Your Guide to the Perfect BBQ
For the uninitiated, barbecuing can seem complicated. From what to cook to what kind of grill to use and more, many variables go into cooking up the perfect BBQ. How do you keep track of what to do? If you’re in doubt, here’s our simple guide to the perfect BBQ – it lists the basics of what you need to know to grill your food just the way you like it.
Type of Grill
When it comes to choosing the type of grill for your BBQ, you basically have two options: gas and charcoal. A gas grill is a good choice for the budding amateur because they’re very easy to use. The gas knob makes the heat even and easy to regulate, while cleaning up is relatively straightforward compared with charcoal grills. The downside is that it’s not as authentic – meat cooked on a charcoal grill generally has a better flavour, smell and appeal than meat cooked on a gas grill (that’s the universal consensus). Charcoal IS messier, however. It is also more dangerous and more difficult to use than its gas counterpart and a pain to clean. Flavour vs ease of use is the main issue when it comes to picking a grill. Which do you fancy more? There are also BBQ innovations such as the BarbeSkew, which combines barbecuing and rotisserie methods, cooking the food on rotating skewers.
Lighting the Grill
While lighting up a gas grill is pretty much a case of following the instructions that came with it, lighting up a charcoal grill is trickier. We recommend squirting about ½ cup of lighter fluid for every kilo of charcoal if you haven’t got any firelighters to hand. It’s best to stack the coals in the centre of the grill in an even pyramid shape. Once the coals are coated in white ash, you can spread them out and start cooking!
BBQ Recipes
How you flavour your meats and vegetables for the BBQ is key to making everything turn out delicious. BBQ rubs and marinades add flavour and tenderise the meat, while BBQ sauce – homemade or bought – can give your meat a real flavour kick. A simple salt brine may also be used for meat placed in a smoker. It adds flavour and lots of moisture to the meat. Of course, you can drop the traditional barbeque flavours in favour of something completely different such as a salmon brushed with lemon, olive oil and parsley. Don’t be afraid to try something non-traditional.
