Readers,

The 4th of July comes with a pretty standard menu in most American households: burgers, hot dogs, maybe a rack of ribs or some bone-in steaks if someone’s feeling ambitious.

It’s all a bit tired, and more importantly, it doesn’t feel very … American. Why? Because the very notion of American cuisine — just like the very notion of American identity writ large — is something that should be informed by the diverse panoply of cultures and traditions that call this country home.

So this year, we reached out to 24 standout chefs who all work in the U.S. but hail from very different culinary backgrounds and asked them what their families like to throw on the grill come summer. From Italy to Korea to the Caribbean to Algeria, these recipes will bring a welcome breath of fresh air to your cookouts this weekend and beyond.

It is called Independence Day, after all. Try something different for a change.