1. Prepare

Marinate your food in advance. With tougher steak cuts, 24 hours is helpful. For fish, 30 minutes can suffice. With other meats and with veggies, begin marinating in the morning.

Be sure to preheat your grill for 10-15 minutes before you add the food. Reduce sticking on the grill by oiling the hot grill rack with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel. Hold the towel with tongs and rub it over the rack. NOTE: Easy as it may seem, DO NOT use cooking spray on a grill.

2. Combine Direct and Indirect Heat

Then, combining techniques creates the real magic of grilling. Sear a thick steak above a hot fire (direct heat) for a minute or two per side to brown it, and then move it away from the fire and close the hood (indirect heat). Let that steak coast up to temperature for 10 to 20 minutes more. You will be rewarded with a beautifully-browned exterior and succulent interior.

The longer cooking time allows more of the inner marbling to render its flavor into the steak, without having to cook it past medium-rare.

On a Kalamazoo Hybrid Fire Grill, you can use a wood fire to add even more flavor±—the zenith of grilling! Read more about direct and indirect grilling techniques at KalamazooGourmet.com.

3. Break The Rules: Flip Your Food

We’re not sure who came up with the rule that you can only flip your meat once. Some of the best steaks and chops we’ve ever made were flipped and moved frequently, particularly when using the combination of direct and indirect heat. (What you should not do is press on the meat with the flipper or other utensil, which presses juice out of the meat.)

On a nice big bone-in ribeye, you can even score the outer flesh with a knife to increase the amount of surface area for browning. Turning your steak frequently lets each side take short breaks from the direct heat below. It’s also great for building up a beautiful crust without burning the outside of the meat. This tip works well when cooking thick cuts of beef, lamb and pork.

4. Leave That Fish Alone

Fish should not be flipped. If the food is sticking to the grill, it just isn’t ready to be turned.

Let the fish cook until the sides start to release themselves from the cooking surface. You can help the cause by making sure you thoroughly preheat the grill.

When the hood thermometer on a gas grill first reaches 500°F or 600°F, the grill grates may be lagging behind. Give them time to thoroughly heat up before you start cooking.

5. Olive Oil and Veggies: It’s Just That Simple

Asparagus, corn, green beans, mushrooms and zucchini all love a hot grill. Just give them a thorough coating of olive oil and a dusting of salt, and grill them directly above a hot fire.

For asparagus and green beans, the Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet grillmasters recommend whisking a little lemon juice into the olive oil. It brightens the flavor and helps reduce any smoke from the olive oil.

We’re hungry just thinking about it!

Want to surprise Dad with a new grill for Father’s Day?
Check out KalamazooGourmet.com.
  

Whether or not you’re currently a cider fan, we’ve got to evangelize over what we think is the most elegant of hard apple ciders.

The naturally fermented line is made from the fresh pressed juice of Northwest apples—not from apple juice concentrate like many ciders. And there’s also pear cider, or perry, made from 100% pear juice; there’s no apple juice sneaked in to lower the cost of ingredients.

It’s pure, clean cider: There is no added malt, grape wine or spirit alcohol, no added colorants, sorbate or benzoate preservatives.

And unlike beer, which is made from grain, cider is 100% gluten free.

Read the full review.

We’d like to add: Brew Sustainably. The Vue cups (an improvement on K-cups) are made from recyclable #5 plastic (polypropylene). While it doesn’t matter to some people, we strive to do our small part to help the environment. Finally, with Keurig Vue, we can enjoy a K-cup-type system with the improved Vue cups.

We’re excited about this appliance for other reasons, too, including the total control it gives you to customize your brew exactly as you wish:

A great addition to the kitchen, a great gift. Photo courtesy Keurig.

Keurig makes the biggest-selling line of single-cup brewing machines, and the capsules (K-cups and Vue cups) used to make coffee, tea and hot chocolate. As is common knowledge, it’s more costly to brew a single cup of coffee than a carafe of it; but with no hassle or mess, and perfect coffee every time, Americans have more than embraced single-serve.

Head over to Keurig.com to browse the options. Hopefully, there’s a Keurig Vue in your future.
  

Is there a more popular dessert than s’mores? You don’t need a campfire and a branch. Just:

 
This recipe from Reynolds Wrap makes it easy.

EASY GRILLED S’MORES

Ingredients For 4 Servings

Preparation

1. PREHEAT grill to medium or preheat oven to 450°F.

2. FOR each s’more, top one graham cracker square with one chocolate bar half, one marshmallow and another graham cracker square. Repeat with remaining graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows.

3. CENTER one s’more on each sheet of foil. Turn up the foil sides. Double fold the top and ends to seal the packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Repeat to make four packets.

4. GRILL 4 to 5 minutes in covered grill, or bake 4 to 5 minutes on a cookie sheet in oven
  

If you own a grill, chances are you’ll be using it this weekend to make hot dogs and other favorites. For a gourmet hot dog experience, Applegate Organic and Natural Meats—whose hot dogs count among our favorites—has provided some very special recipes.

Here are 13 recipes representing cities nationwide.
 
 
ATLANTA DOG: Vidalia Onion & Peach Relish

It’s impossible to think of Georgia without imagining orchards full of peach trees and fields of sweet onions. In the ATL, they come together into one delicious hot dog topping. Pickled jalapeños bring the tang and heat to a fresh, juicy relish On the side: sweet tea, of course. Recipe.

BOISE DOG: Baked Potato “Bun” With Bacon, Sour Cream & Chives

At first glance, this specialty of The City Of Trees might look like a regular hot dog set-up. But look again, and you’ll see a fluffy baked potato standing in for the bun: a fitting homage to the Idaho potato! Recipe.

There‘s a double hit of bacon on this dog from Beantown: both cooked with the beans and crumbled on top. Recipe.

CINCINNATI Dog: Cincinnati Chili, Cheddar Cheese & Onions

The Queen City is keen on chili dogs. Cincinnati-style chili—mildly spiced and very meaty—makes an ideal hot dog topper. Keep some in the freezer and pull it out any time you need a fix. Recipe.

In The Capital of Southern Hospitality, pimiento cheese is a Southern classic, and its sharp creaminess turns out to be a natural with hot dogs. Recipe.

DENVER DOG: Green Chile, Red Onions, Jalapeños & Sour Cream

The Mile-High City deserves a hot dog with miles of flavor. A touch of sour cream tames the heat of roasted green chile sauce, chopped onions, and jalapeños. Recipe.

HONOLULU DOG: Pineapple Relish, Lemon-Garlic Mayo & Starfruit

Hot dog stands in Hawaii offer a range of tropical toppings—think relishes made from coconut, mango or papaya. This recipe, inspired by The Big pineapple, pairs a snappy pineapple relish with a cool lemony mayo and slices of starfruit. Aloha! Recipe.

LOS ANGELES DOG: Red Cabbage & Scallion Slaw, Kimchi & Sesame Mayo

The City of Angels is a city of many cultures and cuisines. Based on the now-famous Kogi Dog from the original Kogi food truck in L.A., this hot dog explodes with flavors and textures: fiery, tangy, creamy, crisp, nutty. A squirt of sriracha sauce completes the Asian theme. Recipe.

The Big Easy is known for its flavorful food. A favorite local condiment—finely chopped salad of olives, pickled vegetables, garlic and capers—makes a vinegary counterpoint to meaty dogs. Recipe.

NEW YORK CITY DOG: New York City: Sauerkraut & Spicy Mustard

The Big Apple chooses a classic combination of crisp, vinegary kraut and spicy brown mustard. It’s so simple, yet so good. Recipe.

PHILADELPHIA DOG: Pepper Hash & Spicy Mustard

Pepper hash, a traditional accompaniment to hot dogs in the City of Brotherly Love, is a sweet, vinegary slaw. Sometimes the hot dogs are served with a smashed fish and potato cake, too, but you can simply finish your dog with a drizzle of spicy mustard. Recipe.

SAN FRANCISCO DOG: Carrot, Cucumber & Radish Salad With Herb Mayonnaise

Inspired by the incredible produce available in the Bay Area, this colorful salad topping is refreshing and beautiful. The green herb-flecked mayo adds a touch of richness to this Fog City dog. Recipe.

TAMPA DOG: Cuban-Style With Ham, Swiss & Pickles

There’s no guava on this hot dog from The Big Guava. Instead, locals adapt the traditional Cuban sandwich combo of ham, Swiss and pickles to the hot dog. Recipe.
 
 
COMING UP NEXT

Here’s Part 2: even more yummy dogs:

Baltimore, Chicago, Des Moines, Kennebunkport, Las Vegas, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Antonio, Santa Fe and Seattle.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!