There are two kinds of people when kidneys hit the grill. Those who can't wait to grab one, and those who look away and pretend they don't exist.
I understand both.
I don't have a childhood story about kidneys. They were never the star of the family barbecue. What surprised me much later was moving to Britain and discovering that you could buy a whole bag of fresh kidneys at Smithfield for about £2. For something so delicious, they were almost unbelievably cheap.
The biggest mistake people make is overcooking them. A properly cooked kidney should stay juicy. Leave it on the fire too long and it becomes dry and rubbery. At that point, you might as well be chewing on a shoe.
Preparing them is simple. Remove the thin outer membrane and trim some of the fat from the centre, but don't remove all of it or the kidney can fall apart while cooking. Some people soak kidneys in vinegar or milk to soften the flavour, but if they're fresh, I usually just give them a good rinse, season them with salt and cook them over medium heat.
They're fantastic straight from the parrilla, but they're equally good in a frying pan with garlic, onion, a splash of white wine and plenty of fresh parsley. Add a pile of chips on the side and you've got one of my favourite comfort meals.
Kidneys will probably never be the most popular cut on the barbecue. That's fine. It just means there's usually more left for the people who know how good they can be.