BBQ TIPS & TRACKS

BBQ

TIPS & TRICKS

ITS BBQ SEASON SO LETS SEE IF WE CAN HELP WITH SOME TRICKS AND TIPS TO HELP MAXIMISE YOUR BBQ EXPERIENCE, FOR YOU AND YOUR GUESTS.

OK, no.1 is a “Captain Obvious” tip, but essential.

CLEAN THE BBQ - THOROUGHLY

Heat is just not enough, it may kill most germs but it wont get rid of old flavours that may be burnt on, you need to give it a scrub, then low to medium heat for 5-10 mites prior to cooking.

AVOID THE STICK

A few minutes before cooking give the BBQ plate a light coating of oil to ensure the first thing you drop on it doesn’t stick instantly.

SACRAFICIAL SAUSAGE

If you are 98% sure your BBQ is safe and ready for cooking but have that 2% doubt, grab half a sausage and drag it all over the cooking surface, any old stuff will stick to this test sausage, then throw it out.

COOK ON FOIL

If you struggle to keep your BBQ clean or will be cooking with a few different marinades it’s a good idea to cook with foil over the hot plate or use a BBQ cooking liner, this way you can cook the satay sticks, remove then with no marinade left on the cook top, ready for the next thing to cook. When done cooking just remove the foil and the BBQ is clean.

SKEWERS

Ever had a skewer catch fire? or used a really thick skewer and got a nice third degree burn. An easy way to stop skewers burning and help keep the meat or veg they cook moist for longer is to let them sit in water for a few minutes before you put the meat and veg on the skewer. »

NEW

COOKING WITH MARINATED FOODS

If your BBQ is too hot the marinates will gernerally burn straight off and/or stick to the hot plate, always good to put one on first, see if its cooking or burning, instant smoke and bubbling means the marinate is burning so you may need to turn the BBQ down a notch, then wait 2-3 minutes for the hot plate to cool down a little before trying again. Also marinate well ahead of time so the marinate is obsorbed a little.

GOOD STEAK

They say the best steaks are the steaks that retain their juices. If you or a guest has gone to the trouble of buying a good quality steak don’t poke holes in it by turning it with a fork, use your tongs, and the hardest part is letting it rest after cooking so all the flavourful juices return deep into the meat - it’s hard because you want to chew into that thing instantly.

FROZEN V THAW

Where BBQ’s are concerned thawed is always best, frozen meats and foods throw everything into kaos as they need to cook longer, they can cook uneavenly, you never know if its cooked properly, etc, etc. So, get the meats out of the freezer and thaw it out before cooking.

DON’T KILL THE EFFORT

Some of us love to make our own rissoles and include all kinds of fancy ingredients. When making the rissole make them flat so they don't not need to be flattened when cooking. If you make a great rissole and it starts cooking, then gets flattened, all the juices and flavours can be lost and you are left with a standard dry rissole, wasting all the effort in making a great rissole.

AUSSIE PRAWN AND SNAG SKEWERS WITH GREEN AND GOLD DIPPING SAUCES

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS 24 large, peeled green Australian prawns, deveined, tails intact 3 chorizo, sliced Olive oil, for drizzling Micro coriander, to serve Grilled lemon halves, to serve

Mango dipping sauce 200 g coarsely chopped mango 50 ml lime juice (1 lime) 1 tablespoon olive oil

Coriander-Lime dipping sauce 125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil 1/3 cup coarsely chopped coriander ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Juice of 1 lime, or to taste 1 long green chilli, coarsely chopped 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped METHOD For mango dipping sauce, process ingredients in a food processor to combine and season to taste. For coriander-lime dipping sauce, process ingredients in food processor to combine and season to taste. Preheat a barbecue to medium-high. Season prawns to taste and thread three prawns onto each skewer, alternating with a slice of chorizo, drizzle with a little oil then grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through (2-3 minutes). Serve hot with green and gold dipping sauces, grilled lemon wedges and micro coriander.

How to Video: https://youtu.be/XOQHA31Pk5g