Rob, Grilling season never ends for me. Even when I lived in Northern Ontario, where it was winter 6 months of the year and often 30 below, we kept a path cleared to the grill.

The weather here on the west coast is perfect for grilling year around, especially if you have your grill under cover. Otherwise you get a little wet occasionally.

I cook so many different things on the grill that I'm not sure that only one is a favourite. Greek Ribs though would be in my top ten list.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Greek Ribs
==========
1 or 2 Racks of Baby Back Ribs
2 to 3 garlic cloves
dried oregano
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
Lemon zest (Optional)
salt and pepper
. Mince garlic and press with back of knife to turn into a paste. (or use
a microplane)

Rub ribs with garlic, rub on oregano, salt and pepper and lemon zest if
using. Squeeze juice of whole lemons over ribs a few hours before
cooking.

Note: These can be marinated earlier in the day or overnight, but do
not add the lemon juice until a few hours before grilling or the lemon
will change the texture of the meat.

Heat grill to high (both sides)

Place ribs on one side of grill and turn that side off. Cook, turning
occasionally until ribs are tender.

On my grill they take about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size
of the ribs but could take longer depending on grill being used.

My neighbor invited us over yesterday in the 90-degree weather for the first BBQ of the season here. I love bacon-wrapped shrimp too. I didn't have bacon, so I took these and they were a hit:

Herbed shrimp skewers
===============================
Soak wooden skewers in warm water.
Clean and rinse shrimp.

Make marinade: (No measurements, sorry) -
Equal amounts olive oil and lemon juice. Splash of soy or ponzu sauce. About a cup of chopped fresh herbs - I used
Italian parsley, cilantro and mint. Salt.

Marinate shrimp for half an hour to an hour.

Skewer each shrimp twice - near the top and base of tail, so that the shrimp forms a "C" shape on the skewer. For best presentation, skewer each shrimp in the same direction.

Lay skewers on a cookie sheet and pour over any remaining herb marinade. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to party. Shrimp grill very fast - a minute or so on each side will do - don't burn them or dry them out.
Party!

My DH does baby lamb chops on the grill. Delish!

Here in the Central CA valley, it can get so hot during the summer that the idea of turning on the stove or oven is anathema. We try not to use our air conditioner because my husband works out doors and it's better for him to be acclimated, and it always gives me bloody noses and a sore throat. So, during the heat of Summer, our bbq gets a good workout. In fact, I cook so many of our meals out there, that my husband strung up a line of misters to keep me cool while I cook on those 100+ days. (A good husband, I'll keep him :D )

I think our favorite BBQ meal is tri tip, veggies & potatoes, all done on the grill, very simple and tasty.

The tri tip roast (preferably NOT trimmed of all fat) is rubbed heavily with a mixture of granulated garlic & onions, paprika, black pepper & oregano. The veggies are cut in pieces large enough to turn easily and not slip through the bars(!), and the potatoes cut in steak-fry sized wedges, skins left on. Then the veggies & potatoes are tossed in olive oil, salt & pepper, fresh garlic & herbs from my garden.

The beef goes on first, over a grill heated very hot, before turning the flame to low. When it is one temp less well cooked than we want it, the potatoes go on. If it's just my husband and me, we like it med-rare, so I do this when it hits rare. I judge steaks by feel, but the layer of (by now) crispy fat interferes with my accuracy, so I use a meat thermometer.

When the potatoes are almost tender, the vegetables go on. By this time, the roast is done, so it goes on a platter to set. Veggies done, they get cut into more fork-manageable chunks. With ketchup for the "fries", horseradish sauce for the beef, and a nice tossed salad, we're set to go.

Our second favorite is Korean style chuck ribs, and I actually have written out my recipe for that. I think I posted it in this forum in another thread, but I'm not sure. Anyway, the marinade is also wonderful for thinly sliced beef, such as carne asada, in which case you can get away with a shorter marination and the cooking time is much less, of course.

Kalbiqui Korean Spiced Barbecued Beef Ribs

2 lbs beef short ribs, cut into 3 inch lengths (with bone is tastiest, but not absolutely necessary)
1 T sesame seeds, toasted and crushed
4 T soy sauce
4 green onions, white & light green parts only, finely sliced
3-6 garlic cloves, crushed & finely chopped
1 1/2 T sesame oil
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled & grated
freshly ground black pepper (I like lots!)
2 t rice wine or dry sherry (I have used dry vermouth or even once, whiskey when I didn't have the rice wine, to good effect.)
2 t sugar

Slash each rib in several places to let the marinade soak in really well. This is important as the marinade will tenderize otherwise tough meat.

Mix all the ingredients & pour over the meat, spending a little time to work the marinade into all the meat surfaces & the slashes. Marinate for at least 3 to 4 hours, preferably over night.

Heat up your barbecue & grill the beef, brushing occasionally with the leftover marinade for about 12-15 minutes on each side. Timing, of course, depends also on the heat of your grill and air temperature, but the meat should be nicely brown with just a bit of char. Also, though I generally am a rare beef gal, they really shouldn't be any more rare than medium.

These ribs are richly flavored, and a bit salty so they really need to be served with a bland side dish such as plain rice or boiled potatoes. The Koreans eat them with kimchi, rice and a couple of fresh salads, and, having developed quite a taste for kimchi myself, so do I. The amount of sugar can be increased, which will make the sauce into a sort of garlicky teriyaki, but more care with the cooking will be necessary as the sweeter marinade will burn more easily.

Another for whom grilling season never ends....but for times when the grill is surrounded by 3 feet of snow.
I am so hungry for a chicken, butterflied on the grill with just a bit of salt and pepper....but tI need to share that meal with some friends.
I would think that shrimp would be waaaay over done by the time the bacon even begins to get crisp.
I have never eaten bacon wrapped shrimp....how do you manage to get the bacon done without making little bits of rubber out of the shrimp? I don't even like bacon wrapped filet, because by the time my steak is perfect, the bacon is still white and pretty well raw.
Linda C

When I do the bacon-wrapped shrimp, I cut each slice of bacon in half, then parboil it. The bacon keeps the shrimp from drying out, and you don't cook it until crispy.

Ann, those always look so good to me and I think, I need to try that some time. But then, all of the above sounds so good! And don't get me wrong, I can bribe hubby to grill during cold weather, I just like the thought of him in the cold. In addition to partially cooking the bacon, I make sure to get the thinest I can for this dish. It ends up being a mere whisper by the time I stretch it onto the shrimp.

My favorite grilled meal is a filet of salmon, glazed with Jessica's lime chipotle glaze. Mmmm, I love it.

That said, I don't grill. Ever. My attention span is too short and it always ends up being charcoal. My very old gas grill finally bit the dust last year, after I'd replaced the burner three (yup, three) times.

I won't replace it because Elery has a gas grill,so there will be no grilling this year. Well, probably for three years, LOL, because we'll be maintaining two households and he'll be commuting for at least that long.

Annie

I don't grill. That's DH's job. He's famous for his wings. My favorite are his Mexican-inspired wings. They are marinated in a garlicky lime & cilantro sauce all day & then he bastes them just at the end of the cooking time with an ancho chili paste. Oh, soooo good with grilled corn, watermelon & cucumber salad, & black beans.

/tricia

We love to grill all year round but sometimes it just doesn't work. We prefer charcoal grill over gas so when it rains or snows it makes it difficult.

Give me a good steak with just S/P and garlic on it and grill away. Bone-in chicken breasts with melted butter, S/P and cooked (maybe some garlic added on). Pork tenderloin that has been marinated in Terayki sauce, vegetables (squash, zucch, tomatoes, onions, etc.) tossed with olive oil, S/P, garlic, herbs and grilled in my grill pan = YUM! Baby Back Ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce is wonderful. Hamburgers - nothing is better and I am not a big hotdog eater but give me one from a charcoal grill with black all around and I will like it - of course with lots of ketchup, relish and diced onions.

Steak kabobs with chunks of onions, tomatoes, peppers, zuch, squash, etc. or chunks of chicken (or shrimp). Marinate in a Balsamic/Ving. style at put on the grill. Seafood on the grill is excellent but it doesn't take long to cook them otherwise it will be "chewey."

I love fruit on the grill too - peaches especially. Just put a bit of butter on the fruit along with some sugar (or brown sugar) if you want. Wonderful charcoal grill flavor to go along with the meal.

I'm making myself hungry just thinking about this grilling season!:)

A big favorite of mine is a simple Japanese preparation called shioyaki, which means salt broiling. I like it made with a flavorful, fatty fish such as mackeral, bluefish or salmon. Of course, with those types of fish, freshness is especially important. The method can be used with just about any fish, however, and I have had good results with trout.

SHIOYAKI
**********
Whole fish are sprinkled generously with kosher salt 30 minutes before grilling. During the 30 minutes, the salt will draw some water through the skin by osmosis, firming the flesh and partly desiccating the layer of fat under the skin. Some salt will penetrate and flavor the fish.

If you have steaks or fillets, sprinkle with just the amount of salt you would use to season them well to taste, because the exposed flesh will absorb salt more readily than the skin and heavy salting will make them too salty. Again, allow 30 minutes for the salt to work.

When 30 minutes are up, brush excess salt off the whole fish or blot water droplets off steaks or fillets. Then grill over a medium fire, following the "Canadian Rule" (10 minutes cooking time for each inch of thickness). For most steaks and fillets, this will be approximately 10 minutes. Whole fish are more variable in thickness, therefore in cooking time. In the end, correct timing depends temperature of the grill and on your grilling skill.

Japanese accompaniments (miso soup, rice, daikon salad, etc.) are nice with shioyaki, but shioyaki is a good method of grilling fish for any type of cuisine.

Jim

I grill all year 'round too, except for pouring rain. A light shower won't stop me. I prefer most meats and vegetables grilled although I haven't tried fruit yet except for pineapple. I do have a gas grill and after 20 years of charcoal, it's heaven!

It's grilling season all year here.

I love to make lambchops on the grill. All I do is season them with Montreal Steak Seasoning and put them on the grill. Med/rare is the way to go!

Also love sweet potatoes on the grill. I just learned this: You poke holes in whole sweet potato with a fork, wrap in foil, poke holes in foil w/fork too. Put on grill for about 45 mins, turning every now and then. Very good!

I'm another that grills all year long..

Tonights dinner will be grilled..the meat portion anyway..

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs..

I don't follow an exact recipe..I just do it to taste. Works on any meat or fish.

Soy sauce 1/2 c or so
rice vinegar 1/4 c or so
brown sugar 1/4 c or so
garlic powder~half a palm(can use fresh in slices that can be removed)
ginger powder~half a palm (same as garlic)
water to thin 1/2 c or so
Pour off about 1 cup if you don't like to use the marinade the meat sits in to serve. Add a bit more water and simmer to a light glaze.
Soak as many chicken thighs as you can in the remaining marinade.

We call it BBQing down here. I like it all but pork products are my favorite. Whole pork shoulder well rubbed and slow cooked would have to be very near the top. Bacon wrapped shrimp are near the top too. I take the bacon and lay it on the cutting board and run the back of a knife down it until its paper thin so it will cook quickly. About the only thing I don't like cooked on the pit is fish but I think it's because I've never used the right technique. Jim's shioyaki sounds really good and I can get some decent salmon now so I think I'll try it again.

Shuan, I agree. Medium/rare lambchops are great. Everyone here loves them. Other than S&P, garlic and rosemary are good with lamb. On the grill, the smoke of smoldering rosemary will flavor the chops nicely. I brush the chops with EVOO when they are done, not at the start. It gives a better char on the surface and you end up with the nice EVOO flavor and lubrication.

Terri, terriaki (was it named for you?) chicken thighs on the grill are one of my standbys. They are so good, inexpensive and easy to do. You can't go wrong. Even kids can make them. I like to slice them up for serving. It make a nice presentation. Bottled Kikkoman terriaki sauce is good and streamlines the prep.

Jim