit-roasting, brush pineapple with melted butter and sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over it.
6. Place pineapple on a cutting board. Remove spit and slice pineapple crosswise. Serve hot with ice cream and a sprig of fresh mint. Serves 4 to 8.

Recipe by Steven Raichlen