Smoked Pears

Step 1) Puncture the bottom of a disposable aluminum pie tin or roasting pan with several holes to allow the smoke to penetrate through. Cut the pears in half lengthwise and remove their cores. Arrange the pear halves in a single layer in the prepared pan, with cut sides down and leaving a bit of space around each one for smoke to move freely.

Step 2) After cooking food on a charcoal grill, remove the grate and rake the hot embers to one half of the grill base. (If your fire is still pretty lively, wait until the coals are indeed burned down to embers.) Sprinkle 1 cup of fruit wood chips—such as pear, apple, or cherry wood—over the embers. Return the grate.

Step 3) Place the pan of pears on the grill grate on the opposite side from the embers and smoking wood chips for indirect heat. Close the lid and allow the residual heat to gently cook the pears, while they also infuse with smoke. You can smoke the pears as little or as much as you’d like: The longer they are exposed to the heat and smoke, the softer and smokier they will become. Begin checking them after about 5 minutes, and gauge the timing for your desired results from that point.

Recipe and Styling: Andrea Slonecker (@andreaslonecker)