MASTER THE BBQ
Fancy yourself as master of the grill? Take your barbecue to the next level with our pro BBQ tips.
LET THE FLAMES BEGIN
Our first number one BBQ tip? Switching fuel – ideally to speciality wood chips. Popping down to the garage for briquettes may be convenient, but to make something taste great on the BBQ at home your choice of fuel is key!
You want something that burns efficiently but also has a nice flavour. Don’t panic: there’s no right or wrong, our favourites in the UK are apple and pear wood.
RUB-A-DUB-DUB
Take every opportunity to introduce flavour into you BBQ dishes. Sure, steak on charcoal tastes nice, but if you use a rub or marinade before grilling it over quality charcoal or wood, then glaze it with a special sauce or stock, you wind up with something ten times better.
ENJOY
BBQ tip #3: if your barbecue has a lid, use it! Covering meat while cooking keeps the heat and smoke in the chamber, obviously, but also helps retain moisture. Result? Better eating for guests and a wider range of options for the chef, as you can now select bigger prime cuts and those tougher muscles that surrender best to long, slow cooking over a low heat.
DONT FORGET THE VEG
Wrap veg such as jacket potatoes and sweetcorn in foil and leave them in the embers to smoulder. Eat them once tender or use as an ingredient for another day – blistered aubergines, for example, can be peeled and mashed into baba ganoush; blackened sweetcorn is great for salsa. And don’t forget you can cook apples and bananas this way for a gorgeous post-party pud.
