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Barbecue. Grill-out. Cook-out. Whatever part of the country you hail from and whatever words to use to describe it, the warm weather tradition of taking the kitchen to the great outdoors is as old as cavemen and as deeply a part of summer as roasting a turkey is the essence of Thanksgiving.
For those less inclined to cook in an indoor kitchen (how mundane), summer barbecues are the height of yearlong cooking activity. Considering how many people save up their cooking skills in the winter, waiting to unleash them over hot coals come summer, I would much rather give the task of grill-manning over to the seasonal cooks and relegate my own duties to the delicious bits and nibbles to serve along side.
When devising an accompanying spread of sides there are a few things I consider:
1. The grill takes priority. For instance, if I had planned on charred corn-on-the-cob, I’ll check with the head griller to make sure there is space and timing can be worked in with the overall meat or fish plan.
2. Grilling is a leisurely activity. People tend to eat meat as meat comes. In turn I make sides built to withstand potential long waits at room temperature, whatever “room temperature” the mercury decrees on barbecue day.
3. Grilled meats and even fish are at their best when fatty. Luscious marbled steaks, plump sausage, rich cuts of salmon all take well to intense heat and smoke, avoiding the dried out pitfalls of leaner cuts. Which is probably why some of the best and oft used sides zip with acidity to cut through all that luscious dripping fat along with some sweetness to provide balance.
Now consider some of the most popular barbecue sides: baked beans, watermelon, corn-on-the-cob, coleslaw, three-bean salad. The first three fill the role of sweet, the latter two the tangy, acidic elements. All of these can be made off the grill and served at room temperature. But put your thinking cap on for a second and sweet dishes can be given a hit of tanginess and sides you might never have thought of grilling can find the heat of the grill.
Take watermelon, the sweet essence of a summer barbecue on its own. Cut into cubes and toss with crumbled feta, torn mint, pumpkin seeds for crunch and a drizzle of olive oil, suddenly I have a complex side dish that fills in the sweet-tangy-salty-herbaceous notes that makes for a complete barbecue meat accompaniment all on its own.
When it comes to coleslaw, I prefer my shredded cabbage coated in vinaigrette over creamy dressing. Lately it has become a bit of a trend in restaurants to serve salads made of lightly grilled greens like kale and escarole. There is no reason that same technique cannot work for cabbage, one of the sturdiest of them all.
When it comes to sharing the grill space, I’ll talk the head griller into letting me go first. The cabbage, cut into quarters with the core still intact, needs no more than a couple minutes per side over hot goals to infuse with the desired smokiness. At that point the cabbage is free to hang out at room temperature until cool enough to handle. I’ll remove the core, finely shred and toss it with some other interesting julienned vegetables like jicama then give the whole bowl a coating of vinaigrette, one with a punch of acid from citrus and sherry vinegar plus a spicy kick of cayenne.
Grill fired up, meat in place, I let the seasonal griller have his space. Instead I give love to the sides and find a place for sweet and salty watermelon, grilled salads, and whatever other creative side dishes I can dream up, all complimenting the smoke and heat that define summer eating.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
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On the Side, All Fired Up
Barbecue. Grill-out. Cook-out. Whatever part of the country you hail from and whatever words to use to describe it, the warm weather tradition of taking the kitchen to the great outdoors is as old as cavemen and as deeply a part of summer as roasting a turkey is the essence of Thanksgiving.
For those less inclined to cook in an indoor kitchen (how mundane), summer barbecues are the height of yearlong cooking activity. Considering how many people save up their cooking skills in the winter, waiting to unleash them over hot coals come summer, I would much rather give the task of grill-manning over to the seasonal cooks and relegate my own duties to the delicious bits and nibbles to serve along side.
When devising an accompanying spread of sides there are a few things I consider:
1. The grill takes priority. For instance, if I had planned on charred corn-on-the-cob, I’ll check with the head griller to make sure there is space and timing can be worked in with the overall meat or fish plan.
2. Grilling is a leisurely activity. People tend to eat meat as meat comes. In turn I make sides built to withstand potential long waits at room temperature, whatever “room temperature” the mercury decrees on barbecue day.
3. Grilled meats and even fish are at their best when fatty. Luscious marbled steaks, plump sausage, rich cuts of salmon all take well to intense heat and smoke, avoiding the dried out pitfalls of leaner cuts. Which is probably why some of the best and oft used sides zip with acidity to cut through all that luscious dripping fat along with some sweetness to provide balance.
Now consider some of the most popular barbecue sides: baked beans, watermelon, corn-on-the-cob, coleslaw, three-bean salad. The first three fill the role of sweet, the latter two the tangy, acidic elements. All of these can be made off the grill and served at room temperature. But put your thinking cap on for a second and sweet dishes can be given a hit of tanginess and sides you might never have thought of grilling can find the heat of the grill.
Take watermelon, the sweet essence of a summer barbecue on its own. Cut into cubes and toss with crumbled feta, torn mint, pumpkin seeds for crunch and a drizzle of olive oil, suddenly I have a complex side dish that fills in the sweet-tangy-salty-herbaceous notes that makes for a complete barbecue meat accompaniment all on its own.
When it comes to coleslaw, I prefer my shredded cabbage coated in vinaigrette over creamy dressing. Lately it has become a bit of a trend in restaurants to serve salads made of lightly grilled greens like kale and escarole. There is no reason that same technique cannot work for cabbage, one of the sturdiest of them all.
When it comes to sharing the grill space, I’ll talk the head griller into letting me go first. The cabbage, cut into quarters with the core still intact, needs no more than a couple minutes per side over hot goals to infuse with the desired smokiness. At that point the cabbage is free to hang out at room temperature until cool enough to handle. I’ll remove the core, finely shred and toss it with some other interesting julienned vegetables like jicama then give the whole bowl a coating of vinaigrette, one with a punch of acid from citrus and sherry vinegar plus a spicy kick of cayenne.
Grill fired up, meat in place, I let the seasonal griller have his space. Instead I give love to the sides and find a place for sweet and salty watermelon, grilled salads, and whatever other creative side dishes I can dream up, all complimenting the smoke and heat that define summer eating.
Grilled Red Cabbage and Jicama Coleslaw
Made with Kosher salt, olive oil, red cabbage, vegetable oil, jicama, white onion, sherry vinegar, lime juice, ground cumin, cayenne pepper
Made with Kosher salt, olive oil, red cabbage, vegetable oil, jicama, white onion, sherry vinegar, lime juice, ground cumin, cayenne pepper
Serves/Makes: 8
- 1 medium head red cabbage
- vegetable oil
- 1 medium jicama
- 1/2 medium white onion
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Preheat a grill.
Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage if wilty or damaged. Cut cabbage into quarters leaving the core intact. Brush cut sides with vegetable oil. Place the cabbage cut side down on a hot grill for about 2-3 minutes per cut side, just enough to infuse with smoke and get a light char without having the cabbage collapse. Remove from heat and let cool.
When cabbage is cool enough to handle, remove the core and discard. Cut each quarter crosswise to finely shred. Place cabbage in a large bowl.
Peel jicama. Using a mandolin or sharp knife cut into thin sheets. Cut each sheet into thin batons. Cut batons to form a julienne about one inch long. Add jicama to the bowl with the cabbage. Cut onion into quarters then thinly slice. Add to the bowl.
In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, lime juice, cumin, cayenne, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour just enough of the vinaigrette over the coleslaw to lightly coat. Toss the veg with the vinaigrette and the chopped cilantro. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve at room temperature.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1273-all-fired-up/