sausages

Add drama to the spread with exactly zero effort. When ordering, ask your butcher for Sicilian-style sausages—i.e., skewered coils, not links. Place them on the grill over indirect heat for 15 minutes a side (just 10 for regular sausages).

meatballs

Pick up your favorite precooked meatballs—try your local butcher for party-worthy ones—and heat them for 5 minutes, just long enough for them to get grill marks. To lure the kids, keep toothpicks nearby and serve with a bowl of marinara.

potatoes

Wrap small red or Yukon gold potatoes in foil along with an entire head of garlic that has been sliced horizontally. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you have in the garden. Cook embedded in the coals for 25 minutes (small ones) to 1 hour (big ones).

pork loin

Rub a bone-in loin with 2 tablespoons of espresso plus a little salt, pepper, cayenne, and brown sugar. Grill on all sides (8 to 10 minutes total) and finish in a 350º F oven until the internal temperature is 145° F, about 15 minutes more. Serve with fig jam or flavorful mustard.

leg of lamb

Cut slashes at 2-inch intervals, and fill the slits with chopped garlic and rosemary. Cook on a rotisserie, or sear the leg over direct medium-high heat for 15 minutes, then move to indirect heat and turn every 5 minutes until done (140° F), about 20 minutes per pound.

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