This summer, dads across the Lowcountry will be chilling and grilling with their families in their backyards. And every man has his own personal secrets of creating the best food and the best grilling experience. Here are three local fathers' takes on grilling out and why they revel in the experience of cooking outdoors.

James Gordon of Hanahan

Wife: LAUREN; Kids: ALLIE (8), DANIELLE (7), JACKSON (2).

How often: As often as possible

Why: Being outside and enjoying the weather. "Everybody being together is the best part."

Favorite thing to grill: Rib eye

Cooking advice: Wrap foods, like fish, in aluminum foil so they don't burn or fall apart easily.

Secrets: Gordon prefers KC Masterpiece barbecue sauces, and suggests adding honey, salt, spices or whatever to the sauce to make it more to your liking. Or make your own, he says. "I'll get an old recipe and put a whole bunch of stuff together and just wing it."

Random advice: Don't grill on a windy day. "Because it just blows your flames around and is just a pain." He also recommends every griller have a backup propane tank. "So when you're in the middle of cooking you don't look down and say, 'Oh no, the gas just ran out.'"

Jon Grandin of Johns Island

Wife: ASHLEY; Kids: MAX (4), ANNA (3 MOS.).

How often: A lot

Why: "I can watch Max play and usually we're all outside. It's just an excuse to be outside and mess around with fire all day."

Favorite thing to grill: N.Y. strip, dry aged

Cooking advice: "Steak, high heat quick; everything else well and slow."

Vegetable secrets: "The best vegetables I've done on the grill lately was when I cooked beer can chicken. You elevate the chicken over the vegetables and let the flavor from the beer can chicken drip down into the cut-up vegetables. It's two hours of juices cooking the vegetables over indirect heat." (For recipe see Online Extras)

Random advice: Always buy fresh products and have a probe thermometer; always make sure your meats are cooked to the recommended temperature.

Safety advice: "You never cross-contaminate meat. I'm always very careful whenever I'm grilling out chicken to make sure I always put the cooked meat on a clean plate or clean surface. Make sure there's no marinade; make sure tongs are clean and sanitized. I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to raw chicken juice. I don't like it at all. I'm very cautious with chicken."

Dan Wenz of Charleston

Wife: ASHLEY; Kid: TAWES (3).

How often: A few times a month

Why: Likes it because it allows his family to go outdoors, and Tawes can entertain himself in the backyard. "A few minutes on this side, a few minutes on that side and in between I can kick the soccer ball around." He lets Tawes stand on a chair and watch him grill. Tawes also has a pretend grill he enjoys. "He's pretty into cooking. He feels like he's cooking dinner."

Favorite thing to grill: N.Y. strip

Vegetable Secrets: Wenz's mother-in-law bought him a basket attachment for the grill "which makes life a lot easier," he says. He likes to cook everything at once in one place. "It's a lot easier to do everything all on the grill rather than to run back inside and check on something else."

Safety advice: "Be 10 times more alert with everything when you have a 3-year-old. And be careful when using a turkey fryer. My brother knocked over the turkey fryer on Thanksgiving in my parents' driveway. But it's not like he's a kid he's 36. Now they have a big oil spot in their driveway, but at least no one was hurt.

Advice: "Keep the kids involved because that's half the fun. Obviously, you have to pay attention so you don't char your kid." And he recommends letting children help clean up.