Grilled pineapple makes a sweet side dish for savory meats like grilled pork and beef or a pleasantly sweet-and-tart dessert served with chocolate, ice cream or mascarpone cheese. It's also a good source of vitamin C. A half-cup serving gives you 20 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C, according to MayoClinic.com. Adding your sliced pineapple to a hot grill is easy enough, but if you don't have a grill or the weather is uncooperative, you can get similar effects on the stovetop.
Step 1
Whisk together balsamic vinegar, melted butter and brown sugar in a small bowl.
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Step 2
Spray your grill pan lightly with cooking spray and heat the pan on the stove over medium heat. Wait until the pan is hot to add the pineapple rings.
Step 3
Dip each pineapple ring lightly in the butter-balsamic mixture, then add it carefully to the hot pan. Keep adding pineapple until the pan is full -- the pineapple shouldn't be too crowded in the pan, so you may need to cook it in batches.
Step 4
Cook the pineapple without flipping it or moving it in the pan until the fruit is lightly browned and has grill marks on it, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the pineapple over, brush it lightly with the remaining balsamic-butter mixture, and continue cooking it for about 3 minutes on the other side.
Step 5
Remove the cooked pineapple to a serving platter or plates, and brush it lightly with the end of the balsamic-butter mixture. Serve the pineapple warm.
Things You'll Need
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Grill pan
Cooking spray
1 medium ripe pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch rings
Tip
If you're starting with a whole pineapple, use a sharp knife to slice off the top and bottom so that you can stand the fruit up straight. Carefully slice down to remove the hard peel, and remove any remaining brown eyes on the fruit. Slice it across to make rings.
You can vary the marinade to suit your tastes. Substitute honey, molasses or golden syrup for the brown sugar; use lemon juice, rum or lime juice in place of balsamic vinegar; add cinnamon, cloves, five-spice powder or cocoa powder to the marinade.
If you like, sprinkle the cooked pineapple with fresh chopped mint, basil or toasted hazelnuts before serving.
If you don't have a grill pan, you can substitute a skillet or cast-iron pan. Though you won't get the dark stripes you get with a grill pan, the pineapple will taste similar to the grilled version.
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