Main

What I love about wings is that you get a two-in-one treat when you eat them. Wings are great for weeknight cooking too, because they take very little time to prepare and cook.

Brined birds taste better. Here's our all-purpose buttermilk-based recipe, along with four souped-up variations.

Chicken breasts aren't the only cut sold skinless and boneless. Thighs are, too. They're fattier than breasts, which means they're more flavorful; plus, they're less expensive. Put them to work in any fast weeknight preparation, starting with these spiced tacos.

Burgers aren't the only grilled things we want to eat with our hands. Thanks to a flavorful brine and a supershort cook time, sandwich-friendly boneless breasts take on a whole new life between two slices of bread.

Toss the classic Italian combination of ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil with pasta shells for a dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes.

To get the most out of your fire, cook these recipes in the order in which they appear. As for the vegetables, use them in any combination you like.

Look for thicker fish fillets, which will give you the ideal breading-to-fish ratio.

Avoid rookie mistakes when it comes to barbecuing. If you apply the sauce too early, it will scorch. And most bottled sauces are too sweet, which is where this vinegary version comes in.

This spicy, sticky glazed chicken features sambal oelek, a bright and punchy chile-packed condiment, giving these grilled skewers a very convincing comeback.

Ryan Lowder, The Copper Onion, Salt Lake City: "The cantaloupes we get here are really sweet, so we counter that with savory flavors."

Chef Kenney says that combining the herbs for the salsa verde with seaweed really gives this dish "that fresh-from- the-sea flavor." In Oahu, he uses just harvested limu, but hijiki, which is widely available, works well, too.

Keep a resealable bag of leftover Parmesan rinds in the freezer for recipes like this; they add great depth to tomato sauces and vegetable-centric soups, too.

Chef Kenney often makes these crepe-like pancakes for his family on the weekend. He couldn't resist including them in this menu as a shout-out to Jack Johnson's 2005 song "Banana Pancakes."

To keep the burgers juicy, don't pack the meat too tightly.

Remember: Spatchcock is not a dirty word. In fact, it's the speediest, easiest way to grill a whole bird. Also known as butterflying, the technique (see above) exposes lots of skin directly to the heat, guaranteeing thorough browning and crisping— coaxed further by pressing with bricks. Spatchcocked chicken, delicious on its own, is also great Garlicky Mayonnaise , Charred Tomatillo Salsa Verde , or Zingy Red Sauce .

There's quite a bit of lore surrounding beer-can chicken, and for good reason. Just look at that burnished mahogany bird. The steam from the brew flavors the meat and keeps it moist. The can props the chicken up, so it roasts evenly—no scorching, no flipping, no stressing. And you get to drink some beer. We're believers.

The seductively high ratio of skin to meat is what makes wings taste so good, and grilling takes full advantage of that. This herb marinade is bright and summery, and light enough to let the skin get nice and crisp.

In Texas, barbecue is about beef: specifically brisket, the cut by which any joint is judged. Brisket has become a favorite of restaurant chefs, too, hence the smoke ribbons and Hank Williams songs drifting out of restaurants as far away as Brooklyn. But can great brisket be made at home? I devoted a weekend to the task and learned that with a few key ingredients— salt, pepper, patience, and advice from Aaron Franklin, my neighbor and the pitmaster at Franklin Barbecue in Austin—swoonworthy results are doable. You just have to take the time—12 smoky hours. Brisket (from the cow's breast or lower chest) is rich in connective tissue, so it requires a low-and-slow process to relax the muscle into tender goodness—a pleasure that can't be achieved with a quicker method. Luckily, those first unforgettable bites are worth the weekend. So let's get started.