Summer, fall ripe for cooking over the coals

Cooking over coals is an integral part of Inner Banks cuisine. It's hard to imagine a summer or fall meal without grilled beef or pork short ribs, pork loin roasts, Cornish hens or salmon steaks.

I can't imagine a crisp fall day without the smoky fragrance of fennel, succulent mushrooms and tender sweet potatoes. If I'm planning a nice luncheon of grilled vegetables, I'll light my grill at mid-morning - beginning with vegetables that I'll serve at room temperature for lunch, then on to grilling tofu for sandwiches.

If the morning wind is gentle and coming from the north off the river or sound, the smoky essence of the grill will waft your way as you drive or walk near my home, awakening your appetite well before noon.

The choices of fuels are many, each producing a different heat and smoky aroma. I use mesquite charcoal and like the quick intensity of its heat for grilling vegetables, tofu, polenta, and bread. Oak produces wonderful coals, though I actually prefer the lighter flavor that mesquite imparts. I don't recommend charcoal briquettes, though they will certainly do, particularly if you add trimmings of fragrant wood or springs of fresh herbs or fennel.

Give yourself plenty of time to set up your grill so the coals have a chance to cool a bit before grilling. Be sure to keep your fire going - have extra charcoal or wood at hand to add to the coals as needed, keeping the fresher coals to one side of the grill and moving them toward the center as they heat.

Have everything ready before you start to grill - I brush the vegetables lightly with olive oil to keep them from sticking, and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. A pair of long metal tongs is indispensable and the best tool for handling most vegetables once they're on the grill. The same would apply for most meats. A metal spatula is handy for turning steaks, polenta and rounds of onions and helps keep the onion rings together.

A bowl of olive oil and pastry brush are useful for touching up mushrooms and vegetables that tend to dry out. Have a platter ready for family-style serving. There's nothing more beautiful than a rustic earthenware platter heaped with an array of grilled vegetables in all shapes, sizes and colors or a nice arrangement of various meats.

For wonderful flavor, brush a seasoned butter or Reduced Balsamic Vinegar generously over the vegetables and meat just before they're ready to come off the grill. Eggplant and zucchini really soak up the balsamic flavor and are particularly delicious grilled and marinated a day in advance. Layer the vegetables into a serving dish as you remove them from the grill, brushing them with more reduced vinegar if needed; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and finish each layer with a sprinkling of fresh herbs or whole leaves of basil.

Cover the dish and set the warm vegetables aside to marinate. Refrigerate overnight, but be sure to return to room temperature before serving.

Most of the summer vegetables are simply sliced and grilled, but potatoes, sweet potatoes, delicate squash, leeks and green garlic will need to be precooked. Make the most of the hot coals by grilling onions, peppers, and potatoes to be served the next day, tossed into pasta, layered on a pizza, or tossed together with sharp vinaigrette for an absolutely delicious potato salad.

The next time that you grill, impress your family and guests by serving Lemon-Marinated Chuck Roast. The tangy lemon marinade tenderizes the beef roast and adds flavor distinction. This is one of my all time favorites.

Lemon-Marinated Chuck Roast

Serves 6 to 8

Score fat edges of roast. Place meat in shallow baking dish. Combine lemon peel and juice, cooking oil, green onion, sugar, salt, Worcestershire, mustard, and pepper. Pour over roast. Cover; let stand 3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning roast several times.

Remove roast from marinade, reserving marinade. Pat excess moisture from roast with paper toweling.

Grill roast over medium-hot coals 17 to 20 minutes. Turn; cook 17 to 20 minutes more for rare to medium-rare. Heat reserved marinade on grill.

Remove roast to serving platter. Carve across the grain into thin slices and then spoon marinade over.

The following recipe for Hot-Style Eye of Round is delicious. It is ideal for buffets and cocktail parties. This was one of my father's favorites. It is very tender with dynamite flavor.

Hot-Style Eye of Round

Serves 8

Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly with tenderizer, using 1/2 teaspoon per pound of meat. To ensure penetration, pierce all sides deeply at 1/2-inch intervals with long-tined fork. In saucepan combine catsup, water, Worcestershire, garlic, chili powder, and salt. Simmer 5 minutes.

Insert spit rod through center of roast. Adjust holding forks; test balance. Insert meat thermometer near center of roast, not touching metal rod. Place medium-hot coals around drip pan. Attach spit; position drip pan under meat. Turn on motor; lower hood or cover with foil tent. Roast over medium-hot coals till thermometer registers 140 degrees for rare, about 1 1/2 hours. Brush with sauce during last 30 minutes. Heat sauce; pass with meat.

Any one that enjoys short ribs will love these. These are delicious with a very distinctive flavor. These ribs are hot and extremely flavorful. Everyone will come back for more.

Wine-Basted Short Ribs

Makes 4 servings

In large Dutch oven combine wine, thyme, garlic salt, lemon pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Add rib pieces. Cover and simmer just till tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain reserving liquid. Place ribs over slow coals. Grill till done, 15 to 20 minutes, turning ribs occasionally and brushing with wine mixture.

There is nothing any better than Company Pork Loin Roast. Your family and guests will give you raves for days to come.

Company Pork Loin Roast

Serves 8

In saucepan combine catsup, cooking oil, wine vinegar, onion, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard seed, oregano, bay leaf, salt, pepper, chili powder, and 1/2 cup water. Simmer the mixture 20 minutes; remove bay leaf.

Insert spit rod through center of roast. Adjust holding forks and test balance. Insert the meat thermometer near center of roast, not touching spit rod. In covered grill place medium-hot coals on both sides of drip pan. Attach spit; position drip pan under meat. Turn on motor; lower grill hood or cover with foil tent. Grill till meat thermometer registers 170 degrees for well-done, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Brush with sauce frequently during last 30 minutes.

This next recipe for barbecued ribs is quite simply the most delicious that I've eaten. They are classic Inner Banks grilling.

Inner Banks-style Barbecued Ribs

Makes 6 servings

In large saucepan or Dutch oven cook ribs, covered, in enough boiling salted water to cover till ribs are tender, 45 to 60 minutes; drain well.

Meanwhile, in saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot oil till tender but not brown. Stir in tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, celery seed, and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes, stir once or twice.

Grill ribs over slow coals till done, about 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Brush with sauce till ribs are well coated.

My mother's favorite grilling recipe is this one for Cornish hens. They are delicious and make an elegant and outstanding presentation. Poultry lovers will give the cook raves and ask for more!

Cornish Hens with Rice Stuffing

Serves 4.

This makes an elegant presentation!

Cook rice mix according to package directions; stir in raisins, 2 tablespoons butter, almonds, and sage. Rub cavities of each hen with salt. Skewer neck skin to back. Fill each body cavity with about 3/4 cup rice stuffing; cover opening with foil. Tie legs to tail; twist wing tips under back. Brush hens with 1/4 cup melted butter. Arrange medium-hot coals around edge of grill. Center foil pan on grill, not directly over coals. Place birds in foil pan, allowing space between each bird. Grill hens over medium-hot coals till tender, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Brush occasionally with the drippings on foil.

I hope that you give one of the recipes a try in your family kitchen. If you have a good grilling recipe to share, please send it in and I'll share it with readers.

Eddy Browning writes from the Edenton area. Reach him in care of the Sun Journal at sjfeatures@freedomenc.com.