Vegan BBQ Without a Grill

School may have started back already, but we've still got more than a month of summer left (and down South, our summer temps last well into October!). And that means we've got plenty of time to fit in a few more BBQ nights before we start moving into soups, chilis, and roasted veggie bowls. That's great news if you have a grill. But what if you don't own one?

No problem! There's a new vegan cookbook dedicated to BBQ-ing without a grill. And it's aptly named Vegan BBQ Without a Grill. It's authored by the mother-daughter team of Linda and Alex Meyer.

I actually do own a cheap charcoal grill (it was probably like $30 at the dollar store, no shame), but it's a pain to light charcoal and wait for the grill to be ready. I'd much rather just make some easy BBQ recipes using my oven, stovetop, and/or a grill pan (which I don't own — hey, dad, great Christmas gift idea!!!). All of those methods are used in this book.

There are chapters on Meat-Free BBQ to Satisfy Meat Eaters, Burgers and Sandwiches, Stick Food, Stuffed/Foiled/Smothered, Sides and Salads, BBQ Dips, and Sauces/Rubs. Of course, I had to try something from the Meat-Free BBQ chapter and chose this recipe for Beer Braised Pulled Pork.

It looks like pork, but it's not pork at all (of course!). It's jackfruit that's been slow-simmered on the stove with beer, vinegar, tomato paste, and chili seasonings. It has a vinegar kick and a malty flavor that satisfied my BBQ-loving soul. Served on a wheat bun with red onion and mixed baby greens. Perfect dinner tonight!

I also made a few sides — way back on July 4 — to take to my friend Andy's house. We grilled that night on a real outdoor grill, but these sides really completed the meal. I had a ton of cucumbers in my CSA back then, so I made Mom's Creamy Cucumber Salad with vegan mayo, onion, and dill. So refreshing!

And I also made their Tennessee Caviar — a black-eyed pea salad with sweet corn, red bell pepper, tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, and a vinegar/oil dressing. This was excellent as a salad, but I preferred it as a dip for tortilla chips.

There are so many recipes I want to try before summer ends (and real talk, even after summer ends because BBQ is always in season down here in Memphis). There's Pulled New Orleans BBQ Seitan, Honey BBQ Ribz (the recipe calls for bee-free honee!), Grilled Eggplant Sausage, Cheddar Stuffed Veggie Burgers (with vegan cheese tucked inside!), Pulled Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Smoky Tofu Bacon with Pineapple Kabobs, and even (omg!) Grilled Potato Steaks!

Every single recipe sounds absolutely amazing. But I do have one teensy complaint — while the book pays homage to BBQ styles from across the US (they've got NOLA, Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky, and more), there's no Memphis-Style BBQ! But the recipes look so good, I can probably overlook that. ;-)