Some of the best memories I have from my childhood of quality time spent with my dad were grilling meat and going fishing.

My dad, an ex-Marine, was the quiet, stoic type of man, a man of few words. He really didn’t have much to say about most topics and preferred to keep this thoughts to himself. If there’s a rewrite of the “Five Love Languages” book, author Gary Chapman should include ‘grilling/smoking meat and going fishing’ as the sixth love language. That would’ve been my dad’s love language. I love you, so I will grill or smoke you some meats. Perhaps this quiet nature was a generational characteristic of many men who grew up in the 40’s and 50’s or of men who served in the military.

My dad really enjoyed the great outdoors and he would relax the most when at a streamside or at a BBQ pit. He enjoyed grilling so much that he supplemented our family income by using our family farm as an outdoor catering company. It was successful. We’d grill up meats for up to 2,500 people at a time.

When we hosted old-fashioned BBQ picnics for eight to 12 companies per summer, my dad taught me how to feed between 800 and 2,500 people in an afternoon with the huge concrete-block BBQ pits we made. My dad had a welder and made us two-sided, hinged BBQ racks that held 200 pieces of chicken or steaks that were sandwiched between the racks. We’d have over 1,200 pieces of meat on the BBQ pits at a time, and the smell and smoke generated from the pits was awe inspiring!

When we weren’t catering for a group, we’d spend time outside goofing around with homemade smokers we’d patched together from different devices we picked up for free. We made a smoker out of some old bricks, an old freezer, and a stainless steel warming bin that a baker gave us.

We’d use an old pedestal bathtub located outside a shed as a brine tank and cover it with a canvas. This allowed us to brine 12 whole turkeys at a time before Thanksgiving.

My dad passed away in 2018, but my memories of him enjoying time at the smoker, grill, or streamside remain fondly implanted in my mind.

For Father’s day every year, including this year, I ask my kids to just hang out with me outside as we grill some good meats. I don’t enjoy going out to eat on Father’s day; I just want to stay home and enjoy the moment with my family around the backyard grill.

No doubt you have similar memories and preferred traditions surrounding Father’s Day. Any of us who had or have a decent dad have a lot to be thankful for. Decent dads are highly underrated, but shouldn’t be underappreciated!

So here’s a great big thank you to all of you in the meat business, from the farmers and ranchers to the meat processors and distributors, that allow us to have healthy meats to grill up this weekend for Father’s day. Your hard work allows us all to make some great family memories.

Happy Father’s Day to dads and granddads everywhere!

I hope you’re at the smoker or grill this weekend surrounded by your family and friends.

A Father’s Day tribute to grilling meat with dad

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