OUTSIDE: Grill Masters

There’s something primal about grilling. This is, after all, the original form of cooking – the activity that arguably distinguishes humans from other members of the animal kingdom. The concept is simple: Make a fire, put food on top of that heat, then voila. Of course things have evolved, with all kinds of new-fangled grills that allow you to control temperature, but the concept remains the same. And the custom of cooking outdoors, making food to order, is a simple joy. “There’s nothing better than grilling and a cold beer,” says Jeff Markow, a member of the nonprofit Carmel Valley Kiwanis Club. “It comes out hot, fresh, and you cook it the way you like it. Everything is better grilled – there’s just no comparison.” Markow is one of roughly 40 Kiwanians who do about a half-dozen huge barbecues a year, serving hundreds of people, as fundraisers. (You can spot the Kiwanians in the crowd from their tie-dye shirts.) The art of grilling is really about the timing, Markow says – add tri-tip first, then corn maybe 20 minutes later, and sausages just 10 minutes before it’s time to eat. Markow recommends charcoal over other types of grills, partly for the old-school experience, partly for the smoke flavor. But any which way, grilling is accessible – this is cooking for dummies at its most basic – and grilling offers a way to take the act of cooking outdoors. Summer is here, and so is grilling season (if it ever ended). [SR]