FINALLY, the sunshine is here. We’ve put together some tasty tips to ensure you have the best BBQs you possibly can.
Not many people think to precook their meat, but this simple trick will prove to be an important part of your BBQ techniques. Not only will save you time when it comes to grilling your food, it also gives you reassurance that the food is cooked through properly. Most importantly though, less time in front of the bbq means you get more time to socialise with your friends.
Sausages are a a great way to start – poach them in some stock to cook them through. Then simply BBQ until golden, this keeps them super juicy too!
It works perfectly with the Epping Sausage.
Make your meat look as great as it tastes with this little tip – also works great on fish!
Firstly start by making sure the grill is nice and hot, then check the meat is well oiled to stop it sticking. Place the meat or fish on the grill bars and leave for 3-6 minutes (depending on how you would like it cooked.) Once finished, turn the meat 45 degrees and cook for a further 3-6 minutes.
Flip the meat and repeat the process.
So as strange as it sounds, go with us on this one. Trust us, this will make the most delicious, juicy burgers ever!
The secret is… mayonnaise. Yes it really works.
Try adding 2 tablespoons of mayo to each pound of raw meat and leave them in the fridge for an hour to make it easier to form your burger patties.
This will ensure your burgers are nice and juicy even when cooked thoroughly.
Not a fan of mayo? If you really can't get your head around giving this ago ( and we seriously recommend that you do) try freezing beef stock into ice cube and placing in the middle of the patty when you form them. This is another great way to keep your burgers moist while cooking. This technique works well with frozen butter too.
You should avoid bringing the meat straight out of the fridge and onto the BBQ. If your meat is too cold, it can easily burn on the outside before it has had a chance to cook through on the inside. Simply bringing your meat out of the fridge approx 20 minutes before you plan on cooking it will give it a chance to come down to room temperature.
Just make sure it’s properly covered and not left in direct sunlight.
What’s the most schoolboy error in BBQ? That would be not having the BBQ lit when your guests get there. It can take 30 minutes to get your BBQ to the right temperature for cooking, if it’s not at the right temperature when you start to cook it can burn the outside and not cook on the inside. Give yourself time to get the BBQ going before your hungry guests arrive.
Everyones has had the disaster where the kebabs they spent forever preparing start to break up on the grill and before you know it half your kebabs have fallen through the grill and onto the coals – nobody wants that! To secure your meat and veg properly try putting them on 2 skewers instead of one to make them more stable on the BBQ. It makes them more stable, much easier to turn over and easier to handle.
The key to a juicy steak is to let it rest. Resting your steak will let the meat relax and ensure it’s tender. If you carve or start eating it before, it will be really tough in comparison to when it’s properly rested.
Also, giving it a resting period gives your steak a chance to reabsorb the juices and you don’t loose all of that flavour on your carving plate.
A good guide is to let your meat rest for around the time you cooked it for.
The best way to check that any meat is cooked is to use an instant read probe. You can pick them up cheaply and it will put your mind at ease that you’re serving your guest thoroughly cooked meat.
No BBQ disasters
Take your BBQ to the next level by adding wood chips to your grill. Use wood chips that will compliment the flavours of your meat. Sweeter, fruity flavoured wood chips work well with poultry whereas savoury wood chips pair well with pork and beef.
Add them in a BBQ smoking tray or to the side of your coals and close the lid of the BBQ when cooking. Guaranteed to taste fantastic!
This has to be everyones least favourite part of a BBQ – the clean up. These easy tips will make cleaning up a breeze!
Coat the grill with oil before hand, this will stop meat sticking to the grill and make it easy to wipe down.
Any meat that does get stuck try screwing up some tin foil and using that to clean down the grill.
Or even half a raw onion it will get any unwanted burnt bits off with ease!
