How To Grill Vegetables

Just as marinating or using a dry rub works wonders on a piece of meat, so too does liberally seasoning your vegetables. Chef Carlton (who works wonders on vegetables in a way even carnivores would love) has a few tricks for turning ingredients like carrots and jackfruit into meaty delicacies.

"For our carrot 'lox,'" Carlton says, "we use a rub consisting of ingredients like brown sugar, salt and juniper berries, similar to what you would use to season a piece of pastrami. The rubbing helps get rid of a lot of the natural moisture in the vegetables as well, making it easier to cold smoke."

When it comes to her pulled BBQ jackfruit, the chef also marinates the breadfruit cousin in a signature barbecue sauce, saying, "The longer it's in the sauce, the better it will taste." When the jackfruit's cooked, it pulls apart like pork. However, "it doesn't have to be cooked low and slow, because there are no fibers to break down like there are in meat," she explains.

The signature sauce in question is a house-made vegan blackstrap molasses barbecue sauce with pomegranate and ginger (get the recipe); it's the perfect accompaniment to veg- and meat-centric dishes alike. According to Carlton, the sauce is great for eggplants, mushrooms, zucchini and tofu. "I always brush more of the sauce on after it's grilled, which you can do without worry (unlike extra marinade that has had raw meat in it)," Carlton says.

At Metta, vegetables like cauliflower, beets and cabbage are getting the meaty treatment as well. Chef Piattoni explains, "We serve smoke-roasted whole cauliflower heads the way you might slow-roast a big piece of meat. The cauliflower is coated in a rub of sweet paprika, spiced paprika, coriander, garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper, and honey, and then let it marinate overnight before roasting slowly in a smoker; then we serve it with a pickled vegetable sauce gribiche."

Pro tip: Spice rubs and sauces you might think are "made for" meat can actually be a vegetable's best friend, like our three-ingredient dry rub.

As Piattoni says, "The truth is you won't taste fire unless you use fire." This goes for both meat- and vegetable-centric dishes. Luckily, however, there are myriad ways to achieve that smoky, fire-induced flavor in your favorite produce that don't require an open flame. "You can char veg and bread on a stovetop flame (carefully)," he goes on, "or you can blend charred bread into other sauces, or use a bit of spicy paprika."

And while smokiness can certainly be achieved over a charcoal grill or in a smoker, Carlton has a technique for "chasing that smoky flavor" without a grill.

"First, open the windows!" she says. "Then, double-line a wok or Dutch oven (one with a tight-fitting lid) with aluminum foil, and add two tablespoons of brown sugar, two tablespoons of rice and one tablespoon of whole-leaf tea. Place a lightly oiled cooking rack over the smoking ingredients. Put your veggies or tofu on the rack. Turn the heat up to high until you see thin wisps of smoke. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover [the rack] with a foil-lined wok lid. Smoke for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let stand five minutes.

"This is something that really works in apartments. It's a little scary the first time, because of all the smoke, but the flavor is amazing!"

At the end of the day, whether you're slathering your vegetables in a deeply flavorful barbecue sauce, charring them on the grill or smoking them indoors, their fresh yet meaty goodness can only enhance the summer barbecue dishes you love most. Trust us, carnivores: Zucchini, peppers and corn can finally hold a torch to your juiciest steaks and burgers.

This month, we're taking you Beyond BBQ into the deep, dark, drool-worthy corners of the 'cue world, from Seoul to South Carolina. Smoke will get in your eyes (and your cocktail) as we explore the best pits, tips, roasts and rigs—you might even see a vegetable or two along the way.