Summer is fast approaching, so it’s time to dust the barbecue and dig out the tongs. Long summer evenings filled with friends, family, beers and smoke – filled gardens are just around the corner as the first steak hits the coals. Here are our tips to make sure your barbecue goes smoothly.
Get the proper barbecue
It may sound basic, but if you want to make great barbecue food, there are two crucial things your burner needs. The first thing to do is to be a charcoal bbq. Gas barbecues are okay, but you won’t get any extra smoky flavor. You could also cook in the oven, flavor-wise! The 2nd thing that you need is a lid. It locks in flavor and keeps the temperature constant. Without one you can’t melt cheese on burgers, or smoke ribs.
Use wood from fruit trees for more flavor
To change the usual flavor, add fruit tree wood chips to your charcoal. Fruit woods are high in sap and low in flavor and usually have less impurities in them. Choose from what’s easiest to find: apple, cherry, grape, and my personal favorite, peach.
Use the right tools
If you want to move from beginner to seasoned barbecue chef, we have a few tools that will help. A long handled pair of tongs makes moving heavier cuts easy and safe. The extra length of the tongs keeps your arms further away from the grill, reducing the chance of any nasty burns.
A temperature probe is a great investment in outdoor cooking as it can be harder to tell if meat is cooked through.
Make your own herb brush to add extra flavor by collecting your chosen herbs (we like rosemary, thyme and parsley) and attaching them with some twine to the end of a wooden spoon. Simply dip the herbs in some olive oil and brush them over your meats before grilling. When we barbecue flat fish, we like to use a grilling basket. Secure your meat or fish in the basket and place an easy, even cook, on top of the grill. And the barbecue connoisseur’s final tools are barbecue gloves. Their heat-resistant material keeps your hands safe from the flames so you can move hot pans and food or even rearrange the coals.
Patience before you cook
We all know the phrase’ leave for a few hours, ideally overnight.’ Well that applies doubly to barbecues, to make sure the flavors are not overridden by adding the smoke. In fact, it’s best to also use some marinade to brush your meat or fish with the marinade every 10 minutes as it cooks. It will trap the smoke flavor, add moisture, and caramel it gently .
More patience before you cook
Barbecuing takes patience and concentration. You have to wait for the flames to be gone –flame-grilled is not the correct term! You want the hot white coals–by which I mean gray and glowing. That’s the heat that’s hottest and evenest. After that, don’t forget that what you’ve created is a caveman oven, so you need to control the heat just like an oven. The best way to test the heat is by using your hand. Hold your hand about 12cm/5inches above the grill and see how long you can hold it comfortably (without being in pain).
6 seconds= low heat
4 seconds= medium heat
2 seconds= hot
0 seconds= Hospital.
Now, please. You also need to control the grill temperature. Half-and-half is the easiest technique, put all the coals on one side, so you have a mega-hot side and one with no direct heat.
Patience after you cook
Let it sit for a few minutes after removing your meat from the grill. This seals the juices and prevents the meat from drying out. Do not cut until you are ready to serve and eat immediately.
Then finally you are able to eat some delicious barbecued meats. Enjoy!