It’s time for backyard burgers, and we’ve got tips on making it just right

Ever watch the Parks and Recreation episode where characters Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) and Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) face-off in a burger cooking competition? The short version is that Chris’s meticulously prepared turkey burger, with a long list of ingredients sourced from the store Grain n’ Simple, loses badly to Ron’s straightforward formula, which features ground beef from Food and Stuff grilled to cave-man perfection and slapped on a squishy white bun.

Whether you like them fussy or stripped down, summertime backyard burgers are officially on the menu.

Read on for a few easy tips to make sure yours deliver every time. This story originally appeared in a May 2018 edition of 225 Dine.