Grilled Pineapple

Can you tell I’m excited about barbecue season? Pineapple is my favorite non-meat item to throw on the grill. I love pairing it with grilled onions as a side dish for pork or chicken, or serving warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Grilling does wonderful things to fruit as it caramelizes the sugars and intensifies the flavor, and pineapple is perfect for this purpose since it’s firm enough to stand up to the heat without falling apart or becoming mushy in the process. Furthermore, it’s so easy to prepare it can hardly be called a recipe! Some people like to make a glaze with rum and honey and brush it on to the slices before grilling, but if you use a ripe pineapple I really don’t think it needs any embellishments.

Grilled Pineapple

• 1 ripe pineapple
• 1 hot grill

Cut the leaves off the top of the pineapple, then peel it with a serrated knife. Cut it into 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick rounds. When the grill is hot, cook the slices for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden-brown grill marks appear. Serve warm.