There's something about balmy summer evenings that makes you want to fire up the old grill and treat yourself to an alfresco meal. More than 80 percent of U.S. households own a barbecue grill, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association. But in a national poll, HPBA learned that the majority (54 percent) of grillers admitted to having below average grilling skills.

If your last successful grilling attempt was on your college hibachi or if you never mastered the art of the barbecue, don't fear. We asked a local expert for grilling tips.

Pat Burke may be Napa's best-known amateur barbecuer. By day, Burke is the hospitality manager for Judd's Hill Winery. But in his non-working hours, he's a national barbecuing champ.

"I've competed locally and nationally," said Burke. His humble competitive grilling origins started in 1999 at the Napa Expo, in a category called "Dads Can Cook." Although he didn't win, he went on to other competitions, and is now part of a team, the Barnyard Roasters, out of Columbus, Miss.When he's just whipping up something for a quiet family meal, he uses a Weber gas grill he's had for seven years. It's the basic Silver A model — no stainless steel, warming drawers or side burners.

"I start high on front and back, then slowly turn the temperature down before putting on the food," said Burke. "The secret is slow cooking. The most common mistake is trying to cook too high and too fast. I always use a dry rub and cook over indirect heat. I don't use a glaze, but if you are going to use a sauce, put it on in the last five minutes of cooking time, otherwise it may burn. With gas grills, always cook with the cover down."

Burke usually lets the dry rubbed meat set overnight. A teammate from Mississippi ships him the fragrant dry rub, which comes in a 10-lb. container. He doesn't know what spices are in the bulk rub, but Burke's secret ingredient is an all-purpose seasoned salt. His favorite grilling meats are pork and chicken, which he purchases from Browns Valley Market.

"Another mistake I've seen is using a sauce that's too spicy. You don't want it to overpower the meat, but complement it. The sauce shouldn't be the highlight; it should be the meat."

He believes in keeping the grill clean.

"I wipe it down and keep the grease down, which reduces the chance of flare ups. Every few years, I replace the Flavorizer bars. At the beginning of the season, I take it apart and use a long brush, similar to a baby bottle brush, to clean the bars. Spiders love to hide in there and can clog the gas holes. When you first turn the gas on high, it cleans the grill. But be careful to have the lid open when you hit the igniter button. A friend of mine got distracted and had the lid down for several minutes. When he hit the igniter button, the lid exploded, ripped off the hinges and blew 25 feet into a neighbor's yard."

Burke said learning how to grill is not difficult and encourages novice grillers to keep practicing and to try different recipes. One of his favorites is for Blue Cheese Burgers, for which he shared the recipe.