Why You Should Keep Leafy Greens Far Away From The Grill - Tasting Table

""You should normally avoid putting single leafy greens on the grill," Abdoo explains, "because typically all that will happen is a burnt leaf that doesn't really eat well at all.""

"The intense, direct, dry heat of the grill is great for things like meat and hardy vegetables, but greens just don't take to searing all that well. Because of how thin they are, all of that dry heat quickly draws all of the moisture from the greens. This leaves them dry, crumbly, and prone to catching fire - definitely not what you are looking for in your grilling side dishes."

"Now, given that you want to avoid the direct dry heat, you might be tempted to toss the greens in a cast-iron. Unfortunately, that's a no-go as well. Vegetables like spinach don't cook well in cast iron as they sap the seasoning from the pan and turn an ugly grey color."

Grills excel at cooking steaks, burgers, hardy vegetables, and even some desserts, but single leafy greens perform poorly under direct heat. Thin leaves lose moisture rapidly when exposed to intense, dry grilling, resulting in dry, crumbly, and easily burnt or flammable pieces. Using cast-iron for delicate greens is also problematic because vegetables like spinach can leach seasoning from the pan and discolor. A limited exception exists for quick-seared heads such as romaine: halved, lightly oiled, and briefly charred on the grill for added texture and flavor rather than full cooking.

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