Grilling Basics: Sweet Potatoes

It's a blast to be able to grill an entire meal. For example, when you're grilling steak, you certainly need a side. Do you really want to have to run back and forth, in and out, from the kitchen to the patio, just to ensure you have a side? Perhaps you're fortunate and have a handy sidekick (that would be Gracie for me - or occasionally Chels, but I don't normally refer to her as a "sidekick") who can do some of the running for you, but regardless, wouldn't it be better to just handle it all on the grill? What's a good side for steak? Why, potatoes, of course! What if you're grilling some teriyaki (why can I never spell that word correctly on the first try?) skewers? While the rice may be tough to pull off on the grill, you can certainly handle some corn on the cob. Point being, we have a tendency to focus on grilling a main entree, whereas the reality is you can grill just about anything, including a wide variety of sides. Today, we'll start with something super simple - sweet potatoes.

Once your fire is built, you're ready to grill sweet potatoes, and, wow, is it ever simple. Puncture them repeatedly with a fork, wrap them tightly in good, strong foil (shout out to Reynolds!), and place them over direct heat (the "hot half") on your grilling surface. Close the lid, and let them really heat up for about 10 to 15 minutes. At this point, move them to indirect heat (the "cool half"), turn them as best you can (they're round, so this can be challenging), and give them another 15 minutes with the lid closed. After the time has elapsed, it's time for one more round. Turn them again, still over indirect heat, and they'll be ready after a final 10-15 minute set with the lid closed. Altogether, they should run about 40-50 minutes. You can check their doneness by stabbing them gently with a grilling fork (this is one of the only times I'll ever recommend you use the grilling fork, so savor the moment). If you feel little or no resistance, they're about ready! Cautiously unwrap, cut open, and serve with brown sugar (the brown sugar is a must - it elevates grilled sweet potatoes in a ridiculous way). Doesn't get much simpler than that, does it?

Grilled Sweet Potatoes
Need a sweet, smoky, filling side to go with your grilled entree? Look no further.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes, not counting charcoal warm-up
Cook Time: about 45 minutes
Total Time: about 50 minutes

Ingredients
4 sweet potatoes
brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat grill for two-zone grilling.
2. Puncture sweet potatoes thoroughly and deeply with a fork, then wrap tightly with foil.
3. Grill over direct heat with lid closed for 10-15 minutes (shorter time for medium sized potatoes, longer for large potatoes). 
4. Turn potatoes and grill over indirect heat with lid closed for 15 minutes.
5. Turn potatoes again and grill over indirect heat with lid closed for a final 10-15 minutes, or until a grilling fork will easily puncture the potatoes to the center. 
6. Unwrap and slice open carefully and serve immediately with brown sugar.