The smell of barbecued food and excitement of dining alfresco means that summer is finally here. Haynes reveals how to plan for a perfect outdoor dining experience (although we can’t guarantee the weather!)
Marinate your meat
It’s easy to nip to the shops, grab pre-prepared meat and chuck it onto the barbecue. And chances are it’ll taste like… charcoal. As with everything in the kitchen, preparation pays off. Marinating meat the evening before a barbecue will allow flavours to soak in while keeping meat tender.
Choose your barbecue
Wondering what barbecue to buy? There’s never been a bigger choice. Height is critical: if it’s too short and you’re bending over while cooking, your back will soon express its disapproval.
Charcoal models are cheapest and offer an authentic barbecue taste, but they take time to light and controlling heat levels can be tricky. Gas barbecues are fast to get going, clean and controllable, but many are more expensive, while food can lack authentic flame-grilled flavour.
Plus, you need somewhere to store the gas cylinder.
Don’t be a fuel – stock up!
As soon as temperatures hit 20C, zombie mentality takes over, with Brits flocking to petrol stations and supermarkets to strip shelves bare of charcoal and firelighters. So, it’s worth buying barbecue fuel in advance of a heatwave.
If your barbecue runs on gas, are you sure there’s enough left in the bottle? It’s worth checking, because running out halfway through cooking means the only culinary delight you’ll be eating al-fresco is a takeaway. Once it’s been delivered.
Location, location, location
Position the barbecue on a level surface, away from wooden fences and open windows. Take the wind direction into account, so smoke won’t be a nuisance, and it’s best to have a friendly word with the neighbours if they’ve just hung their washing out – remember that your barbecue could leave next door’s drying undies smelling like they’ve been hanging up in a smokery.
Never leave a barbecue unattended, even when it’s getting going.
Weatherproof your party
It’s a British summertime tradition: you’ve lit the barbecue and, as if to applaud, you hear a distant crack of thunder. Free smartphone apps, such as the Met Office weather app or Rain Alarm, will give you an hour-by-hour forecast, indicating the chance of rain as a percentage. If your party can’t be rescheduled, a cheap gazebo erected near the barbecue (but never over it) will give your guests somewhere to shelter if the heavens open, but always head indoors if a thunderstorm gets going.
Keep utensils handy
Tongs, fish slice, herb brush – make sure you have all necessary cooking utensils close to hand before firing-up the barbecue. Use tongs instead of forks to turn burgers and sausages (forks puncture meat and let juices escape, leading to meat becoming dry).
Get ready for ignition
Light charcoal barbecues 20-30 minutes before you plan to cook. Let the flames die down, so the coals glow red and turn grey in places.
If you slap food on the grill too soon, heat distribution from coals won’t be even, and excessive flames risk cremating your burgers and bangers.
Take meat out of the fridge 30 mins before cooking, otherwise it will remain too cold in the centre while outsides quickly burn.
Prepare a feast
There’s more to a barbecue than burgers and kebabs. How about BBQ beef medallions, Oriental pork and lemon skewers, Texas-style rump steak, Jamaican jerk chicken thighs and spatchcock chicken with garlic and lemon?
Don’t forget that fish cooks a treat on a barbecue – try glazed tuna steaks or foil-wrapped trout with lemon and dill butter. And spicy bean burgers will keep vegetarian diners happy.
Avoid food poisoning
Stomach cramps, chronic diarrhoea and vomiting can put a real damper on your outdoor dining experience, so it’s worth taking precautions against food poisoning.
Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter love to hide on grilled food, so care must be taken when handling raw meat. Aside from washing hands thoroughly when handling uncooked food, never put cooked food on a plate that has been used for raw meat – and don’t place raw meat next to partially cooked or cooked meat on the barbecue grill.
Always use separate utensils for handling raw and cooked meat. Avoid using marinades on cooked food that have been in touch with raw meat.
If you’re not sure if barbecue food is fully cooked, use a sharp knife to cut into the centre of meat and see if the juices run clear. For extra reassurance, invest in a food temperature probe.
Don’t cremate your feast
An authentic flame-grilled taste doesn’t mean burnt to a crisp, so if it’s all getting out of control, turn the gas down or, if cooking over coal, use a rack system to raise grill heights.
Don’t overcrowd the grill or food may not cook evenly. Rest cooked meat on a top rack before serving for five minutes (covering it with foil can help to keep meat tender).
Puddings are for barbecues, too
No, we’re not joking, you can even cook puddings and deserts on a barbecue. How about calypso grilled pineapple, grilled peaches with raspberry sauce, toasted home-made marshmellows or grilled bananas (pictured) with Irish cream liqueur?
Remember to clean the grill
Chances are that the barbecue grill won’t fit in your dishwasher – so at some point you’re going to have to clean it, and sooner is better than later.
A stiff wire brush designed for grill cleaning should loosen a lot of the muck. Or remove the grill and place in a plastic trug full of warm water and detergent.