Grilled Apple Pie
Fresh homemade apple pie straight from your grill or smoker is a throwback to the way apple pies were baked in a wood-fired kitchen stove years ago. In a smoker, the sweet smoke from pecan or a fruit wood really weaves through the layers of the pie to add a succulent, mouth-watering flavor profile. Not to mention you'll be able to show off your skills with dinner AND dessert!
This recipe would be best with a homemade crust, but don’t fret it if you’d rather use a store-bought crust. Besides, they don’t say easy as apple pie for nothing. This easy apple pie recipe is as easy and American as apple pie gets.
Yield: 1 pie
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
8 fresh Granny Smith apples
1 batch homemade pie crust or frozen pie crusts (2 crusts)
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 pinch salt
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2-3 tsp butter
1 tsp freshly grated Gruyere cheese (highly recommended)
1) Set up your grill for indirect grilling at 350-375°F. You can use a pyrex bowl since we’re doing indirect or stove-top dutch oven would also work.
2) Peel the apples – a potato peeler works well. Core and slice the apples into 1/4-3/8ths thick slices (too thick and they won't soften enough). In a large bowl toss the apples with the lemon juice (only use 3 tsp when doubling the recipe). Mix in the sugar, flour and salt. Stir well to coat the apples.
3) Place your pie crusts in the pan and gently pull to bring the edge up out of the pan. Fill with all the apples that will fit to make a heaping mound. Shake to cover the top of the apple filling with cinnamon and nutmeg. Just eyeball to evenly cover. Slice off small chunks of butter and place on top of the filling. It will melt and spread the spices through the pie. Lay the top crust on the pie and press the edges in.
4) Gingerly score the top in several places (don’t cut all the way through). Sprinkle a few pinches of sugar on top of the pie.
5) Place on the smoker/grill in the indirect zone. For wood choice I prefer pecan, but any fruit wood will work (1-2 ounces). Try only an ounce or two. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the crust browns. You should also start to see the filling bubble at the edges when it’s done.
6) Remove from the smoker and let cool. Sprinkle with some finely grated Gruyere cheese. This will melt into the crust to add a bit of savory to the sweetness of the pie. For a simple whipped topping mix 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.