Recipes to Get your summer with grilling, barbecue and entertaining

Asian-Marinated Korean Beef Ribs

4 pounds Korean-style beef short ribs, also known as flanken ribs (about 6 inches long and about 1 inch wide)

¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar

½ cup hoisin sauce

½ cup water

2 tablespoons sesame oil (toasted or not)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 teaspoons white sesame seeds, for garnish

2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Place the ribs in a 1-gallon freezer-safe zip-top bag.

Whisk together the soy sauce, light brown sugar, vinegar, hoisin sauce, water, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and onion powder in a bowl to form a well-blended marinade. Pour over the ribs in the bag and seal, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight, inverting or repositioning the bag once or twice so the ribs are evenly coated.

Prepare a grill for direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (450 degrees). If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them under the cooking area for direct heat. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for 4 or 5 seconds.

Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames.

Remove the ribs from the bag, discarding the marinade. Arrange the ribs on the grate; cook, turning often, until slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes (for medium). Transfer to a platter; garnish with the sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Serve with a salad or side of rice.

Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from "Diva Q's Barbecue," by Danielle Bennett (Appetite, Random House, 2016)

Xinjiang Lamb Skewers

Heat seekers may become addicted to this fiery fusion of lamb and scallions, with its double dose of cumin.

The skewers also can be cooked in a grill pan on the stove top. You'll need to soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before using.

The chili bean paste called for in this recipe, and available at large Asian markets, might be labeled "broad bean paste with chili" (if it's made with fava beans, which is the better choice here) or it might be called "soy bean paste with chili." It's a coarse, fiery paste and useful for all manner of Chinese dishes, so don't feel guilty about adding yet another chili-based condiment to your refrigerator shelf.

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

1½ pounds boneless lamb shoulder (excess fat trimmed), cut into 1-inch cubes

4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced (2 to 3 teaspoons)

4 fat cloves garlic, minced

3 teaspoons ground cumin

Pinch salt

3 tablespoons chili bean paste

Toast the cumin seeds in a small, dry skillet on medium heat for a couple of minutes until fragrant, shaking the pan often to avoid scorching. Cool, then grind in a mortar and pestle, or in a dedicated spice grinder. Repeat with the Sichuan peppercorns.

Place the lamb and scallions in a mixing bowl. Add both the freshly ground cumin and Sichuan peppercorns, along with the ginger, garlic, 3 teaspoons of ground cumin, salt and the chili bean paste, making sure the spices are evenly distributed and the meat and scallions are evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Let the lamb and scallions come to room temperature before you cook them.

Prepare a grill for direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (450 degrees). If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them under the cooking area for direct heat. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for about 4 or 5 seconds. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames.

Meanwhile, thread the lamb and scallions on each skewer, alternating those ingredients.

Place on the grill; cook, uncovered, for a few minutes on each side of the meat until lightly charred but not burned. (The scallions should soften a bit and pick up a little color.) Serve warm with a cooling salad.

Serves 4

Nutrition | Per serving: 290 calories, 37 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar

Adapted from "Chinatown Kitchen: From Noodles to Nuoc Cham," by Lizzie Mabbott (Mitchell Beazley, 2015).

Chimichurri Chicken and Shrimp Skewers

1 large bunch cilantro, stems removed

4 large cloves garlic

½ small white or yellow onion

⅓ cup olive oil

⅓ cup white vinegar

Juice of 3 limes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Combine the first six ingredients in a blender. Mix until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reserve a small amount for basting. Pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken and shrimp in two separate gallon-sized bags. Close bags, making sure most of the air is out. Roll to evenly coat meat. Marinate overnight.

Soak wood skewers in water. Add meat, leaving about ¼ inch between each piece to ensure thorough cooking. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place onto a preheated charcoal grill, basting with the reserved sauce as needed. Shrimp will cook quickly, 2-3 minutes per side. Chicken takes about 4-5 minutes per side.

Serves 4 to 5

Jamie Andrade, 2015 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge winner

Smoked Planked Camembert

This recipe calls for both smoking and plank-charring, a method that smoke-roasts the cheese for a deeply complex, woodsy flavor.

You'll need 1 cedar, oak or alder plank, about 6 inches square (although, in this case, size doesn't matter that much; it's just a nice size for serving the cheese), and 1 cup of hardwood chips, such as pecan, oak or apple, soaked in water for an hour.

One 8-ounce wedge Camembert cheese

3 tablespoons of your favorite pepper jelly or apricot jam

1 large or medium jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise

Prepare the grill for indirect heat. If using a gas grill, turn the heat to high. Drain the chips and put them in a smoker box or foil packet poked with a few fork holes to release the smoke; set it between the grate and the briquettes, close to the flame. When you see smoke, reduce the heat to medium-high (450 degrees). Turn off the burners on one side.

If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal or briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them on one side of the grill. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand 6 inches above the coals for 4 or 5 seconds. Have a spray water bottle ready for taming any flames.

Place the plank directly over the fire and grill until charred on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Let cool.

Place the cheese in the center of the plank. Spread the top with the jelly or jam. Shingle the jalapeño slices on top (to taste) so they overlap in a decorative pattern.

Place the plank on the indirect-heat side of the grill, away from the heat. In the charcoal grill, scatter the soaked wood chips over the coals. (The chips are added earlier to a gas grill because, in the foil pouch, they don't burn up as quickly as they do on coals.) Close the lid and smoke-roast the cheese until the sides soften and begin to melt, 4 to 8 minutes.

Serve the cheese on its plank, hot off the grill. Serve with your favorite crackers or grilled baguette slices.

Makes 4 to 8 servings

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 8): 100 calories, 6 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 240 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 3 g sugar

Adapted from "Project Smoke," by Steven Raichlen (Workman, 2016).

Chicago Barbecue Sauce

2 12-ounce cans tomato paste

2½ cups water

1 cup molasses

1 cup honey

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons granulated garlic

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper

1 to 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large nonreactive saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to blend the ingredients well. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce on the bottom of the pan does not scorch.

This sauce will keep for several weeks in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Use this sauce warm or chilled, or as a dipping sauce with any kind of beef, chicken, pork and even french fries. If using it to glaze the meat on the grill, apply during the last 10 to 15 minutes so that the sugars do not burn too quickly.

Submitted by Larry Gerber of BarBeQue Man, Inc. BarBeQueMan.com @TheBarBeQue on twitter