Expect the Unexpected

While summer barbecues elicit thoughts of juicy burgers, mouth-watering steaks and fall-of-the-bone chicken, your grill is capable of more than just, well, grilling.

Those grates don’t only need to be used for slabs of meat (although that generally is a very good use for them). Getting their creative juices flowing, grill masters have added to their accomplishments by not only grilling but using their barbecue to make the unexpected such as pizzas or even desserts. Sweet or savory, there are so many possibilities that many have yet to explore. Don’t be scared to try something new or surprising, after all who doesn’t love surprises!

Be inventive and take a chance! Pizza, pies, soups, nachos—it all can be done on the grill. While we love those perfectly charred lines as much as the next person, broaden your horizons and make something new.

For a little inspiration, here’s a steamed dish done on the barbecue … using your grill to steam? Now you know how!

White Wine and Garlic Steamed Clams with Chorizo

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds manila or littleneck clams
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
  • 1½ cups dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 large slices sourdough or country bread, each about ½-inch thick

Instructions:

  1. Scrub the clams and rinse them in four rounds of cold water to remove any sand and grit.
  2. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 500°F).
  3. In a wok or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over direct medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for about 1 minute more. Add the clams and cook over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until the clams open wide, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the parsley, and season with pepper. Toast the bread over direct heat, about 1 minute, turning once.
  4. Remove the wok from the grill, discard any unopened clams, and serve right away in bowls with the bread and pan juices.