Place the asparagus on a large cutting board and line up the ends with your hands, then use a chef’s knife to cut about 1 to 2 inches off the tough bottoms so only tender stalks remain.​

Rinse the trimmed asparagus under cool running water in the sink, then dry the spears completely with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels so they grill and char instead of steaming.​

Lay the dry asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or large tray and spread the spears out with your hands so they are easy to coat.​

Use a measuring spoon to drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the asparagus, then sprinkle ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper on top and toss everything with your hands until every spear looks lightly shiny and evenly seasoned.​

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, around 400°F, with the lid closed, using the grill controls or vents and a built-in thermometer if your grill has one.​

Use a grill brush to scrape the hot grates clean, then lightly oil the grates by holding a folded paper towel with tongs, dipping it in a little oil, and rubbing it over the bars.​

Use tongs to place the asparagus across the grill grates so the spears sit perpendicular to the bars and do not slip through, laying them in a single layer.​

Close the lid and grill for 4 minutes, then open the lid and use tongs to roll each spear a quarter turn so new sides touch the grates and char lightly.​

Grill for 4 more minutes with the lid closed, then check one spear with tongs; the asparagus should bend slightly, show a few brown grill marks, and still look bright green and crisp-tender.​

Use tongs to move the grilled asparagus from the grates back onto the baking sheet or directly to a serving platter, keeping the spears lined up neatly.​

Squeeze lemon wedges over the hot asparagus with your hand so the juice coats the spears, then add the wedges to the platter for extra squeezing at the table, and serve right away as a side dish.