When I was a kid, I never understood why my dad would get so excited to bring out the grill when the weather was nice. I didn’t get how it was any different than cooking on the stove, and it all just seemed like an unnecessary hassle. I don’t know if I’m simply falling victim to becoming my parents, but I’ve started to get why my dad would be so eager to bring the grill out.

There’s a difference between cooking ribeye on a grill versus cooking it in a pan. Pan searing a steak is convenient, but the pan itself can take away flavor and tenderness from the meat. The steak makes direct contact with the pan, and apart from the very tiny amount of hot air rising from the pan, there’s not much heat convection. This means you can only cook one very isolated side of the steak at a time, at one pace. While the steak is cooking, moisture gets trapped between the steak and the pan, steaming the underside of the steak and preventing crust formation. The direct contact with the pan shocks the proteins, causing them to tense up and leaving you with a more firm steak.

Cooking with a grill, on the other hand, alleviates all these issues. You’re cooking on a grate, so any excess moisture drips off without steaming the steak surface, and you get a nice crust. The widespread heat from the open flame rises up and around the steak which allows for more even cooking. Grilling your meats prevents any of the proteins from tensing up, which leaves you with a more tender steak. 

But the technical aspects aren’t the only advantage. Grilling is also the most social way of cooking. For many of us, the smell of a grill is a symbol of summer. Open yards, water balloons, your annoying aunt and hot dogs. It doesn’t get much better. 

There’s a lot more to grilling than just steaks. One of my favorite easy grilled snacks is grilled tomato and burrata. All you need is some olive oil, bread, tomato and burrata. A grill basket is great for this, but if you don’t have one, just put some oil on the grates beforehand. Heat the grill to a medium/high heat and put some oiled bread slices on to toast them. Cut the tomatoes in half and brush with olive oil, and cook on the grill until they’re a bit charred. Once finished, throw some salt and pepper on the tomatoes, and cut open your burrata. I like to do the Spanish method of pan con tomate, and rub the tomato onto the crisp bread like a grate. You get a nice tomato paste, and then you can add a smear of burrata and balsamic glaze. The open flame gives the tomato a slight smoky flavor, which gives some depth to this simple dish. 

For a real classic, you can’t go wrong with some grilled burgers. I like my burgers to have an 80/20 lean to fat ratio, but any kind works great. Form some patties, put the grill on high and wait until the patties are at room temperature to start cooking. Cook each side on high heat for about three to four minutes and flip only once, adding cheese if you’d like. Then, toast the buns and assemble your burger with whatever toppings you prefer. My most necessary topping is caramelized onion for the sweet flavor it adds. Grilled mushrooms can also give a unique and earthy flavor to your burgers, but sometimes all you need is some lettuce and tomato.

You’ve got to enjoy the little things in life, and cooking outside for people you care about is definitely one of those things.