Spring is springing! With my green thumb itching I want to be outside in the fresh air, not in the kitchen slaving over a hot meal. Nor do I want to jump in the car to pick up endless take-out meals or ask the pizza delivery guy to climb the steps to the front door one more time. My family wants hot meals on schedule, so I’ve found that the barbeque grill offers me compromise.

During the spring and summer months, my Weber grill gets plenty of use as I cook outside as often as I can. Although I like to cook entrees that include chicken breasts, steak, pork chops, and smoked sausage, the top two favorite are still burgers and dogs.

Whether you cook with gas or use charcoal (like me, I’m a traditionalist!), cooking burgers can be very simple. Here’s what any BBQ cook needs to find easy success with backyard burgers.

Start with quality meat. I no longer buy any ground beef that is not ground round or ground sirloin. Both are lean, excellent choices, but for the grill, I go with ground round. Make patties generous and remember that because it is less fat, ground round won’t shrink as much as other ground meats.

Season the burgers before you slap them on the grill. Avoid using salt – it can toughen the burgers. I stick with my favorite Mrs. Dash blends – including a new one for burgers – or a salt-free Cajun seasoning.

Make sure your fire is cook-ready before you start, and give the burgers no more than six minutes per side. If the center is still pink and you prefer well-done, zap the burgers for about a minute in the microwave after you pull them off the grill. No more tough, crusty, or burned burgers!