Fireball cinnamon whisky is a dangerously delicious liquor...and we are head over heels in love with it. Serve it on the rocks, in a flavorful cocktail, or drink it straight from the bottle (like these wedding guests did) and you'll get a nice kick. But have you ever tried it served with grilled pineapple? It sounds intriguing, doesn't it? A pairing of cinnamon whiskey and the sweetness of pineapple is the perfect marriage.
And thanks to Malcom Reed of How To BBQ Right, we can make our own Fireball Pineapple to share with family and friends. With over 241,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, Malcom shares his love for BBQ with informational videos showing how to make the perfect recipe. With his infectious smile, it's hard not to be captivated by his video recipes.
To get things started, Malcom shares that you need to make sure your charcoal grill has a rotisserie rod or rotisserie setup. Other than that, the recipe only requires two whole pineapples, Fireball whisky, and about a cup of brown sugar.
A rotisserie rod uses a rotating spit to slowly roast food over indirect heat, making it perfect for slow roasting and evenly cooked meat. This is delicious when it comes to meats, but it also makes for a perfectly juicy grilled pineapple! You can buy rotisserie kits for your grill, which include all the basic parts, from the spit that the pineapple goes on to the forks that hold it in place.
To begin this fireball pineapple recipe, take off the tops of the pineapple and peel it using a sharp knife, making sure to cut out all of the eyes. You don't need to worry about cutting out the core, but make sure to cut off the bottom of the pineapple as well. Cut a crosshatch pattern on the outside of the pineapple.
First, cut diagonal slits around the pineapple, and then flip it around to make cuts in the other direction, so that by the end you have a diamond pattern that'll make sure all the Fireball whisky soaks into the fruit
Next, place the pineapples in a large ziplock storage bag and add about half a bottle of fireball whisky. Roll the bag up tight and get all the air out, and then let the pineapples marinate in the fridge for at least two hours, turning the pineapples every 30 minutes to ensure that the fruits soak up every bit of fireball.
Meanwhile, prepare a mixture of raw sugar, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a bowl. This will be used to flavor the grilled fireball pineapple before and during cooking, making for a sweet and delicious fireball grilled pineapple.
Press the sugar mixture onto the pineapple and cook on medium to medium-high heat for a total of an hour, adding more cinnamon-sugar mixture when necessary.
Once cooked, the outside of each pineapple will be light brown and caramelized with spots of char,which, as Malcolm says, is "absolutely beautiful"). Slide the pineapple off the rotisserie forks and slice the pineapple into individual pieces for serving. This will make the perfect side dish or appetizer this summer.
How to Serve Fireball Pineapple
Once your fireball pineapple is grilled, it's ready to enjoy this medley of cinnamon and sweetness. If you want to bring the experience to a new level, top the pineapple with an extra shot of fireball whisky. Since the alcohol content cooks out while you grill the pineapple, this will add a boozy kick.
This summery treat is tasty on its own or as a spicy side to your other BBQ dishes. Malcolm suggests serving the grilled pineapple with bbq pork, and we totally agree. This grilled pineapple would make a mean addition to any pulled pork sandwich, or it could be a flavorful side for burgers, chicken wings, or ribs. I'm usually one to pass on Fireball Whisky shots since it burns like hell, but I do have to admit, Fireball and brown sugar makes one sweet marinade, so this pineapple is sure to taste like Heaven.
This post was originally published on February 19, 2019.
