Gloriously Delicious Grilled Pineapple
I love pineapple and it’s tangy sweetness. I love it in Pina Colada, I love it in Pineapple Upside-down cake and yes, even on its own – freshly cut, but there is one particular way to serve it that is very special…Grilled. Popular in many parts of the world, grilling pineapple brings out a unique flavor that, even if you don’t normally like pineapple, you may just fall for this delicacy.
Although it’s not a normal dish we make, we do enjoy it for summer barbeques and it’s always a hit.
It is a very easy dish and doesn’t take much time, especially if you’re already sparking up the BBQ to grill other things. Grilled pineapple pretty much goes with everything, but pork and beef dishes really match up well.
First off, it’s important to choose the right pineapple. I like the “gold” variety because of their extra sweetness. Look for a firm but not hard pineapple. The bottom of the pineapple should be yellowing slightly and give it a sniff – the bottom should have that ‘pineapple’ smell.
I like to store/balance the pineapple upside-down on the counter for a few hours before cutting it. Not sure how much difference it makes, but I do this to distribute the internal juices to minimize the dry parts of the fruit.
To clean it, I chop the top and bottom off, then carve off the outer skin off leaving the yellow cylinder-like inside. I then cut the cylinder in half, lengthwise exposing the harder core down the center. I then I remove the core with two angled cuts creating a V-shaped piece.
For grilling, I cut the fruit into ‘fillets’ around 1/2″ thick and onto the grill they go over med-high heat. I flip the pieces a few times, being careful that they don’t burn. The goal is to caramelize the sugars in the fruit, not burn it so monitor closely. The yellow fruit will start getting darker and you will start smelling a sweet aroma as it approaches readiness.
There are some recipes that say to add brown sugar and or cinnamon, but I prefer au-naturel, with nothing added.
Once they are browned, remove from heat and serve. The smokey, caramelized pineapple is so good and it is really amazingly delicious. If the acidity of fresh pineapple is what normally keeps you away, you may just want to try grilling it since it will reduce the enzymes that cause that harshness.
I hope you’ll try this the next time you BBQ.
Let me know how you like it.
Hugs,
V
I don’t think I’ve thought about grilling pineapple before. I don’t usually like fresh pineapple, it burns, but I’m actually excited to try this recipe.
Please let me know how it turns out. 🙂