Nothing says Father’s Day or the approaching summer season like the taste of a juicy hamburger. It can satisfy so many cravings in one sitting.

For those who want to grill the best possible burgers for dad this year, follow these easy tips:

• Begin with fresh meat: Freshly ground meat will produce the best flavor. If you are unsure when the packaged ground beef was made, ask the butcher or someone in the meat department of the supermarket to grind you up a fresh batch. Otherwise, use a food processor or an attachment on a stand mixer to grind the meat yourself;

• Fat has flavor. If you’re going to indulge in a burger, make sure it has a fair amount of fat content. Fat helps keep the burgers moist and juicy. Make sure the fat content is about 18 to 20 percent of the mix. This helps to guarantee flavorful burgers;

• Keep the meat cold. Chilled burger patties will firm up and hold their shape better during cooking. Leave the pre-made patties in the refrigerator until the last minute. Keep patties on ice if you will be cooking burgers in batches;

• Don’t overhandle the meat. Compressing the meat and handling it too much can lead to dry, dense burgers. Avoid tough meat by handling it as little as possible. Keep your hands wet while shaping the patties so they’ll come together easily;

• Oil up the grill. A clean, well-oiled grill prevents burgers from sticking during cooking;

• Make sure the grill is super-hot. The goal is to cook burgers over high heat and fast. This is achieved with a very hot grill. It may only take 3 to 5 minutes per side to cook the burgers, depending on the thickness of the patty;

• Flip only once. Wait until the burgers have been grilling for a few minutes and release easily from the grill grate. Flip them over and allow them to cook a few minutes more. This helps keep the juices inside the meat and prevents your burgers from turning into burnt hockey pucks;

• Resist the urge to squash the burgers. Pushing down on the burgers with the spatula will only force the juices out. If you want dry burgers, press them down. If you want nice, juicy burgers, step away from the spatula; and

• Allow the burgers to rest. Take the burgers off the grill and let them rest for 5 minutes so all of their juice redistributes through the patty. Toast your hamburger buns and then serve the burgers with your favorite toppings.

Take a ribbing

If burgers are not dad’s thing, there’s always the other grill favorite — barbecued ribs. These slow-cooked Orange-Ginger Baby Back Ribs are the definition of mouth-watering perfection.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds baby back ribs

Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup

• 1/2  cup hoisin sauce

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard

• 3 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons orange juice

• 2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon ginger

• Grated zest of an orange

• Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the grill to medium and turn down to low. Prepare ribs for grilling by removing the membrane from the underside of the ribs. 

Prepare several foil envelopes and place 2 strips of ribs into each envelope, with 1/4 cup of water and seal tightly. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours on low (300 degrees) with the lid closed. 

Check the thermometer on the front of the grill lid frequently and adjust the cooking temperature accordingly. This may require turning one or two burners off and cooking indirectly.

Saucing the ribs

Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and set aside until the ribs are ready to remove from the foil. Gently heat the sauce on the side burner for 10 to 15 minutes before using.

Carefully remove the ribs from the foil and place on grids. Baste generously with sauce and grill for 10 minutes per side, leaving the lid open, turning several times, and basting with sauce after each turn.

Heat remaining sauce to a boil and then allow it to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve on the side as a dipping sauce.

Find additional recipes and grilling tips online at www.broilkingbbq.com.