Grilled Pineapple

An outdoor grill really is a versatile tool. You can do just about anything with it, from grilling meat to cooking veggies and even baking bread. You can also make dessert, and the simplest way to do this is to toss some fresh fruit on the grill. Heating fruit often releases sugars and makes the fruit taste sweeter. With some cooking methods, the fruit breaks down and the texture can change for the worse. Fortunately, this isn’t a problem with grilling. The high heat cooks the fruit quick and from the outside in.

Pineapple is an easy fruit to work with and it tastes great grilled (especially when it’s still warm and served with yogurt or ice cream). You can easily grill pineapple rounds, but I usually opt for spears. I start with the whole fruit, remove the outer skin and then slice it lengthwise into eighths, trimming out the core from each piece as I go. The spears are easy to handle on the grill and easy to serve. It only takes a few minutes to grill these up and you can do it while you’re cooking other things since they don’t take up much room.

Grilled Pineapple
1 ripe pineapple
coarse salt (optional)
cooking spray

Remove the outer skin from a ripe pineapple. Cut length-wise, dividing the pineapple into eights (smaller pieces can be made, if you prefer). Remove the core of the pineapple as you work.
Lightly grease you grill top with cooking spray to prevent the pineapple from sticking and grill each piece for about 10-15 minutes, rotating every few minutes to ensure the pineapple is evenly cooked. Medium or medium-high heat work well, although you could cook the pineapple for a longer time at a lower heat, as well.
Sprinkle with a little coarse salt before serving, to enhance the sweetness of the fruit.
Serve warm, as a side or with ice cream.