Today’s cooking class comes from Bobby Flay and it can’t be more appropriate to the season.

The restaurateur, television personality, cookbook author and Throwdown champ met the press last week in Connecticut at his new Bobby’s Burger Palace at Mohegan Sun. There he offered his expert tip, which in my experience, we all need to be reminded of again and again.

“I think people overcook everything,” he said responding to a question about how to prepare chicken that won’t be dry.

What home cooks forget, Flay said, is that after you finish cooking just about anything, it is still going to cook.

Heat is funny that way.

He also preached a “don’t squeeze out the juice” mantra for those standing at the grill this summer. He painted a picture that will resonate with everyone. There’s a burger puffing up with heat and meaty juices on the grill. Someone comes along and takes a spatula and pushes it down to flatten it. Pouf! All the juices fly into space.

Flay said he understands they are trying to create a burger shape. There’s a better way. Flay makes a deep depression, like a little well with his thumb in the center of the burger. This does two things. It prevents the saucer shaped burgers that puff up in the center. And, secondly, as the burger cooks, the juices will go back into the meat and add to the flavor. No spatula needed.

To be frank, Flay is not a fan of cooking burgers on a grill. At his restaurants, he prepares them on a griddle, so the meat cooks in its own juices. At home, he suggests using a skillet or cast iron grill pan.

He also uses chuck that is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat. Anything leaner and taste is comprised, he said. The principle applies to ground turkey as well, he writes in his newest cookbook, Bobby Flay’s Burgers, Fries & Shakes (Clarkson Potter). Fat, he writes, carries flavor.

He seasons his burgers with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and forms the patties loosely, making each no more than 3/4 -inch thick. For four burgers, start with 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck.

Brush the burgers with canola oil. If using a grill, cook for 3 minutes on one side (5 for turkey burgers). Flip over and cook 4 minutes for medium rare; 5 for medium, 6 for medium well and 7 for well. Turkey burgers cook 5 minutes on the second side and must be cooked throughout. If adding cheese, do it in the last minute of cooking. American cheese melts so well and fuses to the bun, Flay’s a fan. They serve the orange version at his Burger Palace.

There you have it, quick and tasty burgers, compliments of Bobby Flay.

Follow my food adventures at foodblog.projo.com and Twitter.com/gailciampa