CLEVELAND, Ohio –Cleveland celebrity chef Michael Symon is dropping his ninth cookbook on March 25. “Symon’s Dinners: Cooking Out” is a collection of 100 temptingly illustrated recipes designed for outdoor cooking.
When I started paging through my preview copy, I went into a panic attack. That ball of nervous energy in my chest started spiraling because I wanted to go to Heinen’s, collect ingredients and start cooking. I wanted to make everything all at once. It’s that kind of cookbook.
A few deep breaths later, turning pages systematically, I noted the very first recipe, Halloumi and watermelon kebabs (page 20) and figured it might be a good place to start.
Or, maybe, Old Bay grilled corn (page 60), which is first marinated in buttermilk. A pretty simple recipe if you plan ahead. Or maybe Plantains with chorizo and roasted tomatillo salsa (page 174). I’ll stop for now.
RELATED: Michael Symon to speak, sign new cookbook at library event
“Cooking Out,” which was co-authored by Douglas Trattner, is the kind of book that will inspire your grill work as well as sharpen your culinary acumen as a bedtime read.
I may host a “cookbook party” where everyone picks one recipe from the book, makes it and brings it to a potluck. Or, perhaps, I’ll host an elevated tailgate party.
Sure, I thought his eighth cookbook, “Simply Symon Suppers,” wasn’t all that, um, “simple,” but this book vibes with me.
While it’s all grill-based, much of it works fine in the kitchen as well. If this had been available during my RV years, it would be stained and dog-eared from use.
Did I gush enough?
Symon says the book is based on Food Network’s long running “Symon’s Dinners Cooking in the Backyard.”
The reader just needs is an old-school, Weber potbelly grill and lump charcoal. The book covers how to set up the grill for various uses. The equipment may be old-school, but the recipes and methods go beyond traditional grilling.
“Anything you can do inside you can do outside,” says Symon. The point is to create an entire meal outside rather than running from kitchen to grill and back.
“We bake in it. We do all kinds of fun stuff,” he says. “Think your grill as an oven and stove. As soon as you close the lid on your grill, your grill is an oven. If you open it, it’s a burner.”
He sees grilling as a year ‘round sport.
“When I grew up in Cleveland, we had the grill fired up all year long,” he says. “Most Clevelanders are relatively comfortable shoveling a path to the grill.”
While many recipes are current, even trendy, they are rooted in family.
“There’s a decent amount of recipes here that are adaptions of my grandparents’ and my parent’s,” he says. “Those dishes tend to be my favorite parts of the book. I always have a connection to the people I love through food.”
Among those are his mom’s whole grilled fish, think Greek-style grilled whole snapper (page 186), and his “yaya’s” fried stuffed squash blooms (page 66). If you’re not growing them, order squash blossoms from The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio.
Oh, and the pickled mustard seeds he specs? Pop Mustards makes them right here in Old Brooklyn. Pop Mustards is a company Symon shares with local chef/entrepreneur Michael Januska.
In the dessert section, Symon has a chocolate cake donut recipe (page 212) from his son Kyle, who owns donut shops on Long Island.
“The [recipe] that really freaks people out is when we take the grate off and throw in a whole bone-in ribeye,” he says. See fire-pit steak and potatoes (page 200). “It chars it up so perfectly. It’s a great way to cook a large-format steak.”
While he’s just heading out on tour for cookbook nine, Symon is already thinking about cookbook number ten.
“I’m not 100 percent sure what that’ll be yet,” he says. “Today, it’s Greek. But that doesn’t guarantee anything.”
Old Bay Corn is easy if you plan enough time to soak corn in buttermilk.Ed Anderson, with permission
Old Bay Grilled Corn
Serves 4
4 ears corn, shucked
4 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place the corn in a 1-gallon zip-top bag. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and Old Bay. Season with a pinch of salt and twist of pepper. Pour the marinade over the corn and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for direct cooking.Remove the corn from the buttermilk, allowing the excess marinade to drip off. Place on the grill and cook until nicely charred on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Old Bay and serve.
Flank steak benefits from an hour marinade before grilling.Ed Anderson, with permission
Grilled Flank Steak With Pepper Relish
Serves 4
4 (8-ounce) flank steaks
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup yellow mustard
¼ cup soy sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Pepper Relish
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup sherry vinegar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
¼ cup raw honey
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Pierce the flank steaks with a fork or paring knife a few times on both sides. Place the steaks in a 1-gallon zip-top bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, mustard, and soy sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and twist of black pepper. Pour the marinade over the steaks and let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for direct cooking.Remove the steaks from the bag, allowing most of the marinade to drip off (discard the marinade). Put the steaks on the grill and cook, without moving, until nicely charred, about 4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until nicely charred and medium-rare (130°F), about 4 minutes.Transfer the steaks to a cutting board to rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes.While the steaks are resting, make the pepper relish: Set a large cast-iron skillet on the grill. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add the red and yellow bell peppers, onions, jalapeño, garlic, and thyme. Season with a pinch of salt and twist of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are aromatic and begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and lime juice and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, cilantro, the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, and the lime zest.Slice the steaks thinly against the grain, top with pepper relish, and serve.
A fan of both sloppy joes and tacos, Symon put them together.Ed Anderson, with permission
Sloppy Joe Tacos
Serves 6
3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
2 pounds ground meat (turkey, lamb, pork, beef, or chicken)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion,
roughly chopped (about ½ cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup canned crushed
tomatoes
¼ cup yellow mustard
¼ cup packed light brown
sugar (optional)
6 corn or flour tortillas
Optional Toppings:
Diced avocado
Chopped tomatoes
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
Sliced radishes
Shaved cabbage
Sliced jalapeños
Prepare and preheat a charcoal grill for indirect cooking, with one hot side and one cold (unheated) side.Set a large cast-iron skillet on the hot side of the grill. Add the olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add the ground meat, smoked paprika, cumin, a pinch of salt, and twist of pepper. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes.Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, mustard, and brown sugar (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and place on the hold side of the grill to warm for 5 minutes.Transfer the Sloppy Joe mixture to a bowl and serve warm.
Recipes are from “Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out” Copyright © 2025 by Michael Symon. Published in the United States by CLARKSON POTTER/PUBLISHERS An imprint of the Crown Publishing Group A division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
The cookbook is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Powells.com, IndieBound.org or any online bookseller of your choice.
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