Forky Friday: 5/24/13

Yes! It’s the Friday before a three-day holiday weekend, and most of you probably have grand grilling plans, right? You’re in luck – this week’s Forky Friday is filled with links to tasty recipes for all your barbecue party needs.

But don’t worry: if you’d rather stay indoors and eat a bunch of worms, I got your back, too.

Let’s jump right in!

In last week’s Forky Friday, I mentioned a place in Tampa that served lion tacos. Who knew that a yakitori joint in my neck of the woods was serving lion skewers, too – for $70 a pop? Crazy.
If eating felines ain’t your thing, how about a plate of grubs? According to a new report from the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, insects are the new White Meat. Lucky for all of us, the fine folks at Science Friday have three insect recipes for those of us fresh out of ideas. (A couple of years ago, we tried a variety of fried bugs slathered in guacamole down in Mexico and I have to tell you: they were pretty tasty – provided that I kept my eyes closed while I ate them.)

Okay, enough with the weird delicacies – let’s get back to the meat and veggies.

Attention meat eaters: Do you have a copy of Bruce Aidell’s magnum opus, The Great Meat Cookbook? This definitive guide to meat is jam-packed with everything you need to know about buying and cooking sustainably-raised animals. I refer to this book time and time again because Bruce is the meat maven and his fool-proof, inventive recipes are unlike anything you’ve seen. This book is a perfect Father’s Day gift for meat-loving dads everywhere (and makes for a terrific belated Mother’s Day present for neglected moms, too).

Ready to throw a bunch of meat on the grill?

Serious Eats has 24 Steak Recipes, in case one isn’t enough. They’ve also got a great post on How To Grill Perfect Lamb Rib or Loin Chops.

Cherries are finally back in season, so that means you can make my simple Smashed Steak Skewers with Cherry Barbecue Sauce. Also, this goes without saying, but never eat maraschino cherries. EVER.

America’s Test Kitchen shows you the best way to make ribs. (Note: both the dry rub and the sauce have sugar in it, but just follow the technique if you’re on a Whole30.)
Hankering for chicken instead of steak? Grill up My Sister’s Phenomenal Green Chicken or Russ Crandall’s Simple Grilled Chicken Drumsticks.

Where are the side dishes to accompany your platters of grilled meat, you ask? Don’t fret, they’re right here:

Poor Girl Gourmet’s Sicilian-style Roasted Cauliflower with Orange, Fennel Seeds, and Raisins can be made ahead and served at room temperature. Awesome.
And since your grill’s already hot, why not throw on some of Health-Bent’s Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Peaches?
My gal, Melissa Joulwan, always knows the best way to combine spices, herbs, and vegetables in unique and delicious ways. Check out her recipes for Simple Spring Salad, Citrusy Carrot Radish Salad, Cold Sesame (Cucumber) Noodles, and Turkish Chopped Salad.
Want a crowd-pleasing chilled soup that you can make ahead of time? Try my Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho!

What’s a barbecue without something cold on a stick? I LOVE Irvin Lin’s insanely clever Arrested Development’s Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana Wordless Copycat Recipe. You’ll love the photos in his post, which are packed with in-jokes from one of our all-time favorite TV comedies. (One of my favorite off-color jokes from the series is referenced, too!)