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KALAMAZOO

Outdoor Gourmet with Grillmaster Russ Faulk

by Kian Stave

Russ Faulk, Chief Designer and Head of Product at Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, is something of a legend among grilling enthusiasts. A talented grillmaster and cookbook author, he is most known for creating a trilogy of gold standard grills that are second to, well, none. Working as chief designer at Kalamazoo has been a dream job, as his love of cooking and bringing to life the world’s best grills are nearly equal passions inspired by his parents. Russ attributes his keen ability to tinker to his father, a Navytrained engineer who instilled in him a spirit of doing things yourself. His mother was an artist, and the reason he went to design school.

Russ's passion for cooking also began at an early age, He remembers the first time his father let him cook the steaks unsupervised for Sunday dinner. Steaks were not frequently on the table growing up, which made him appreciate this ritual all the more. He was twelve at the time and his mother had three boys that she wanted to make self-sufficient. She insisted that the boys know how to cook, and all three embraced it. This enthusiasm for cooking has come full circle for Russ, and at the highest levels. Now, he is the person inspiring others to develop an affinity for cooking and is responsible for the development of products such as the Hybrid Fire Grill, which some have deemed the “Rolls Royce of grills.”

A World-Class Design Philosophy

According to Russ, his overall design philosophy combines a beautiful aesthetic and the very best performance to create products that endure the test of time. “We place a high priority on proportions and scale, and we incorporate architectural design cues to help ensure a Kalamazoo outdoor kitchen looks like it belongs as part of the home.” This is evident in the emphasis on horizontal shadow lines and highlight lines, as well as in how curves always terminate in a defined angle. “The other important philosophy is that form and function go hand in hand. We want our products to be beautiful without calling attention to themselves.” The most popular Kalamazoo product is, of course, the Hybrid Fire Grill. It is what Kalamazoo is best known for, and is still revolutionary even though it was invented nearly twenty-five years ago. In Russ’s own words, “we call it Hybrid Fire because it cooks with any combination of gas, charcoal and wood. I firmly believe it to be the most versatile and capable gas grill on the planet.” When I ask Russ what his favorite product is there’s a dissonant pause. He does have one, however, and it’s the Gaucho Grill. “The Gaucho is a modern interpretation of an Argentinian-style wood-fired grill. I love it because it is so good at what it does, and it is such an engaging way to cook. In an Argentinian-style wood grill, the cooking grates raise and lower above the fire so that you can control the intensity of the cooking heat. The Kalamazoo Gaucho is unique in that its built-in motorized rotisserie system is designed to travel vertically along with the cooking rack and function at any desired level.

Another engineering feat that you can’t see is the Acme screw mechanism that raises and lowers the cooking rack. Traditional versions of this style grill typically have a simple mechanism for raising and lowering the cooking grate and a ratchet that holds the rack at the desired height. Russ wanted to design a product that overcame the need for two hands (one on the crank and one on the ratchet) and eliminated the need for the ratchet to keep the cooking grates in place. "Kalamazoo's mechanism eliminates the ratchet, is buttery smooth and rock solid. The rack is easy to move, simply by turning the wheel, but if the wheel is not turned by the operator, it would take several thousand pounds of force to move the rack down.”

Creating a Better Kamado

The Shokunin Kamado Grill is one of Russ's favorites - perhaps because he designed it from the ground up. “It is our most recent design and I am proud of the innovations it represents in the world of Kamado cookers. We basically tore up the notebook for Kamado grills to such an extent that the immediate reaction on social media was a bit of a backlash with many kamado purists exclaiming that our offering was not a true kamado grill.” The Shokunin design emphasizes and enhances everything that is great about Kamado cookers according to Russ. It uses a full two inches of insulation within the body and lid, making it the most efficient Kamado on the market. The direct result of this is long burn times, which are perfect for traditional American barbecue. During prototype testing, the Shokunin ran for 65 hours straight at 250 degrees Fahrenheit on just twelve pounds of charcoal. "That’s an incredibly long time, and I can’t think of any reason I’d ever cook for that long in one session. But what it means is the Shokunin is incredibly steady in temperature." One independent tester observed

that it holds a more consistent temperature curve than an indoor oven, fluctuating less above and below the target temperature over the duration of the cook. Though there are many enhancements to the traditional kamado design, one of the most striking differences in the Shokunin is its appearance. "The design is totally original and very pleasing.”

Russ’s Grillmaster Secrets

According to Russ, the secret to great grilling is to use a Kalamazoo grill (of course!). From a technique standpoint, he suggests working with a multi-zone fire. The easiest way to think about it is in terms of using a gas grill with all three burners set to high, but then adjusting them before cooking. Set at least one burner to low, or even turn it off entirely. This creates a safety zone, where you can place food to slow things down. "For a thick steak, set it over a very hot fire. In Kalamazoo terms, that means you might be cooking at nearly one thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Ideally, you’ll want to get one zone as hot as you can on whatever grill you’re using. Once your steak has seared quickly on both sides, move it to a zone where there is no fire. Close the lid, and let that steak coast up to medium-rare inside." Russ likes to move steaks frequently while cooking, so he’ll come back to flip it and turn it at least every five minutes. Most often, he’ll sear for only one minute per side, and then move it to what is called the “indirect zone” for at least twenty minutes more.

The Grillmaster clearly loves to share tips with his customers, “I communicate directly with clients all the time. It is a joy to help them get the most out of their Kalamazoo cooking experiences and I find it especially rewarding when I can help a client master a specific technique. We’ve seen in clients time and time again that the capabilities of the products we make really encourage them to raise their cooking game- taking on new challenges and mastering new cooking skills. It is something that makes all of us here really happy and proud.”

Of course, Russ loves to cook for his own family too. “My wife of thirty years (the only one I’ve had) is a Texan. So her favorite thing for me to cook is a ribeye cap steak with grilled asparagus on the side and a grilled bread salad to start. She also likes it when I cook a spatchcock chicken.” This technique opens the whole chicken up flat, then roasts it for thirty-five minutes at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s a preferred method among many grillers as it turns out with crispy brown skin and succulent meat. Pizza on the grill is also a skill Russ has mastered. “My teenage son prefers Neapolitan-style pizza and will tell everyone that mine is the best. It isn’t, but he is justifiably biased. If I’m not using the Kalamazoo Artisan Fire Pizza Oven, then you’ll find me making pies on the Shokunin Kamado Grill using a two-piece oven stone. It works perfectly because of the way the interior curve of the lid radiates the heat back down on top of the pizzas. I cook them (one at a time) at 750 degrees Fahrenheit for two minutes.”

Discover the Kalamazoo Experience

Russ Faulk is a passionate designer who won’t settle for second place. When musing about the legendary line of grills he’s designed, Russ says, “I think of them as tools, the very best tools for people who love to cook.” Now, that is an understatement when you consider the levels of sophistication and performance you get in a Kalamazoo. Don’t believe it? Explore the full outdoor kitchen collection at KalamazooGourmet. com or use the online dealer locator to visit a showroom near you and see for yourself.

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