Summer is just around the corner, and folks are gearing up their grills for a weekend of hearty cookouts. Whether you’re getting a head start on celebrating International Burger Day (May 28, the day after Memorial Day this year!), practicing some new recipes for a Juneteenth barbeque, or whipping up your go-to menu for a day of grilling, Seward Co-op has a wide variety of meats, veggies, and plant-based proteins to make your weekend delicious.

When you visit Seward Co-op, you can be sure to find a plethora of meat and seafood options sourced locally and sustainably, often supporting small-scale farmers raising heritage breed livestock. We practice whole animal butchery, allowing us to both cut back on waste and provide harder-to-find cuts, pieces, and parts for any recipe. The Meat and Seafood department also frequently offers a variety of pre-seasoned, easy-to-cook items on a rotating basis, such as burger patties, fajitas, seasoned wings, and more. Plus, we offer house-made sausages produced with locally raised protein and inventive ingredients.

Kick off the Cookout with These Tips

• Cook fatty fish with brown paper: Cooking fattier fish like trout and salmon fillets on a brown paper bag and cutting around the fillets like on the cover photo above allows the skin to crisp up without burning or sticking. The result is crispy skin, tender fish, and easy cleanup.
• Careful with your coals: When cooking meats over coals, make sure they are a little off to the side of the direct heat of the coals or flame. Once your coals are red and white, split them on either side of your grill and place your grillables in the center. This gives you a few areas to cook: off the direct heat for slower heating, over the coals for a nice scorch and color, and somewhere in-between for a kind of “medium” heat. Need coals? You can find hardwood lump charcoal at Seward Co-op.
• Dry brine your proteins: Generously salting steaks or pieces of chicken on a rack over a drip pan in the fridge overnight will allow the salt to penetrate, flavor, and tenderize your cuts, leading to a juicier, more flavorful meal when it comes off of the grill.
• Get a thermometer! When grilling meat and seafood, it’s so important to make sure they’re properly cooked to avoid illness. Steaks and chops should be cooked to a minimum of 145 degrees, poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees, fish should be cooked to 145 degrees, and shrimp should be cooked until the flesh is pearly, white, and opaque.
• Don’t forget the fruit: Many seasonal fruits are delicious on the grill like pineapple, stone fruit (especially peaches), sliced watermelon, and slices of mango.

Interested in kicking up the flavor a notch with marinades? Learn how to make your own, or try one of our ready-made recipes.

The Ultimate Grilling Recipe Guide

Need some inspiration for a summer of grilling? Check out these recipes from National Co+op Grocers (NCG) and Seward Co-op to get you started.

Top it Off!

Dress up your burgers and sausages with a range of condiments. Seward Co-op has all your favorite ketchups, mustards, mayos, pickles, and more, but also a wide selection of additional toppings and sauces. Try a burger topped with spicy kimchi, a brat smothered in tangy Old Brooklyn mustard “caviar,” a pork chop garnished with mango chutney, or grilled tempeh smothered in locally made Triple Crown BBQ sauce. Looking for a  kick of heat? Try the new, Twin Cities-made Lake of Fire Komodo mild sauce.

Make it a Meal

What’s summer without watermelon? Stop by the Produce department for sweet, seasonal fruit sides, from stone fruit to melons to mangoes and more. Plus, pair your grillables with easy Grab n Go sides, salads, and desserts from Seward Co-op. From creamy pasta salads to sweet cherry pie, our Deli does the rest of the work for you (using organic and local ingredients whenever possible) so you can focus on keeping those coals hot and those kebabs turning. Want to make your own sides? Try the below recipes to help complete your meal.