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July 12, 2025Father’s Day BBQ Spread:
Reverse Seared Ribeye, Smoked Jacket Potatoes & Parmesan Asparagus.
There’s something about cooking over fire that just feels right for Father’s Day. It slows things down, brings people together, and turns a simple meal into more of a primal experience. Whether you’re cooking for your dad, with your kids, or just using the excuse to fire up the smoker, this spread hits that perfect balance between elevated and approachable.
Nothing in these three recipes is overly complicated. It is essentially a slightly elevated version of a classic meat and 2 veg meal. It brings big flavor along with that unmistakable backyard BBQ feel. It’s also the kind of meal that doesn’t require anything fancy or hard to find. The goal here is simple: great ingredients, cooked well, and served in a way that feels a little special without being over the top.
For each of these recipes, I cooked them in my smoker. I like the little extra punch of flavor that comes from the sweet smoke being added to eat element of the cook. If you don’t have a smoker or just prefer to make life a little easier-you can absolutely use your oven instead.
The Boards
For this cook, I prepped everything on my JK Adams maple end grain cutting board, which is an absolute workhorse. End grain boards are ideal for heavy prep like trimming, slicing, and carving because they’re durable and easier on your knives over time. To give the meal a bit of a rustic, outdoor vibe, I served it directly on the board.
To help elevate things a little, I served the potatoes on the JK Adams butterfly board, which brings a more polished, presentation-focused feel to the table.
JK Adams is a Vermont-based company that’s been crafting high-quality wooden kitchenware for decades. They focus on sustainably sourced hardwoods and handcrafted pieces that are built to last. It’s one of those brands where you can genuinely feel the difference in both quality and design the minute you start using their boards. These boards a beautiful and super functional. They have a whole stack of different board styles and price points, so they will for sure have something perfect for you. They make a perfect gift (Or gift to yourself) for Father’s Day or any other holiday.
Reverse Seared Steak
This is one of the best ways to cook a ribeye if you want serious flavor without overcomplicating things.
You slowly bring the steak up to temperature in a smoker, which gives it a light smoke and even doneness. Then you finish it in a hot cast iron pan with butter, garlic, and thyme for that classic steakhouse crust.
Why Bone-In Ribeye?
If you’re going for maximum flavor with minimal fuss, a bone-in ribeye is hard to beat. The fat content gives you incredible richness, and the bone helps to retain moisture during the cook, ultimately adding more flavor.
For this recipe, you don’t need anything ultra high-end. A well-marbled ribeye from your local butcher or grocery store works perfectly. Look for:
- Good, even marbling throughout the steak
- A bright red color
- A decent thickness (ideally 1 inch or more)
One ribeye like this will comfortably serve two people, especially when paired with sides.
Why Reverse Sear?
Reverse searing is one of the best ways to cook a thick steak because it gives you control. You slowly bring the internal temperature up first, then finish with a high-heat sear. This results in:
- More even doneness edge to edge
- Better control over temperature
- A clean, rich crust at the end
In this case, I smoked the ribeye until it hit an internal temperature of 125F and seared it in cast iron with butter, garlic & fresh thyme. It is a simple way to add additional flavor. The little bit of extra effort adds a huge amount of flavor.
If this isn’t your style, you could instead serve it with chimichurri or compound butter.
When cooking a ribeye, it is typically better to cook it to more of a medium rare to medium point, rather than serving it rare. This is because ribeye’s are characterized by including a fair amount of internal fat and it needs the extended cook time to help render some of that fat and prevent it from being chewy and rubbery. But in saying that- Cook your steak to however you like it best.
|
Doneness |
Internal Temp (°F) |
Description |
|
Rare |
120–125°F |
Cool red center |
|
Medium Rare |
130–135°F |
Warm red, juicy |
|
Medium |
140–145°F |
Pink center, slightly firm |
|
Medium Well |
150–155°F |
Slight pink, firm |
|
Well Done |
160°F+ |
Fully cooked, no pink |
Ingredients
- 1 ribeye steak (Minimum 1 inch thick)
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2–3 garlic cloves (lightly crushed)
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
Method
-
- Select a ribeye that has good marbling, a bright red color and is about an inch thick or more.
- Preheat smoker or oven to 225F and place on your favorite smoking wood (I like hickory or oak). If using pellets, select a mild flavor blend.
- Pat the steak dry with paper towels before lightly coating each side with oil.
- Combine salt & pepper and sprinkle evenly and liberally across all sides of the steak.
- Place on a rack above a sheet/aluminum pan and transfer to your smoker. Allow to cook until the internal temperature hits your desired doneness level.
- Remove the steak from the smoker and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- In a cast iron skillet, on high heat, add a little olive oil before adding the steak. The goal is to sear it for 60-90 seconds per side and achieve a strong crust.
- As soon as the steak hits the pan, add butter, garlic and thyme. As the butter melts, tilt the pan and spoon the butter over the surface of the steak continuously. Flip and continue this process on the other side.
- Remove from the pan and slice into ¼- ½ inch thick strips, against the grain. Pour over the butter left in the pan and serve immediately.
Smoked Jacket Potatoes
A smoked jacket potato is one of the easiest ways to level up a simple side. Instead of baking it in the oven, you give it a kiss of sweet smoke. The result is a crispy, seasoned skin with a soft, fluffy inside and just enough smoke to make it feel like part of the main event.
It’s simple, hands-off, and pairs perfectly with something like a reverse seared ribeye.
Choosing the Right Potatoes
I live in Idaho, so I can’t cook a Father’s Day meal without including the classic Idaho staple. There are a million way to cook the humble potato, but for this recipe, I chose to smoke them whole.
For jacket potatoes, you want something that will fluff up nicely inside while holding its shape. The best options are:
- Russet potatoes (ideal for that classic fluffy interior)
- Maris Piper or similar starchy varieties
These take on smoke really well and give you that perfect contrast between crispy skin and soft fluffy center.
Filling Options
This version keeps things classic, but you can easily customize with your favorite ingredients. Popular options include:
- Sour cream
- Pulled pork or brisket
- Spring onions
- Chili
- Caramelized onions and/or mushrooms
- Different cheeses
Ingredients
-
3 large russet potatoes
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Optional for serving: -
Butter
-
Cheddar cheese
-
Bacon
-
Chives
Method
- Set up smoker or oven to 250F. Place on your favorite smoking wood (I like hickory or oak). If using pellets, select a mild flavor blend.
- Scrub potatoes clean under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Coat the exterior of each potato with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt.
- Place potatoes directly on the grates and cook for 2-2.5 hours or until the potatoes hit an internal temperature of 205F-210F. The skin should be crispy and puffy.
- While the potatoes cook, prepare your toppings. I like to keep it pretty simple with melted butter, some crispy diced bacon, cheddar cheese and finely diced chives, but top it with whatever you like best.
- Once potatoes are cooked, remove from the smoker and slice down the middle, almost all of the way through. Gently squeeze the ends towards each other to open up the potato. Fluff the insides with a fork before adding toppings.
- Serve immediately.
Parmesan Crusted Asparagus
This dish is all about balance. You want the asparagus tender but still with a bit of bite, then finished with a crispy, cheesy topping that adds texture without overpowering the vegetable. This is a really simple recipe that you can knock out quickly, even if you aren’t a particularly experienced cook.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus (woody ends trimmed)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Olive Oil as needed
- Salt & pepper to taste
- In a medium sized bowl, combine panko, parmesan, lemon zest, olive oil and salt & pepper. Mix together with your fingers until crumbs are slightly clumpy. Set aside.
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil Add asparagus in a single layer. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally until the asparagus is bright green and beginning to blister in spots. The asparagus should be tender, but still have some snap to it.
- Right before removing from the heat, add lemon juice. Toss asparagus to coat and then remove from the heat.
- Move asparagus to a baking dish. Top evenly with the crumb mixture and hit with another generous sprinkle of parmesan.
- Place under the broiler or into a warm smoker for a few minutes until the panko has browned and cheese has melted.
- Serve immediately.
