Throughout the Arabic world meshwi denotes any kind of grilled meat. In Morocco and Egypt, bits of lamb are cooked over small open fires set up in courtyards. In Turkey, the same method, called doner kebag, is made from bits of veal or lamb.
Across the world in the Indian villages of the North Pacific, sides of salmon are grilled on fire-dried planks. In the Caribbean, everything from pork to chicken is grilled in an allspice-infused barbecue sauce known as jerk.
In many areas of the former Soviet Union, as well as much of central Asia, skewers of grilled lamb are the definitive street food. But it is just as common to find eggplant, sturgeon, chicken and beef grilled on skewers, especially in the Caucasian states bordering the Black and Caspian Seas.
Although our prototypes of Italian food are simmered and stewed, the dishes of Sardinia and Tuscany rely heavily on grilling. On the Island of Sardinia the style is more primitive with lambs and goats roasting over branches of laurel or fennel. In Tuscany, herbs are rubbed directly into the meat, their aroma infusing the flesh as droplets of olive oil sizzle on the coals.
The grilling in Provence in the south of France is a combination of the Italian styles, with lamb and fish marinated in olive oil, garlic and herbs, and grilled slowly over smoldering herb branches.
We have assembled an international assortment of entrees to launch you upon a sea of summer grilling. They include recipes for lamb, beef, fish, chicken and turkey. There are enough feasts to keep you grilling well past Labor Day.
BUTTERFLIED LEG OF LAMB WITH GARLIC AND MINT
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
