On Father’s Day, forget the card and give Dad a sandwich

The only handheld device dad needs this year for Father’s Day is a hulking sandwich filled with grilled pork chops, chicken thighs, soft-shell crab or garlic-slathered zucchini. These breadwinners, dreamed up by our food writers, let you bust out the backyard tongs without defaulting to steak and potatoes. Pops is going to wonder how he raised such an amazing kid.

Maxwell Street Market Mustardy Pork Chops

In honor of Chicago’s beloved Maxwell Street Market, a sandwich that bears its name.

Make it: The key is finding pork chops that are thin, fatty and bone-in. Once you’ve procured the proper cut, slather lightly with yellow mustard on both sides of the chop, then sprinkle liberally with seasoning salt of choice. The most laborious part will be caramelizing onions in a skillet – this requires discipline and time, but those patient enough will be rewarded with a deeply sweet counterpart (just be sure to swirl a few tablespoons of mustard in the onion tangles before serving). Finally, grill the meat, buttered hamburger buns alongside, top with mustardy onions and serve with whole hot peppers on the side. A taste of Chicago’s South Side, made for dad.

Kimchee chicken

Chicken for Father’s Day? Sure, especially if you use heartier chicken thighs and pump up the flavor profile with spoonfuls of kimchee, the spicy pickled vegetable sold ready-made at Korean and Asian markets.

Make it: Marinate six boneless, skinless chicken thighs for at least two hours in 1/2 cup soy sauce spiked with two minced scallions, four minced cloves of garlic and 2 teaspoons of minced ginger. Remove thighs from marinade (you can, if you wish, rub a bit of the scallion, garlic and clove mixture onto the meat), and grill over medium heat until cooked through, about five minutes per side. Split six crusty Kaiser rolls or baguettes. Line each with lettuce leaves, and position the grilled chicken pieces inside. Top with kimchee, gochujang (Korean chili bean paste) or Sriracha, ground peanuts and cilantro sprigs.

Garlicky zukes

You’ve done grilled portobello mushrooms burger-style for your dad, the vegetarian. This year, consider the squash dog, Italian-style.

Make it: For each serving, choose young, small zucchini, say 6 to 7 inches long. Slice in half lengthwise. Mix some olive oil with crushed garlic. Brush all over zucchini halves. Set cut side up in a pan; sprinkle with an Italian herb mix, salt and pepper. Let rest one hour. Meanwhile, cut a long loaf of Italian bread crosswise in 6-inch lengths to accommodate the zucchini. Then slice each along one edge to make a bun. Brush cut surface with olive oil-garlic mix; brush more onto sweet red pepper strips and thick onion slices. Grill vegetables until cooked and nicely browned. Toast cut surface of bread. Layer on toasted bread: two zucchini halves, peppers and onions. Finish with shredded mozzarella if desired.

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "On Father’s Day, forget the card and give Dad a sandwich."