Grilled Pineapple

This is another recipe that's so simple, it's barely a recipe. When it's grilling season*, I always pick up a pineapple at the grocery store so I can make this as a quick side disk.

*Yes, I know it's not grilling season. I apologize if you've been puzzled by my choice of January recipes. I always get the urge to grill at this time of the year. I think it's how I cope with seasonal affective disorder. Or it's cabin fever. Either way, I have fun!

Natalie, my daughter, loves this dish. She's a small five year old, and will seemingly eat her body weight in pineapple.

Recipe:Grilled Pineapple

Ingredients:

1 Pineapple

Trimming the skin off the pineapple

Directions:
1. Clean and cut the pineapple: First, trim the top and bottom off the pineapple. Then, stand it up on its end and, using the "eyes" you can see on the top as a guide, cut a strip of the pineapple's skin off from top to bottom. Now you should be able to see the depth of the eyes in the pineapple; cut another strip of skin off, and keep turning and cutting off the eyes until you have removed all of the skin. Then, put the pineapple on its side and slice into 1" thick slices.

2. Grill the pineapple: Preheat your grill to direct medium. Put the pineapple slices on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes, or until slightly browned. Flip and brown the other side, another 5 minutes or so.

3. Serve!

Variations:
*Mix a 15oz can coconut milk with 2 tablespoon sugar, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved in the cocounut milk. Baste the pineapple as you grill it with the coconut/sugar mix.

Notes:
*The pineapple has a very woody core, which is inedible. If you have a 1.5" to 2" pastry ring, you can core the pineapple before grilling. Use the pastry ring to punch out the woody core. If not, either cut the core out of the pineapple before serving (I use a tic-tac-toe pattern to give me 8 chunks, leaving the center core), or just leave the slices whole and let your guests trim the core out themselves.

*It's not a requirement, but I usually carve the pineapple with a bread knife; the long blade with a serrated edge works well with the tough pineapple skin.

Questions? Comments? Other Ideas? Leave them in the comments, below.

Related posts:
Click here for my other grilling recipes.

Inspired by:
Steven Raichlen's How To Grill