I don’t know about you, but I sort of freak out when something I’m grilling catches fire and dinner, quite literally, goes up in a plume of black smoke. But my husband? No barbecue flame is ever too big, too hot or too scary for him to manage.

Call it a guy thing. Since the first prehistoric man discovered that woolly mammoth tasted a heck of a lot better roasted than bloody and raw, men have been cooking over fire and loving every sizzling, potentially dangerous minute of it.

“It’s primal,” my husband, a grillmeister if there ever was one, tells me. “We see a fire and get the urge to throw something big and juicy on it.”

And if that “something” accidentally ignites? That’s why they invented squirt bottles, 18-inch tongs and insulated oven mitts, dummy!

In the kitchen, notes Bob Sloan, author of “Dad’s Awesome Grilling Book,” it always feels as though something could go wrong. The pace is a bit more frenetic, there’s more margin for error and the end product (even if it’s delicious) is naturally compared with Mom’s version. “No matter how hard I try, whatever I make is either ‘not as good as Mom’s’ or ‘just as good as Mom’s,’ ” he writes. “Either way, I’m deep in her gastronomic shadow.”

But the grill? That’s a man’s special domain, his oasis from the vicissitudes of being a dad, Sloan says.

Other than the lid and the burner knobs, there’s not a whole lot of moving parts on a grill, he says, so men feel more in control – of the heat, of the food, of their culinary abilities. They appreciate the simplicity of grill cooking. “Ultimately, it’s Step A and then Step A again,” Sloan says in a phone interview.

Men also get to be outside while grilling.

With that in mind, it’s completely understandable why dads all across the country will be firing up the grill in celebration of Father’s Day on Sunday. And why Mom will be hovering happily in the background.

His day, his say, his way.

“What’s the joke ... where there’s smoke, there’s father?” Sloan quips.

Most likely, legions of sons also will be watching and learning, so when the time comes for the ceremonial passing of the tongs, they’ll be ready.

Not that that’s a problem, as grilling has come a long way from its humble roots in the past few years. When Sloan was a kid, for instance, homemade sauces still were fairly unheard of, and the Asian section at the grocery store consisted of soy sauce, water chestnuts and baby corn. So the Chinese-style, sweet-and-sour steaks his father cooked were – well, he can’t really say if they were good or not. “But it was fun, and he was deft on the grill.”

Today? More dads than ever are trying their hand at new techniques – plank grilling and smoking are increasingly popular – and they’re stretching beyond the traditional burgers, steaks and brats. That’s part of the reason Sloan, who was a caterer for many years in Manhattan, cooked up this sixth cookbook: to encourage them to further expand their repertoire with some easy yet incredibly tasty recipes, all written in a language that Dad can understand (with honesty, brevity and humor).

Consider his recipe for barbecued leg of lamb, which marries the smoky heat of chipotle chilies with garlic, tomatillo and cinnamon. Many guys might say, “What’s ‘butterflied’ mean?” or better yet, “What’s a leg of lamb?” Yet show ’em how that particular piece of meat is no different from a cut of beef, he says, and the mystery is gone. (In case you’re wondering, “butterflied” means to cut open and spread flat.)

“In a way, it’s like a giant hamburger. You’re cooking it the same way,” Sloan says.

Honey-Glazed Spareribs

These sticky-sweet ribs are precooked, so they only require a short time on the grill. Be sure to use tongs instead of a fork to turn them or you’ll release the precious juices from the meat.

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 bunch scallions, green parts only, finely chopped

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder

Pinch ground cayenne pepper

3 to 4 pounds spareribs (about 2 slabs) cut into individual ribs

Honey Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the wine, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, five-spice powder and cayenne.

Place the ribs in the bowl with the wine mixture, tossing them gently so they are all coated evenly. Transfer the ribs and liquid to a baking pan, cover with foil and bake in the center of oven for 1 hour. Let ribs cool, then transfer them to a plastic container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

To finish ribs on the grill, prepare enough coals for a medium-hot charcoal fire, or preheat gas grill on medium-high for 10 minutes with the lid closed.

When coals are ready or gas grill is hot, grill the ribs until heated through, about 15 minutes, turning and mopping them several times with the Honey Glaze so they are nicely coated. Serve immediately with a lot of napkins. Serves 4.

Honey Glaze:

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients. Set aside until ready to use, or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week. Let the glaze come to room temperature before using. Makes about 2 cups.