Most grillers are seasoned pros. You name it, they've grilled it. But every so often a griller discovers a food that they never thought to toss over the open flame—and the edible epiphany that follows, well, that’s a big reason we all grill, isn’t it?

Two years ago, I tasted grilled haloumi for the first time. Warm, salty, slightly charred—the cheese from Cyprus blooms when hit with high heat. A processed cheese single draped over a burger patty, this is not.

"Haloumi is actually a very forgiving cheese and lends itself very well to grilling and it's super easy," says Marty Cattaneo, chef of Dio Deka in Los Gatos, California. "We simply toss it with good extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper and grill it over mesquite. Let it go about three to four minutes on each side or until you get nice grill marks." Cut the haloumi in slices to grill or pop the entire block over a section of your grill with less intense heat to gently warm the cheese while the rest of your meal cooks.

Grilled haloumi tastes great with most fruits, says Cattaneo, the acid teaming up with the saltiness of the cheese. Just one caveat: "It is important to eat the cheese as soon as it comes off the grill because once it has chilled, the texture becomes sponge-like again," Cattaneo says.

And don't worry. That won't be a problem.

Looking for more surprising foods to throw on the grill? Check out the 10 foods every man must grill before he dies. 

Via: Sear Delicious Haloumi Cheese On The Grill