F&W’s Nick Fauchald uses his grill to cook big, brawny cuts of beef, delicate little chops—and a tin of muffins. For him, each recipe includes at least one clever shortcut.

1. Try Big Cuts for Big Parties

Large cuts of meat feed a crowd with relatively little effort. Beef tenderloin cooks quickly, and pork shoulder almost cooks by itself.

• Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Ancho-Jalapeño Butter
• Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

2. Use Thin Cuts for Everyday

Slender cuts like veal scallopine, beef skirt steak and lamb rib chops save time, since they take only a few minutes to grill.

• Veal Scallopine with Charred Cherry Tomato Salad
• Lamb Chops with Harissa-Yogurt Sauce
• Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde

3. Use the Grill as a Stove

Using the grill as an oven (to bake muffins) and as a stovetop (for fondue) prevents lots of repeat trips from the grill to the kitchen.

• Grill-Roasted Bacon-and-Scallion Corn Muffins
• Chocolate Fondue with Fruit and Grilled Pound Cake

4. Plan for Leftovers

The leftovers from one meal (like Grilled-Chicken Banh Mi) become the basis for the next one (like Vietnamese Chicken Salad).

• Grilled-Chicken Banh Mi
• Vietnamese Chicken Salad

5. Try Smoky Ingredients

Take advantage of the flavors of ingredients like smoked almonds and smoked trout, and you don’t even need to grill.

• Grilled Tuna with Smoked-Almond Romesco Sauce
• Pan-Fried Smoked-Trout Cakes with Lemony Salad

Published June 2008