Guys 'n' grills: Outdoor cooks offer tips on tools and techniques

Jacob Schmidt is one of those dads who do a lot of grilling at home, while his set of 41/2-year old triplets, Gabe, Abby and Caleb, try to "help."

"If I'm mixing things at the counter, they like to scoot up a stool and see what's in the bowl," he said. "They always want to dump ingredients in or just watch. When they were smaller, I'd try to keep them away from the grill, but now they know about the heat and how to be safe."

In honor of Father's Day, we asked dads (or their loved ones) to tell us what their three essential tools are for grilling or barbecuing.

Schmidt said his essentials are "long-handled tongs, a wire brush to scrub the grill, and a juicy steak plus red onions and mushrooms. We especially love red onions grilled. Sometimes I quarter them, or do them in whole slices, brushed with a little olive oil."

It's not surprising that he would choose steak, since he's the dietitian for the Utah Beef Council. In that capacity, Schmidt also offers some food-safety tips for outdoor cooking.

"Always cook ground beef to 160 degrees. This is the optimum temperature for a safe and savory burger," he said. "Rather than relying on colors or juices to tell you when your burger is done, get an instant-read meat thermometer."

Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, and wash your hands after handling it, to keep food-borne illness at bay.

Regardless of the tools you use, grilling has a built-in secret of success: smoke.

That's according to Don Strange, a premier caterer in the San Antonio, Texas, area with a national reputation for cookouts, from down-home to elaborate.

"You get that aroma going, and people will tell you how wonderful the food is when they haven't even tasted anything yet," he said.

One of Strange's favorite grill tools is a Texas Grill Pardner, a large, round metal platter to keep grilled food warm. People asked about them so much that Strange sells them for $179 on his Web site at donstrangemarket.com.

Instead of regular briquettes, Strange likes to use charwood, hardwood that has been charred and packaged in its natural lump state. He said charwood is easier to light, it burns hotter, and it gives off a nicer flavor. For those thinking a bag or two might make a nice gift for Dad, it's is available from several briquette manufacturers, including Kingsford.

For other additions to a grilling arsenal, the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association says this year's trendy tools include potato grilling racks, nonstick grill tops and baskets to cook mini-hamburgers, or "sliders."