Weber’s Paradise Grilled Pineapple with Orange Sauce

Juicy cheeseburger with pineapple and bacon served with crispy chips on a wooden board.

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This article follows Weber’s published recipe, Paradise Grilled, credited on the page’s recipe data to Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae. Pineapple rings get grilled with cracked peppercorns and served with a warm orange-honey sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Weber lists it as serving 4.

Ingredients

Metric conversions of the US measures are ours, rounded.

For the sauce

  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the pineapple

  • 4 rings fresh pineapple, cored, each about 1/2 inch (roughly 1.3 cm) thick
  • 1 teaspoon cracked dried green or black peppercorns
  • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Method

  1. Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan until the cornstarch dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat on the stove and cook, whisking often, until thickened, about 1 minute. Keep it warm, or reheat it when you are ready to serve.
  2. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat, which Weber gives as 350°F to 450°F (about 175°C to 230°C).
  3. Season both sides of the pineapple rings with the peppercorns and brush the cooking grates clean.
  4. Grill the pineapple over indirect medium heat with the lid closed until well marked, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once.
  5. Serve each ring with a scoop of ice cream and some of the sauce drizzled over the top.

Direct or Indirect Heat?

Weber does not use a single method for grilled pineapple. Its Grilled Pineapple with Raspberries and Rum Sabayon uses direct medium heat, again 350°F to 450°F, with the lid closed, and calls for 5 to 7 minutes with a turn. There the rings are seasoned with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and then cut into 1/2-inch wedges.

So the two Weber recipes differ in heat setup (indirect against direct), in seasoning (pepper against brown sugar and cinnamon) and slightly in time (6 to 8 minutes against 5 to 7). Both call for the lid closed and one turn, and both judge doneness by the fruit being well marked. Pick the setup that matches the sauce you plan to serve.

Meathead’s Notes on Preparation

Meathead Goldwyn’s pineapple article at AmazingRibs.com adds preparation detail that the Weber recipe leaves out:

  • Choose well. He says to pick a plump pineapple with no obvious damage or soft spots and green leaves, and he notes it will not ripen further after picking. Use it within a few days or refrigerate it.
  • Cut disks. His method is to peel the fruit, slice it crosswise into disks, then remove the woody core with a sharp knife tip, a narrow cookie cutter or an icing tip. You can core before grilling, after, or leave it and let guests eat around it.
  • Clean grates. Get the grill hot to burn off residue, then scrape, so you do not get “pork grease smoke” on the fruit.
  • Turn the heat down a notch. Leave the fruit on the grate a few minutes per side, until golden with dark grill marks and slightly limp.
  • Glaze late. If you baste with a sauce, wait until the pieces are almost done so the sugar does not burn.

He also says pineapple can be served hot or at room temperature, and suggests it alongside grilled pork chops, in salsa on tuna, or as a dessert with ice cream.

Food Safety Notes

The FDA’s produce safety guidance says to wash all produce under running water before preparing it, and that this applies even when you will not eat the skin, so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when you peel or cut. That includes a pineapple’s rind.

The FDA’s outdoor eating guide also advises using a clean platter and utensils at the grill rather than ones that touched raw meat, poultry or seafood. Since grilled fruit often shares the grate with meat, keep a separate serving plate ready.

Diet Note

The sauce uses honey, and the recipe serves the fruit with vanilla ice cream, so it is not vegan. We make no vegetarian claim, since ice cream ingredients differ by brand and we have not verified one.

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Sources

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