Gourmet

Beets are in season in July, but if you don't want to turn on your oven to roast them, try a stovetop braise with butter. It's faster and takes them to a wonderfully tender place. A flurry of fresh mint adds panache.

Mahimahi has a large, moist, and pleasantly firm flake. Topping it with briny feta, herbs, and lemon slices evokes the warm shores of Greece.

These are outstanding buns, substantial yet tender. The soft sides of the top-split hot dog buns are made for grilling or toasting.

Unless you're shopping for "meatloaf mix," it's easy to overlook ground pork. Smoky pork burgers topped with melted Muenster and creamy avocado will broaden your horizons. Don't skip the sliced tomatillo—its crisp tartness really perks things up.

Grinding skirt steak at home—using either a meat grinder or a food processor—is the key to this intensely flavorful, juicy burger.

Happiness is having a jar of sweet, tart, crunchy relish in the refrigerator. It's a project that easily fits into your culinary repertoire.

Incredibly rich and flavorful, skirt steak is ideal for this particular salad, but you can also use any other type of steak you might happen to have left over from yesterday's dinner.

No bottled tomato sauce can equal a simple homemade one—especially when the robust flavor of the grill is added to the mix.

This satisfyingly viscous, tomatoey condiment is richer and more rustic in flavor than commercial brands. It is absolutely delicious.

Melons and cucumbers have a real affinity—they're related, after all. Here, they come together in a cool, uncooked chutney, which cuts the robust richness of thinly sliced hanger steak.

Grilled avocado is one of those things that sound faintly ridiculous until you try it—then you wonder why you never had it before.

Simple, tender buttermilk cake with a sugary crunch: We like it full of raspberries, but you could substitute any berry you pick up at the farmers market.

The bright, acidic flavor of these quickly pickled vegetables would also marry well with salmon, chicken, or pork.

Many riffs on Caesar salad are too heavily dressed, but here a hefty handful of basil keeps things fresh and herbal.

Crumb toppings normally appear on fruit desserts, but a savory mixture of grated pecorino and toasted walnuts works in much the same way, adding textural contrast to delicate fettuccine and grilled zucchini. Garlic-chile oil jazzes up the flavor.