Baked Potatoes Are Best on the Grill

When baking a potato, we are faced with a food whose center and surface need separate treatment, just like meat. We want a soft, moist, fluffy inside and a dry, crisp skin. Once again, a two-zone setup and reverse sear are the solutions.

Amazingly, I have never seen a website or cookbook that tells you what doneness temperature is optimal for a baked potato. Here’s a guide: 205°F for al dente, a bit crunchy; 208°F for crumbly; and 212°F for fluffy.

Makes 2 servings

Takes 1 hour 45 minutes

• 1 russet Burbank potato (¾ to 1 pound; see Note, page 360)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons Meathead’s Memphis Dust (page 167)
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted

1. Prep. With a brush or scrub sponge devoid of soap, scrub the potato skin to remove all dirt, but not so hard as to remove the skin. Cut out any bad spots. Slice the potato in half lengthwise. Sniff it carefully. Nothing is worse than a musty potato.

2. While the potato is wet, generously sprinkle salt all over and press it in. Then sprinkle on the spice rub. Let sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes, so the salt will dissolve and begin migrating toward the center.

3. Fire up. Set up your grill for two-zone cooking and shoot for 325°F in the indirect zone.

4. Cook. Put the potato halves on the indirect-heat side of the grill and let them bake, cut side up, lid down, for about 90 minutes, until the temperature in the center is 10 to 15°F below your target. The edges, which are thinner, will be a little hotter. If you are in a hurry, you can precook them in the microwave for 5 minutes on high. Cooking on the grill will take as little as 30 minutes after microwaving.

5. Paint the potatoes all over with melted butter. Move them to the direct-heat side, cut side down, and let the cut sides toast, lid down, for about 3 minutes until they start to get golden. Don’t continue painting them if you want crispy skins. Roll them over and brown the skin sides.

6. Serve. Remove the potato halves from the grill, mash the insides with a fork, and gussy them up if you like (see sidebar, below).

How to Gussy Up the Humble Spud

Purists use only butter or sour cream, with salt and pepper and perhaps a sprinkling of chopped fresh chives or green onions. Or you can go the cheese route, with a few dollops of Boursin, pimento cheese spread, fresh chèvre, crumbled blue cheese, or shredded cheddar.

The more adventurous will use Mexican crema, crème fraîche, or horseradish sauce. Some will add broccoli florets, fresh thyme, fresh dill, fresh basil, candied jalapeños, bacon, lobster, shrimp, pulled pork, chopped brisket, hot dog chili, Genovese pesto, tomato salsa, caramelized onions, or chopped hard-boiled eggs with chopped onions. Caviar and hard-boiled eggs are another classic. Go crazy!

Here’s one of my all-time favorites: splashes of malt vinegar. That’s right, just plain malt vinegar, no dairy. Tons of flavor, zero calories. If you’ve ever been to England, you’ve tasted fish and chips with malt vinegar. Balsamic or sherry vinegar work, too, but not nearly as well as malt.