Adam Gertler, host of Food Network’s “Kid In A Candy Story” doesn’t just do sweets - he is also proficient grill master and smoker of meats and served as Executive Chef at The Joint, a Philadelphia-based BBQ restaurant, from 2004 to 2006.  While not a father himself, Adam is acutely aware of what Dad wants on Father’s Day, namely meat cooked with fire.   There are some things that men are just hard wired to appreciate and the aroma of wood smoke is high up on that list.

Some Father’s Day grilling/smoking tips from Adam Gertler

First off, on Father’s Day everything is fair game on the grill.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.  No ovens. No cooking indoors.  Cold beer and hot coals are not a father’s privilege but a right.  Make sure to preheat the grill with the lid down. The best time to clean your grill is when it’s very hot. Scrub the grill grates well and keep them  lubricated with oil at all times, I keep a towel just for oiling the grill and use it until its trashed.

For breakfast make your eggs on the grill.  For a charcoal grill, build a bed of about 20 hot coals on either side of the grill leaving the center free of coals.  For a gas grill, only light one side of the grill.  Place a disposable aluminum pan over the unlit side or between the charcoal beds.  spray pan with nonstick spray or brush with butter.  Fill pan with sauteed vegetables(cooking veggies ahead of time adds flavor and reduces water content), chopped cooked bacon, slice sausages, cheese, fresh herbs or some or all of the above and top with beaten eggs mixed with a little milk and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Close the lid and bake your breakfast in the grill.  Throw a few soaked wood chunks over the coals to add some smoke flavor.  Should take about 20 minutes or until eggs set.

Try Grilling a salad.  Brush romaine lettuce hearts with light olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sear lettuce over blisteringly high heat for about 30 seconds on each side until outer leaves get nice and charred.  Serve hearts whole or sliced in thirds crosswise.  Top with creamy dressing such as ranch, Caesar, or blue cheese and bacon bits made from smokey bacon baked with brown sugar. 

You can even grill your dessert!   Sliced pound cake or banana bread brushed with a little butter grilled over medium heat until nice and toasty is awesome.  Even more awesome topped with ice cream.  Even more, more awesome topped with grilled peaches AND ice cream.

Maybe slow smoked barbecue is your favorite but you don’t want to spend the entire day manning the grill.  You can get deep smoke flavor in some dishes that cook in little more than an hour.  Try my beer can chicken recipe which employs the use of soaked hickory chunks.  Super easy and one of the tastiest birds you’ll ever have.  You can also smoke pork tenderloin rather quickly with great results, just don’t cook past 160 degrees or you will suffer dry pork which should not happen, especially on Father’s Day.

If ribs are what you crave, babybacks are easiest to attack and take less times than spare ribs.  Prepare the grill as described for baking the breakfast.  Season ribs with bbq rub and place on grill, off of heat.  Add two large soaked hickory wood chunks wrapped in heavy duty foil .  Allow to smoke for two hours.  brush ribs with barbecue sauce and wrap tightly in foil.  Check for tenderness after an hour when you can pull meat easily from the rack near the bone, they are done.  Finish ribs by grilling directly over the coals until slightly charred and a final glazing of barbecue sauce. 

So many people have their way of grilling corn on the cob.  Some pre-boil, others remove the silk and replace the husk, I like to keep it very simple.  Just remove the husk completely, brush all over with a little oil and season with some salt and grill directly over high heat until the kernels are golden brown.  Finish with butter off the grill.  I like to add fresh garlic, honey, and chili powder to butter for a delicious chili butter.  Everybody just freakin loves this.

As much as I love smoky low and slow ‘cue, my favorite all time food is probably the humble cheeseburger.  Try adding a few crushed ice cubes to 1 pound of fresh ground beef or turkey before forming into patties, this helps keep the juicy delicious fat in the burger. Season the outside of the burgers with salt and fresh ground pepper. grill over medium high heat.  Burgers should only be flipped once and NEVER pressed down on with spatula as this will also rob the burger of its juiciness.  Top with cheese after the flip and continue cooking to your liking.