The Top Preferred Grilled Meats:

• Grilled Dogs with Creole Sauce

• Grilled Hot Dog and Fruit Kabobs

• Sausage and Vegetable Kebabs with Mustard Sauce

• Jamaican Jerk Burgers with Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise

• Beef and Andouille Burgers with Asiago Cheese

Grilled Dogs with Creole Sauce

Serves 9

Ingredients:

5 slices bacon, diced
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes 
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10 hot dogs or knockwurst
10 hot dog buns, split
NOTE:  1-1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning blend may be substituted for the listed seasonings. 

Directions:

1. Cook bacon over medium heat in a heavy skillet. Cook until crisp. Remove and reserve bacon.
2. Drain all but 2-teaspoons bacon drippings. Add onion and green pepper and cook until soft. Stir in diced tomatoes, all spices and seasonings. Reduce heat, cover and gently simmer for 15 minutes.   
3. Preheat a gas, charcoal or electric grill for the direct grilling method, using medium heat. Place hot dogs/wurst on grill rack, about 4 to 5 inches from the heat. Cook hot dogs/wurst over direct medium heat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. 
4. During last 3-4 minutes, open hot dog buns and lightly toast buns over indirect heat. 
5. Place hot dogs/wurst into heated buns. Ladle Creole Sauce over hot dogs/wurst.  Sprinkle with chopped reserved bacon.
   
   
   Recipe courtesy of the American Meat Institute.

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Grilled Hot Dog and Fruit Kabobs

Yield: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 medium tart crisp apple (such as Gala), quartered and cored
1 medium crisp pear, quartered and cored
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks in natural juices
1/2 cup sweet honey mustard, DIVIDED
1 (16-ounce) package hot dogs, cut in 1 and ½ -inch pieces
8 (12-inch) metal or wooden skewers (if using wooden, soak in cold water for 30
minutes)
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

1. Cut apple and pear quarters into thick wedges. Then cut each wedge in half.
2. Measure 2 tablespoons pineapple juice and reserve in a small bowl. Pour pineapple chunks and remaining juice into a 9 X 12-inch pan. Add apples and pears to juice and toss to coat all surfaces. (This will prevent the fruit from turning brown). Add 1/4-cup mustard and hot dog pieces. Stir to coat all surfaces.
3. Alternately thread hot dogs, apples, pears and pineapple on skewers. Liberally brush assembled kabobs with mustard mixture.
4. Mix remaining 1/4 cup mustard with honey and reserved 2 tablespoons pineapple juice. Save for a dipping sauce.
5. Preheat a gas, charcoal or electric grill, to cook kabobs using the direct heat method. Cook, using medium-high heat, about 5 inches from heat. Turn a quarter of a turn every 2 to 2 ½ minutes. Cook until hot dogs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 8 to10 minutes.
6. Serve kabobs with mustard dipping sauce.

Recipe and photo courtesy of the American Meat Institute.

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Sausage and Vegetable Kebabs with Mustard Sauce

Portion: 4 entrees

Ingredients:

4 12-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 pound FRESH BRATWURST OR ITALIAN SAUSAGE LINKS, cut into 3⁄4 inch slices (slice through the casings)
1 large red bell pepper, washed, seeded, de-ribbed and cut into 1 inch squares
1 small zucchini, washed, ends removed and cut into 3⁄4 inch slices
12 firm cherry or grape tomatoes, washed

Directions:

1. Mix the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and pepper together in a small bowl.
2. On each skewer, alternately thread the sausage and vegetable chunks, beginning and ending each skewer with red pepper cubes. Leave a small space between the sausage pieces so the sausage will cook through.
3. Brush the mustard mixture onto the sausage and vegetables.
4. Prepare the grill and set to a medium heat. Grill the kebabs on an oiled rack, about 6-8 inches from the heat. Using tongs, turn the skewers every 5 minutes and continue to cook for a total of 18 to 20 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through to 160 degrees F. internal temperature.
   

Recipe and photo courtesy of the American Meat Institute.

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Jamaican Jerk Burgers with Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
6 sesame-seed hamburger buns, toasted
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, sliced
6 romaine lettuce leaves

Orange-chipotle mayonnaise
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chilies*

Jerk sauce
1 bunch green onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 hot jabonero or 2 hot jalapeno chilies, seeded, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:
For orange-chipotle mayonnaise:
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For jerk sauce:
Finely chop first 4 ingredients in processor. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients; process until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Set aside 3/4 cup jerk sauce. Shape ground beef into six 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick patties; place in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup jerk sauce over patties and turn to coat; let stand 20 minutes.

Sprinkle patties with salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness, brushing occasionally with remaining jerk sauce, about 4 minutes per side for medium.

Spread mayonnaise over cut surfaces of buns. Place burgers on bottom halves of buns. Top with onion slices, tomato slices, lettuce, and bun tops. Serve, passing reserved 3/4 cup jerk sauce separately.

* Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

Recipe courtesy of the American Meat Institute.

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Beef and Andouille Burgers with Asiago Cheese

Made with spicy sausages and smoky grilled onion, these are not your standard burgers

Ingredients:
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
8 ounces andouille sausages,* cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
2 large shallots, minced
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

6 large sesame-seed hamburger buns
6 1/3-inch-thick slices red onion
Olive oil
1 cup coarsely grated Asiago cheese**

1 7- to 7 1/2-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained

Directions:
Finely chop sun-dried tomatoes in processor. Blend in mayonnaise and mustard. Transfer to small bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Finely chop andouille sausages in processor. Transfer to large bowl. Add beef, shallots, salt, pepper, and crushed fennel seeds. Stir with fork just until blended. Form mixture into six 1-inch-thick patties.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill hamburger buns until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter. Brush onion slices with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until golden, about 7 minutes per side. Grill hamburgers to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Sprinkle cheese over top of burgers.

Spread cut sides of hamburger buns with sun-dried-tomato mayonnaise. Top bottom halves of buns with hamburgers, then red peppers. Top with onion slices. Cover with top halves of buns and serve.

*Smoked pork-and-beef sausages, sold at specialty foods stores and supermarkets. Kielbasa can be substituted.

Recipe and photo courtesy of the American Meat Institute.

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All recipes and images are courtesy of
The American Meat Institute