Tips to Grill the Perfect Father’s Day Meal

4 Tips to Help You Grill the Perfect Father’s Day Meal

It is that time of year where we recognize the amazing fathers in our lives—and celebrating such special people requires an equally special meal. Try these four Father’s Day BBQ ideas guaranteed to make this the tastiest celebration your guest of honor has ever experienced.

Switch up the Menu

Any good outdoor BBQ has its classics—steaks, burgers, ribs and the likes—but why settle for the routine for this occasion? Add a special spin to your Father’s Day menu with a recipe that breaks from grill tradition, like smoked beer can chicken! As a bonus, this guarantees you will have some tasty brews on hand to sip while you cook. Keep the celebration going by adding some spice to your sides, like with bacon-wrapped jalapeño shrimp poppers. Planning a special grill menu will make sure your Father’s Day meal is just like the guest of honor—anything but ordinary.

Get the Temperature Right

Set up different "zones" on the grill that provide both direct and indirect heat exposures. Direct heat takes place right over the flames. This is the heat that will help you achieve those tell-tale grill marks, caramelization and a nice crisp char. It is also great for foods that cook quickly, such as vegetables and seafood. Indirect heat, on the other hand, is the heat given off around the flame. Foods placed on these areas of the grill will still be cooked, just not directly exposed to the flames. This works best for foods that require slower cooking or that would burn in direct heat.

If you do not have a thermometer to help gauge the temperature of different zones, try a hand test. Hover your open palm a few inches over the grill rack and count the seconds that pass before you need to move it away. High heat will take about 2 seconds, medium 5 seconds and low heat can be 10 seconds or more.

Stick to the Grill

From the main course to all the sides, try building your menu completely around the grill. You can even keep the coals hot for the perfect dessert, like a delicious grilled pineapple ice cream sundae! Cooking everything in one place means less time running back and forth from the kitchen to the grill and more time spent with the family. Be careful not to overcrowd the grate, though. Putting too much food on at one time will take away your ability to manipulate exposure to direct and indirect heat, essential for achieving the perfect grill.

Grab Some Chips

You have probably had your fair share of experience grilling with gas and charcoal, but have you ever tried cooking over wood chips? Adding wood brings unique flavors to the grill that simply cannot be beat.

While gas grills require a smoker box attachment to add wood chips, charcoal grills allow you to mix the chips right in with the coals. Make sure to either soak your chips or wrap dry chips in tin foil with small holes to avoid the wood from burning up too quickly and ruining the smoke quality.

Combining different wood chips will have a similar effect as spice rub. Each type of wood brings with it a unique flavor profile for a Father’s Day meal everyone will remember. For a lighter, sweeter flavor, opt for a mild wood like apple or cherry. Bolder flavored woods include hickory, oak, and pecan—hickory is the most commonly used smoking wood as it compliments almost every kind of meat well. More adventurous grillers looking for a strong, earthy flavor will likely want to try out mesquite, some of the boldest flavored wood chips available.

At Perry Homes, we know that the best Father’s Day BBQ ideas are even better in the perfect backyard. Each of our homes is built with the mission to help you and your family celebrate all of life’s special moments. Listen to some of our homeowner testimonials to see why so many families are choosing to make their memories with Perry Homes.