Memorial Day marks the unofficial opening of grilling season.

Eating delicious food outdoors is part of the joyful holiday tradition. Who is better to guide the feasting prep than celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality, Michael Symon? His ability to nuance flavors, using manageable ingredient lists and stress-free directions, creates palate joy while not demanding hours of work.

His new book “Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out” (Clarkson Potter) showcases dishes to excite budding and expert grillers alike.

Although the book includes recipes for everything from appetizers to cocktails to desserts, I’ve chosen three irresistible entrees to include here. A charcoal grilling purist, Symon gives easy to follow information on controlling temperatures, offering a full-page illustration of the charcoal-fueled kettle grill’s bottom vents. Those vents regulate how much oxygen fuels the coals.

But for many, gas grilling is the only option. All three recipes included here call for direct heat, making the formulas easy to adapt to gas grilling.

Grilled Flank Steak with Pepper Relish

According to Symon, he grills flank and skirt steak more than any other cut of beef, pointing out that you give up a bit of tenderness, but gain a lot of delicious flavors. Plus, they are less expensive than upmarket cuts.

He reminds readers to let the meat rest after grilling before slicing it thinly, against the grain. And another piece of advice, don’t let the meat grill past medium, as it tends to get chewy.

INGREDIENTS

4 (8-ounce) flank steaks

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup yellow mustard

¼ cup soy sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Pepper Relish

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

1 medium yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced (about ½ cup)

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup raw honey

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Pierce the flank steaks with a fork or paring knife a few times on both sides. Place the steaks in a 1-gallon zip-top bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, mustard, and soy sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and twist of black pepper. Pour the marinade over the steaks and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for direct cooking.

Remove the steaks from the bag, allowing most of the marinade to drip off (discard the marinade). Put the steaks on the grill and cook, without moving, until nicely charred, about 4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until nicely charred and medium-rare (130 degrees), about 4 minutes.

Transfer the steaks to a cutting board to rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes.

While the steaks are resting, make the pepper relish: Set a large cast-iron skillet on the grill. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add the red and yellow bell peppers, onions, jalapeño, garlic, and thyme. Season with a pinch of salt and twist of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are aromatic and begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and lime juice and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, cilantro, the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, and the lime zest.

Slice the steaks thinly against the grain, top with pepper relish, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Source: “Symon’s Dinners Cooking Outdoors” by Michael Symon

Smoky Grilled Shrimp

Symon points out that even for people who say that they don’t like seafood, shrimp is often the exception. The plump crustaceans grill quickly and are the perfect medium to show off a wide variety of flavors.

Here they pair with a marinade of extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice and zest, brown sugar, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Ground coriander and cumin come to the party, too.

Plan on marinating the shrimp in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 4 hours. They only take about 5 minutes to grill.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Grated zest and juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Lime wedges, for squeezing

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, cayenne, coriander, and cumin. Add the shrimp and toss to fully coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for direct cooking.

Cook the shrimp on the hot side of the grill until nicely charred, about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the shrimp to a platter, garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges, and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Source: “Symon’s Dinners Cooking Outdoors” by Michael Symon

Grilled Chicken Souvlaki

Michael Symon’s mother is of Greek and Sicilian decent, and his father’s roots are in Eastern Europe. He writes that his parents made souvlaki using different proteins, such as pork, beef, lamb, or chicken.

“This recipe would work great with any of those proteins …” he added. “The key is to let the marinade do its job for at least a couple hours, preferably overnight, to get a really nice char from the grill.”

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zip-top bag.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for indirect cooking, with one hot side and one hold (unheated) side.

Set eight 10-inch skewers on a work surface (if using wood skewers, soak them in a shallow dish of water for at least 30 minutes). Remove the chicken from the bag, allowing most of the marinade to drip off (discard the marinade). Thread 4 or 5 pieces of meat onto each of the skewers, grouping them near the top so that the tip is covered by the meat but leaving space to grab the skewer at the bottom.

Season on all sides with the salt and put on the hot side of the grill. Cook until lightly charred on all sides, about 6 minutes per side. Move the skewers to the hold side of the grill, cover the grill, and cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 10 minutes. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Tribune News Service