Father’s Day Recipes: Feasts Fit For a King

Want to wow dad this Father’s Day? Try one of our favorite feasts fit for a king —from beer-braised beef short ribs to decadently fatty pork belly tacos.

Recipe: Lamb shanks in red wine sauce

Pictured: American lamb shanks are giant things; three are plenty for four guests. New Zealand are smaller (more like large drumsticks), so you need one per person.

Recipe: Grilled swordfish with charred tomatoes and aioli

In the market, look for thick steaks with even color and a nice sheen. Rub them with cumin, coriander, and cayenne to bring out deeper flavors. The sweet juiciness of tomatoes is a perfect foil for the meaty fish. Sear the steaks until golden, and set thick slices of regular tomatoes and cherry tomatoes to char beside the fish. Add a bowl of aioli (a garlicky Provencal mayonnaise) to round out the plate.

Recipe: Flank steak with sesame-ginger glaze

Flank steak fans think it’s the best cut of all. Marinate and grill the meat for this dish. During and after cooking, brush it with a soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger glaze, which takes on a lacquered sheen.

Recipe: Spice-rubbed pork tenderloins with mushrooms and peppers

Coat the pork with a sweet-spicy rub that includes chipotle and chili powders, then send it into a hot oven to turn rosy pink.

Recipe: Flank steak with corn, tomato, and avocado salsa

A sweet and fresh Asian-inspired salsa made with mirin and miso sets off the smoky flavor of grilled flank.

Recipe: Beef short ribs with potato parsnip puree

Short ribs make a hearty meal with very little effort. Brown the meat, still on the bone, and simmer it with root vegetables, red wine, and beef stock. Let your oven fill the house with warm, savory aromas that will draw everyone into the kitchen.

Recipe: Beer-braised beef short ribs

After making simmering your meat in lager, refrigerate it overnight so you can skim off the fat. The following day, steam a potful of small yellow potatoes to serve with the meat, or make mashed potatoes.

Recipe: Grilled lobsters

You can get a plain, boiled lobster at so many places this time of year. Fish markets and many supermarkets will even cook them for you. If you want a grilled lobster — its succulent meat stuffed with fresh herbs — stay in your own backyard and light the grill. The shell chars while the meat becomes slightly smoky.

Recipe: Pancetta-wrapped pork loin

The fresh tasting boneless meat is wrapped in Italian pancetta (cured pork that’s salted and spiced, rather than smoky like bacon). As the meat roasts, the pancetta bastes it with salty, peppery drippings; fresh herbs add their aromatics, and the loin turns into a flavorful, juicy dish.

Recipe: Pork belly tacos

The combination of the spicy tender-roasted meat and bacon-like browned fat, with the fruity, sweet-salty pickled onions is irresistible on a warm toasted tortilla.

Recipe: Shrimp and grits with bacon and gruyere

Shrimp and grits is Southern comfort food, and a perfect meal. Make the shellfish a little hot and a little smoky with jalapeno, pancetta, and Old Bay seasoning and they go well with creamy cheesy grits, a corn porridge similar to polenta.

Recipe: All-American chili

There is nothing small about Mike Foley’s chili. It’s prepared in a huge pot; it makes a tremendous quantity. It contains four kinds of meat and an entire jar of chili powder, not to mention ginger ale and milk chocolate.

Recipe: Fisherman’s pie

Here, white fish and shrimp, along with potatoes and cheese turn into a crusty casserole-style dish in a silky sauce. It’s topped with mashed potatoes, which turn golden brown in the oven. The cheese can be left out of both the filling and the topping, if you like. For New Englanders, you can’t beat hot and satisfying in one dish.

Recipe: Fish roasted on a bed of tomatoes and potatoes

One-pot meals are low maintenance, easy to clean up, and offer lots of great flavors in one vessel. You can make something stewy on top of the stove, or layer everything in a handsome baking dish and use the oven.

Recipe: Burgers

Choose ground beef that’s not too lean – 80 to 85 percent is best for flavorful burgers – and shape it into thick patties. Cook over high heat so the burgers get nicely browned on the outside, done to your liking on the inside. A few slices of sharp-flavored cheese, such as cheddar or blue, lend a savory contrast.

Recipe: Grilled lamb chops with herbs

The lemon rind and fresh herbs will intensify if the chops marinate for half a day. You have enough herb mixture to season 12 chops if you want to serve three, rather than two, per person.

Recipe: Spice-rubbed skirt steak with baked potatoes

If steak is on the menu, you can spend a fortune. Try skirt steak, an affordable cut popular in some Latin cuisines. It’s more fibrous than expensive alternatives, but a quick sear maximizes its tenderness.

Recipe: Pan-seared skirt steak with mushrooms

An intensely flavorful cut, skirt steak is not known for tenderness, but it can be wonderful right from the skillet, served with a simple mushroom sauce.

Recipe: Steak with chimichurri sauce

Brightly flavored and vivid green, Argentinian chimichurri sauce is meant for grilled steak. Vinegar provides a lively acidity, crushed red pepper a little bite, and olive oil smoothes out the flavors. Grill strip, rib-eye, or your favorite steak, and serve with the sauce. A generous shot of vinegar cuts through rich red meat like a knife.

Recipe: Lobster chowder

The chowder has no other thickening, so there’s nothing to dilute the tastes of lobster, golden potatoes, the first corn of the season, and fresh cream. Luxury in a bowl.

Recipe: Glazed ham with corn on the cob

Select a small, boneless ham, sometimes called Daisy or nugget, which is cured and fully cooked and needs only a quick glaze and reheating. Bake the ham for 30 minutes before the initial basting with a glaze made from the pan juices.

Recipe: Italian sausages and peppers

Brown the sausages and remove them from the pan, then cook the onions and peppers in the meaty bits. Simmer them together in beer. Stir a potful of golden polenta while they cook. Slowly stream polenta flour into boiling water and keep stirring until it thickens. Season with butter and cheese.