Barbeque season is upon us - post your tips here!
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This. I see it so often and then people wonder why the food looks and tastes burnt.
Soldato
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pre-cook chicken drumsticks,thighs etc in the oven first, so many times peeps put em straight on flaming bbq, burnt on outside, raw in middle, also marinade em plenty.
No need, just learn to cook properly. use the hot and cool spots on the bbq, to cook evenly.
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I don't relate to this pre-cooking drumsticks at all. You have other, preferable options, i.e. lid on and close the vents to reduce heat, or move to a cooler part of the bbq or above an area where you haven't placed coals. Edit - as above.
The other tip is to make sure it's cooked properly. They love their food poisoning with cooked on the outside and raw on the inside.
Soldato
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For sure dude but it's when people don't know and are cooking at the bbq's hottest point etc turning out blackened crap lol. pre-cooking is also good for small bbq's with limited space, can help with getting food ready at similar times.
The tip to perfect white coals is in preparing them, my tips for getting there are these.
1. Place two or three parafin/firelighter cubes in the centre of the bbq.
2. Surround them in a circular/hexagon shape with the brickettes to make a base. (make the base bigger than necessary as the edge coals become useless, are mainly for stability)
3 Arrange in a house of cards/pyramid style fashion the rest of the bricks, with each new layer of coals, add half a firelighter, arrange in different sections each layer. (finished pile should look something like the egyptian pyramids with coals, and lighters arranged throughout)
4. When lit, if any flames that are rising out of gaps in the structure, place a brick over the gap to contain the flames inside the strucure. (it wont go out)
5. When 75% of the bricks are glowing red/white, spread them over the bbq.
6. Wait 10 minutes if you cant put your hand near them as they're too hot
7. Have a spray bottle with water in it, to quash any flames from fat drippings.
I take bbq'in insanely seriously, and this method has been passed down to me
1. Place two or three parafin/firelighter cubes in the centre of the bbq.
2. Surround them in a circular/hexagon shape with the brickettes to make a base. (make the base bigger than necessary as the edge coals become useless, are mainly for stability)
3 Arrange in a house of cards/pyramid style fashion the rest of the bricks, with each new layer of coals, add half a firelighter, arrange in different sections each layer. (finished pile should look something like the egyptian pyramids with coals, and lighters arranged throughout)
4. When lit, if any flames that are rising out of gaps in the structure, place a brick over the gap to contain the flames inside the strucure. (it wont go out)
5. When 75% of the bricks are glowing red/white, spread them over the bbq.
6. Wait 10 minutes if you cant put your hand near them as they're too hot
7. Have a spray bottle with water in it, to quash any flames from fat drippings.
I take bbq'in insanely seriously, and this method has been passed down to me
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My most handy tips (i no particular order):
If buying a BBQ, get one with a lid, you can only do half of the good BBQ recipes without one. Charcoal is 'best' for the seasonal BBQer but if you do it more regularly rather than a 'special occasion' then gas is acceptable for the 'instant-on' factor.
With charcoal, build different layers of coals so you have a 2, ideally 3-zone charcoal BBQ with hot (double layer), medium (single layer) and cool (sparse) - this gives you the ability to sear meats in the hot zone and then move them to a cooler zone to cook through.
To avoid meat sticking to grills, once the BBQ is hottest, clean the grill with a wire brush and then sponge on vegetable/olive oil before putting meat on.
Large freezer bags are excellent for marinating meat overnight in the fridge.
Sweetcorn with the husk is the easiest thing in the world to BBQ and tastes great just throw it on the BBQ and the husk does all the work. Serve with chilli flakes and lemon juice squeezed on to it for a more refreshing version than butter.
Leg of lamb is epic on the BBQ. Get the butcher to butterfly and de-bone it (or DIY). Marinade overnight in balsamic vinegar, peeled cloves of garlic and oregano - cook on hot zone to sear each side then move to medium zone, put lid down and leave to cook for 45 minutes or so. Every now and then, baste with a marinade of butter & lemon juice. Remove from BBQ and wrap in foil for 10mins or so to let the meat relax then slice thickly and serve. Epic.
Meat thermometers are incredibly useful when cooking large (2lb+) joints of meat, especially when you have a dozen-plus going at the same time They really do work for determining rare, medium-rare etc when it's not as easy to tell as with steaks.
And don't forget to have a beer while BBQing, not only does it provide useful sustenance and thirst-quenching ability, you can spray a bit on the BBQ if it gets to lively
This is me cooking Tri-tip steaks for 50-odd people last year on my birthday (I had three of these 'double-BBQs' on the go at the same time - was awesome)
If buying a BBQ, get one with a lid, you can only do half of the good BBQ recipes without one. Charcoal is 'best' for the seasonal BBQer but if you do it more regularly rather than a 'special occasion' then gas is acceptable for the 'instant-on' factor.
With charcoal, build different layers of coals so you have a 2, ideally 3-zone charcoal BBQ with hot (double layer), medium (single layer) and cool (sparse) - this gives you the ability to sear meats in the hot zone and then move them to a cooler zone to cook through.
To avoid meat sticking to grills, once the BBQ is hottest, clean the grill with a wire brush and then sponge on vegetable/olive oil before putting meat on.
Large freezer bags are excellent for marinating meat overnight in the fridge.
Sweetcorn with the husk is the easiest thing in the world to BBQ and tastes great just throw it on the BBQ and the husk does all the work. Serve with chilli flakes and lemon juice squeezed on to it for a more refreshing version than butter.
Leg of lamb is epic on the BBQ. Get the butcher to butterfly and de-bone it (or DIY). Marinade overnight in balsamic vinegar, peeled cloves of garlic and oregano - cook on hot zone to sear each side then move to medium zone, put lid down and leave to cook for 45 minutes or so. Every now and then, baste with a marinade of butter & lemon juice. Remove from BBQ and wrap in foil for 10mins or so to let the meat relax then slice thickly and serve. Epic.
Meat thermometers are incredibly useful when cooking large (2lb+) joints of meat, especially when you have a dozen-plus going at the same time
They really do work for determining rare, medium-rare etc when it's not as easy to tell as with steaks. And don't forget to have a beer while BBQing, not only does it provide useful sustenance and thirst-quenching ability, you can spray a bit on the BBQ if it gets to lively
This is me cooking Tri-tip steaks for 50-odd people last year on my birthday
(I had three of these 'double-BBQs' on the go at the same time - was awesome)
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Soldato
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I have two marinades I love which some may like. 
Whole mackerel, cut slits in the side of the fish then rubs in a mixture of butter, salt and hot smoked paprika (you can get in in the deli section of Sainburys). Leave for an hour then bung it straight on. I love it!
Chicken breasts cubed. Marinate overnight in low fat natural yoghurt, garam masala, lime juice, red chillis, chilli powder and finely diced coriander. Thread the chicken onto skewers and then bung them on. The meat is to tender and tasty it is quite exquisite.
Nabbed both of these off the BBC website a few years back.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chickenbreastmarinat_83749.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/spicedmackerel_67650.shtml
Whole mackerel, cut slits in the side of the fish then rubs in a mixture of butter, salt and hot smoked paprika (you can get in in the deli section of Sainburys). Leave for an hour then bung it straight on. I love it!
Chicken breasts cubed. Marinate overnight in low fat natural yoghurt, garam masala, lime juice, red chillis, chilli powder and finely diced coriander. Thread the chicken onto skewers and then bung them on. The meat is to tender and tasty it is quite exquisite.
Nabbed both of these off the BBC website a few years back.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/chickenbreastmarinat_83749.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/spicedmackerel_67650.shtml
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Utterly foolproof lighting method (guaranteed):
Materials:
Charcoal briquettes
Solid fuel blocks
BBQ lighting gel
Petrol
- Pile up briquettes in centre of BBQ (charcoal is rubbish, doesn't last long enough)
- Take 3 or 4 solid fuel blocks and halve. Add these to the pile of briquettes, placing them between the briquettes/beneath them.
- Squirt liberal quantities of lighting gel onto the BBQ
- Add a splash of petrol, quarter of a cupful is plenty
- Fling a match at the BBQ from several feet away, and laugh maniacally at the flames
- Wait half an hour, and it'll be ready to cook on
- ????
- Profit!
The above method has never once failed me.
P.S. did I mention I like fire?
Materials:
Charcoal briquettes
Solid fuel blocks
BBQ lighting gel
Petrol
- Pile up briquettes in centre of BBQ (charcoal is rubbish, doesn't last long enough)
- Take 3 or 4 solid fuel blocks and halve. Add these to the pile of briquettes, placing them between the briquettes/beneath them.
- Squirt liberal quantities of lighting gel onto the BBQ
- Add a splash of petrol, quarter of a cupful is plenty
- Fling a match at the BBQ from several feet away, and laugh maniacally at the flames
- Wait half an hour, and it'll be ready to cook on
- ????
- Profit!
The above method has never once failed me.
P.S. did I mention I like fire?