Labor Day has a complicated history. The working class already had a day celebrating the worker before this one came along—May 1, International Workers’ Day, which the rest of the world recognizes as Labor Day—but Mr. Grover couldn’t leave well enough alone. All that aside, I’m glad you have the day off, and I think you should spend at least some of it grilling.
I do all my outdoor cooking over a charcoal grill, but you are certainly welcome to adapt any of the following for your gas grill or smoker. No matter your skill level, we’ve got a grilling recipe you can execute with confidence. You won’t find any hamburgers or hot dogs on this list; you’ve probably got a handle on those. (We’ve even got a couple of vegan-friendly options, if that’s your bag.)
Herby, cheesy grilled sausage bread
Photo: Claire Lower
This smashed and grilled sandwich is a perfect combination of meaty, cheesy, salty, and herby. Every bite is packed with flavor, and the recipe is so simple, you can swap out the cheese and sausage to create bespoke combinations. (You can even make a breakfast version, if you want to throw a Labor Day brunch.)
Garlicky charbroiled oysters
Photo: Claire Lower
Inspired by Drago’s in New Orleans, I cook these buttery bivalves over my charcoal chimney, which provides the blast of super intense heat required to get those shells nice and smokey. Serve with crusty bread for soaking up the oyster-garlic butter, and an icy cold glass of crisp, white wine.
Grilled pizzas
Photo: Claire Lower
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by DIY pizza making. People get heated about the dough, but I circumvent that whole discussion by purchasing pre-made stuff from the grocery store. The key to grilling great pizzas lies in patience and preparation, but once you master the rhythm, it gets much more fun and a whole lot easier. My personal favorite involves grilled pineapple and slices of prosciutto, draped on just before serving so the fat softens, but doesn’t cook.
Bacon-wrapped fish that won’t stick to the grill
Photo: Claire Lower
Thin strips of salty bacon do two things in this recipe: Protect the fish, keeping its delicate skin from sticking to the grill grates, while subtly infusing it with smokey, meaty flavor. It also keeps any stuffing—fresh herbs, lemon slices, sliced ginger root—securely inside the fish. There’s no flipping involved. Season your fish, stuff it with stuff, wrap it in bacon, and let it cook positioned away from the hot coals while the bacon crisps, which takes about 20 minutes.
The juiciest charcoal-roasted duck
Photo: Claire Lower
Duck has a reputation for being fussy, but all that fat makes it a perfect candidate for haphazardly tossing on the grill. Rather than get all French with it, and cook the breast and legs separately, this recipe uses low, slow heat to gently melt the fat throughout the entire bird, rendering it unbelievably moist and tender, even when the breast meat climbs above the French-mandated medium-rare.
Easy smoked pork shoulder
Photo: Claire Lower
My desire for smoked pork, with a beautiful bark and pink smoke ring, is what inspired me to purchase my Weber Kettle in the first place. People can get weird about smoked meats, but don’t let anyone intimidate you. Let me walk you through the process of smoking your first pork shoulder, and you’ll realize it’s a pretty low-key cooking method (with high-key delicious results).
Garlic-packed smoked lamb
Photo: Claire Lower
If you can smoke a pig shoulder, you can smoke a sheep shoulder. The procedure is nearly identical—only this hunk of meat is packed with minced garlic and fresh herbs. (I developed the recipe for Easter Sunday, but I don’t see a reason to limit lamb to any one holiday.)
A whole rotisserie chicken
Photo: Sam Bithoney
You’ll need to get a rotisserie kit to beat Costco at their own game, but the succulent, savory chicken is worth the price of admission. If you have any leftover—and I doubt you will—rotisserie chicken makes an incredible next-day chicken salad.
Smoked chicken pieces
Photo: Claire Lower
If you don’t feel like investing in any special equipment, or simply prefer one part of the chicken to the rest, you should grab your favorite chicken pieces and give them a good smoking. Breaking down the bird lets you cook it faster and more evenly, and you can pull the parts off the grill as they hit their perfect temperature, rather than wait for the dark meat to catch up to the breasts.
Sous-vide’d and smoked steak
Photo: Claire Lower
I won’t lie: This recipe is involved, long, and totally worth it. If you’re going to shell out the cash for a ribeye, it deserves to be cooked with care and attention, and you’ll end up paying a lot of attention to this steak. You’ll start with a dry brine, then you’ll sous vide, chill, smoke, and sear, to make one of the juiciest, most flavorful pieces of beef you’ve ever put in your mouth.
DIY shawarma
Photo: Sam Bithoney
This is another recipe that requires a spit, but that just means you have two reasons to buy one. (In case you forgot: The other one is rotisserie chicken.) Choose your marinade or rub, stack your meat on the spit, then get to spinning.
Smoked gazpacho
Photo: Brent Hofacker (Shutterstock)
Your garden is a great source of salad ingredients, but right now, at this very moment, it is brimming with produce that longs to be transformed into a smokey gazpacho. Even underripe tomatoes are rendered flavorful by this method, which is almost too easy to warrant the title of “recipe.”
Vegan Cevapi With Impossible Meat
Photo: A.A. Newton
Roasted vegetables are divine, but vegans deserve something substantial and meaty, even if the “meat” is fake. These Balkan-style “sausages” are made with your alt-meat of choice and a whole lot of raw garlic, and cook up just like the “real” thing. (Sneak one on a carnivore’s plate and see if they clock it as vegan.)
