FLUENT IN BARBECUE AT HEINZ, WE’RE PROUD TO BE ‘FLUENT’ IN BARBECUE. OUR CLASSIC SAUCE IS NO.1 WITH CONSUMERS* AND WE’RE EXCITED THAT IN 2016 IT’S READY TO TAKE ITS PLACE ON YOUR TABLES IN A NEW 220ML BOTTLE. To celebrate, we want to share some great insight and ideas to help you make the most of the trend for everything barbecue this season. Britain’s US-style BBQ restaurants generated £68m** in sales last year, driven by an appetite for smoked, BBQ and slow-cooked, shredded meat. The UK is also Europe’s leading BBQ nation, with the average number of BBQs being held per family during the summer rising sharply from 2.5 per family 10 years ago to now over 9 per family. The popularity of barbecuing both in and out of home shows no sign of abating. The UK BBQ market continues to grow, and reached nearly £2.5 billion in 2015**. *Nielsen ScanTrack, WE 5/12/2015 (volume share) **NBQA/Mintel/Kantar & Trade market estimates.
BBQ MEAT TRENDS > THE NATION’S FAVOURITE BBQ FOOD > BBQ COOKING TRENDS > FLAVOUR TRENDS> 10 BBQ SIDES> KNOWING WHEN STEAK IS COOKED> COOKING STEAKS> TOP TIPS FOR HANDLING MEAT > BBQ HEALTH AND SAFETY> TOP TIPS FOR BBQ COOKING> BBQ RESTAURANTS TO VISIT>
BBQ MEAT TRENDS BURGERS > STEAK > HAUTE SAUSAGES > CHICKEN > PORK >
BURGERS The hamburger’s evolution has reached a point where almost every consumer expects a whole host of toppings, sauces, and bun options to be on offer. Chefs are creating signature burgers that become menu heroes and are what menus become famous for. Whatever flavour combinations are on offer, the quality of the meat is the bedrock of a great burger.
SPECIALITY MEAT GRINDS > CUSTOM-GRIND BURGERS > OTHER BURGERS >
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SPECIALITY MEAT GRINDS SPECIFICALLY GRASS-FED BEEF AND CUSTOM-GRIND PREMIUM BEEF ARE THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THIS MOST RECENT INNOVATION. Lately, 100% grass-fed beef (which is also usually free from hormones and antibiotic-free) has received a lot of press, mostly because of the perception that it’s healthier and more eco-friendly. Certainly, grass-fed beef makes a fine burger and, as a premium product, is appealing to customers. Unfortunately, this leaner beef lacks much of the internal marbling and intensity of flavour found in top-quality corn-finished beef. Punch up the flavour of grass-fed beef with robust toppings to help compensate for its milder taste.
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CUSTOM-GRIND BURGERS CUSTOM-GRIND BURGERS ARE BECOMING MORE POPULAR ON MENUS. They are a premium grind of at least three whole-muscle cuts such as sirloin, chuck, or rib-eye. The cuts often are chosen for a combination of flavour and fat, contain no trimmings, and are aged for 21 to 28 days to provide superior flavour. These rich, fatty grinds (some approaching a 70/30 mix) provide a kicked-up indulgence factor. When your menu features a custom-grind burger, you can enhance perceived plate value by using menu descriptions to highlight why the ingredients make it special.
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OTHER BURGERS BEEF IS NOT THE ONLY OPTION FOR TOP-NOTCH BURGERS. Turkey is popular, of course, but bison, chicken, pork, lamb, salmon, and tuna are all fair game as well, giving you healthy hamburger recipe options. These milderflavoured meats present an ideal opportunity to play up other flavours, and offer a chance to really get creative with toppings.
Pork is primed to become the next big thing in burger trends. Acre restaurant in Chicago offers the ultimate: a double pork patty layered with grilled pineapple, Mexican chorizo sausage, pepper-Jack cheese, and an ancho-chilli mayonnaise.
GREEK-INFLUENCED BURGERS. Lamb burgers, like the one offered by Atlanta’s Yeah! A burger which is a rosemarygarlic-seasoned lamb patty topped with goat’s cheese, rocket and house basil mayo. Lamb has come down in price, but beef burgers can go Greek, too, with a cucumbertomato-feta salad with Greek vinaigrette and kalamata olive tapenade on a butter-toasted spinach bun.
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STEAKS LESSER-KNOWN STEAKS-T-BONES? BEEN THERE. RIB-EYES? DONE THAT. NOW WE ARE DISCOVERING SOME AMAZING LESSER-KNOWN STEAKS. Like the teres major (a.k.a. shoulder tender or “mock tender”)–a super-tender muscle cut from the shoulder, second only in tenderness to a beef tenderloin. Or the flat iron (a.k.a. top blade steak)–another shoulder cut remarkable for its tenderness, soft texture, and generous marbling. Then there’s the bavette (sirloin flap)–a long fibrous steak that hangs from the steer’s underbelly and is popular at French bistros. And the ultimate steak? That would be Argentina’s tapa de ojo: the uber-marbled rim of a rib-eye steak.
BRISKET >
DRY AGED >
GRASS-FED > WAGYU BEEF >
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BRISKET BEEF IS NOT THE ONLY OPTION FOR TOP-NOTCH BURGERS. Brisket – could be bigger than pulled pork. The brisket trend was born in Texas, where it’s the staple meat in smokehouses. Brisket comes from the lower chest area of the animal. Brisket isn’t just found in beef; you can buy pork and lamb brisket too. Historically, it has been one of the cheapest cuts to buy, but its rising popularity has caused prices in the UK to rise exponentially. The London-based One Sixty company, which has two locations in the capital, has opened a standalone “brisket bar” at its City restaurant, where customers can have
their sandwiches made to order. Its signature dish is an 18-24-hour smoked brisket. Its popularity is partly down to a novelty factor, as people still aren’t sure what it is. At Reds, which has six outlets around the UK, brisket has been among the top three dishes this year. Brisket and burnt ends [pieces of meat cut from the point half of a smoked brisket] will remain a core product on the Red’s menu, and Red’s predict that brisket will become the number-one seller. Foodservice firms in the US have reported huge spikes in the cost of brisket and
*Euromonitor Market Research on Fresh Food 2015
Euromonitor’s figures state that in January, price per pound of brisket increased by over 50% compared to the same period in 2014. The AHDB, claims that brisket has become “one of the most-wanted parts of the carcass”.* AHDB Weekly regional retail beef and lamb prices report in the UK there is great demand for alternative, cheaper cuts of meat, such as bavette and spider steak, sirloin tip steaks, and brisket.*
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DRY AGED AGED BEEF IS BEEF THAT HAS BEEN HUNG OR PLACED ON A RACK TO DRY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. After the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, either the whole or half will be hung. Primal (large distinct sections) or subprimal cuts, strip loins, rib-eyes and sirloin are placed in a refrigerator unit, also known as a “hot box”. This process involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored near freezing temperatures. Subprimal cuts can be dry aged on racks either in specially climatecontrolled coolers or within a moisturepermeable drybag. Moreover, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. Because of this, dry-aged beef is seldom available outside of steak restaurants and upscale butcher shops or groceries. The key effect of dry aging is the concentration and saturation of the natural flavour, as well as the tenderization of the meat texture. The process changes beef by two
means. Firstly, moisture is evaporated from the muscle. The resulting process of desiccation creates a greater concentration of beef flavour and taste. Secondly, the beef’s natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle, which leads to more tender beef. The process of dry aging usually also promotes growth of certain fungal (mould) species on the external surface of the meat. This does not cause spoilage, but actually forms an external “crust” on the meat’s surface, which is trimmed off when the meat is prepared for cooking. These fungal species complement the natural enzymes in the beef by helping to tenderize and increase the flavour of the meat. The genus Thamnidium, in particular, is known to produce collagenolytic enzymes which greatly contribute to the tenderness and flavour of dry-aged meat.
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GRASS-FED The local/sustainable movement has been singing the praises of the grass-fed cow, while the grain-fed industry has been under attack by food activists. The grass-fed cow, which eats from a pasture and is not “finished” on a diet of grains and supplements for rapid weight gain, is said by its promoters to be better for the planet (less energy goes into growing grass than grain); better for the beef eater (less overall fat, and more omega-3s and other “good” fats); and better for the cow (critics decry feedlot practices as inhumane). Grass-fed meat can be a lot more expensive than your average grain-fed beef, just as artisanal cheese costs more than industrial cheddar. But the cook will notice that the meat often looks different, too—sometimes a lot darker, often with less of the coveted fat-marbling you see in the highest-grade grain-fed meat.
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WAGU BEEF (JAPANESE COW) This is any of several breeds of cattle, the most desired of which is genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. The meat from such wagyu cattle is known for its quality, and commands a high price. In several areas of Japan, wagyu beef is shipped carrying area names. Some examples are Kobe, Mishima, Matsusaka, Ōmi, and Sanda beef. Because of Japan’s rugged terrain and isolated areas, different breeding and feeding
techniques were used, such as massaging or adding beer or sake to their feeding regimen. It is suggested that the feeding of beer and sake was done to aid in digestion and induce hunger during humid seasons, and that massaging prevented muscle cramping on small farms in Japan where the animals did not have sufficient room to use their muscles. Neither of these techniques affected the meat’s flavour, and they have both been discontinued.
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STEAKS RARE (NAMED) BREED
BEEF
Angus British White Old Gloucester Sussex Red English Longhorn Red Poll Short Horn Dexter Belted Galloway
PORK
Gloucester Old Spot Blythburgh Pigs Saddleback Berkshire Middle White Large Black
LAMB
Salt Marsh Colne Valley Dorset
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HAUTE SAUSAGES A NEW GENERATION OF CRAFT SAUSAGE PARLOURS ARE OPENING IN THE US Serving artisanal, small batch sausages, such as doublesmoked brisket bratwurst, paella sausage and the Käsekrainer sausage, a blend of pork, beef, Gruyére cheese, and bacon.
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CHICKEN Chicken is becoming increasingly popular, with chicken restaurants hatching across the UK. As usual, the trend comes from the States, but it is also due to global meat price issues and the fact that most people just like it. British free-range is the currency in this market, with plenty of noise about provenance but steering clear of industry-approved ‘happy’ chicken standards because they cost and actually nobody’s really sure what it all means. Watch out for crispy chicken skin on menus.
CHICKEN THIGH is
proving to be popular for its flavour and versatility. Often brined or smoked first before frying or BBQing. The sandwich of 2016 is set to be chicken. No longer just southern, fried chicken sandwiches, but creative and ethnic.
Fuku in the US made headlines with their mammoth boneless thigh marinated in habanero purée, buttermilk, and Changian spices, deep-fried and topped with some acidic vegetables. Barbecue expert Mighty Quinn smokes its thighs before frying... topped with fermented chillies-garlic-lime sauce on brioche with pickled cucumbers and pickled celery for crunch.
NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN - A cult favourite
that’s spreading across the US and is meant to burn your lips for days on end. Like buffalo wings, Nashville Hot Chicken is dunked in hot sauce after frying; but it ain’t plain old hot sauce ... this is a thermonuclear paste of melted lard, sugar, sadistic quantities of cayenne, sugar, and each chef’s secret spices. It is showing up in fried chicken joints and sitdown restaurants across America.
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PORK PORK SHOULDER OR PORK BUTT Starting from the front of the pig: pork shoulder (also called pork butt or “Boston butt”) is generally sold as a 5 to 10 pound boneless roast at the grocery store. (Pork shoulder chops are sold with bones, but those are less common.) A relatively tough cut, well layered with fat, and is good for braising, slow and low roasting, or barbecue or pulled pork. Why is this cut sometimes called “pork butt” when it doesn’t come from the actual rear end? The word butt has its roots in old English, which is a quasi Germanic language, and butt means ‘the widest part. On a pig, the widest part is the shoulder, not its actual bottom. And that’s why it’s called the butt.
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THE NATION’S FAVOURITE BBQ FOOD A recent Kikkoman survey found that three-quarters of the UK are now making more of an effort to try different flamed flavours, with one in five ditching burgers and sausages altogether. Half of the people surveyed said they would be disappointed if they went to a barbie and burgers and bangers were the only things on the menu.
HERE IS THE UK’S TOP 10... 1. MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS 2. MARINATED STEAKS 3. MEAT AND VEGETABLE KEBABS 4. POTATO SALAD 5. JACKET POTATOES 6. HOMEMADE BURGERS 7. PRAWN SKEWERS 8. HOMEMADE COLESLAW 9. MARINATED RIBS 10. TUNA PASTA SALAD Venison and duck were also popular with a fifth of the people polled by soy sauce company Kikkoman.* * http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2179296/The-changing-plates-BBQs-Britons-ditch-traditional-grilled-fare-favour-posh-nosh-impress-friends.html
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BBQ COOKING TRENDS SMOKING - Smoking is the new grilling. It used to be that most backyard
smoking took place in the American barbecue belt. This year, thanks to the proliferation of affordable, easy-to-use smokers, smoking will go mainstream.
THE RISE OF THE BIG GREEN EGG Michelin-star chefs and barbecue enthusiasts around the world are raving about this grill, which goes by the unusual name because of its shape - which has been designed specifically to cook various foods to perfection. The Big Green Egg is a barbecue pot based on the 3,000-year-old Japanese ‘kamado’ cooking pot, which cooked food by trapping heat, with only a small vent to keep a fire at the bottom going. While the original was made of clay, the Big Green Egg uses ceramics, which its makers promise give it enhanced insulation and durability.
Charcoal is added to a firebox at the bottom of the barbecue, underneath the grill where food is placed. A heavy-duty dome sits over the grill so that air currents move up and around the domed lid. A precise temperature controller means it can cook at high temperatures up to 400˚c or be used as a slow cooker. This means the possibilities for cooking on the Egg are endless, as it can be used to sear, bake, roast, and smoke food. So everything from meats and fish to pies and pizzas can be on the menu.
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FLAVOUR TRENDS- Korean
The term Korean barbecue or gogigui (meat roast) in Korean refers to the Korean method of roasting beef, pork, chicken, or other types of meat. Such dishes are often prepared at the diner’s table on gas or charcoal grills that are built into the table itself. Some Korean restaurants that do not have built-in grills provide portable stoves for diners to use at their tables.
Korean Barbecue Sauce if time is of the essence. Another popular form of it is galbi, made from marinated beef short ribs. However, gogigui also includes many other kinds of marinated and unmarinated meat dishes and can be divided into several categories. Korean barbecue is not only popular among Koreans, but also has gained popularity internationally.
The most representative form of gogigui is bulgogi, usually made from thinly sliced marinated beef sirloin or tenderloin. Marinades usually consist of soy, chilli, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar. Alternatively you can buy high-quality Korean-style sauces such as Heinz Sticky
KOREAN STREET FOOD -
Korean flavours are set to lead the way in terms of mainstream flavour trends over the next 5 years. We are seeing an explosion of Korean fusion across the capital, especially driving the UK street food offer, with pop-ups like Korito serving bulgogi (grilled beef in soy
sauce, sugar, sesame, and garlic marinade) burritos. Korean food is also relatively healthy. Kimchi, made with a base of chilli pepper and fermented cabbage, plus other cruciferous vegetables and sometimes ginger or garlic, is full of phytonutrients, good bacteria, and fibre; and if you’re into making your diet less acidic, it may help with that as well. Gochujang is another fermented treat: a fiery, thick, slightly sweet red chilli pepper sauce, which is used as a condiment as well as a base for sauces, dressings, and marinades. If you love wood-grilled meats and smoky flavours, then Korean barbecue will get you going.
BRAZILIAN > THE AMERICAS >
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FLAVOUR TRENDS- Brazilian
With the Olympics fast approaching, Brazilian fare is set to become very popular. The Brazilian barbecue tradition hails from the southern part of the country, from a gaucho technique of cooking meat in the wideopen country after a long day wrangling cattle. There can be more than 20 different types of skewered meat to choose from. The slow-grilling Brazilian barbecue style known as rodizio produces some amazingly tasty food.
It starts with a fanatical devotion to high-quality meat and special cuts. The hunks of meat are stabbed onto the skewer and then slow-roasted rotisserie-style over charcoal
to lock in the juiciness and flavour.
When the top layer of the meat is browned, it’s sliced off fresh to serve. The barbecuing is tailored to individual tastes. A wide selection of cuts are offered, but also styles: rare (mal passado), medium rare (a ponto para mal), medium (a ponto), medium well (a ponto para bem), and well done (bem passado). Picanha is a top prime sirloin that melts in your mouth. There is also alcatra (top sirloin), baby beef, filet mignon, file com alho (filet mignon with garlic), maminha (rump steak), costela de Ripa (beef short ribs), and pork loin, sausage, and chicken.
KOREAN > THE AMERICAS >
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FLAVOUR TRENDS- The Americas AREA KANSAS CITY WOOD Hickory, Oak, Apple PROTEIN Pork, Beef, Mutton, CUTS
SERVED SAUCE
ACCOMPANIMENTS PILL MASTERS
Chicken, Turkey Pulled pork, pork ribs, pork steak, beef brisket, burnt ends, smoked mutton, smoked chicken, and sliced turkey Pulled, sliced, ribs on the bone Thick, sweet, tomato-andmolasses based sauce that has become an American standard Baked beans, coleslaw, French fries, potato salad, pickles Gate’s Arthur Bryants, Rosedale
KENTUCKY Hickory Mutton, Pork
NORTH WESTERN CAROLINA Hickory, Oak Pork
NORTH EASTERN CAROLINA Hickory, Oak Pork
Shoulder, ribs
Shoulder
Whole hog
Pulled, on the bone
Pulled or chopped
Chopped or sliced
Dip made of Worcestershire Light vinegar and pepper sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, based sauce with the salt and pepper addition of ketchup or tomato Burgoo meat stew Red slaw, hushpuppies, collards Knoth’s Bar-b-q Grandrivers, Moonlite Barb-q Owensboro
Stamey’s Greensboro, Lexington Barbecue, Bridges Barbecue Lodge Shelby
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Light vinegar, salt and pepper based sauce Lightly dressed slaw, Brunswick stew, collards, hushpuppies, corn sticks Willbers Goldsboro, Skylight Inn Ayden, B’s Greenville, Clyde Coopers Raleigh
KOREAN > BRAZILIAN >
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FLAVOUR TRENDS- The Americas AREA TEXAS WOOD Oak, Pecan, Mesquite, Hickory (eastern)
PROTEIN Beef, Pork CUTS Beef brisket, burnt ends,
smoked link sausages, pork ribs, shoulder (eastern Texas) SERVED Sliced
SAUCE Central – no sauce or light
tomato and vinegar mix. Eastern – sweet tomato and vinegar based sauce with a little spice ACCOMPANIMENTS Potato salad, pinto beans, pickled vegetables and jalapenos, Texas toast PILL MASTERS Kreuz Market Lockhart, Black’s Barbecue Lockhart, Louie Mueller Barbeque, Sam’s Austin, Drexiers Houston
MEMPHIS Hickory, Oak, Pecan, Apple, Cherry and other fruit woods also used Pork Pork ribs – mainly baby back, shoulder
ALABAMA Hickory, Oak, Pecan
SOUTH CAROLINA Hickory, Oak
Pork, Chicken Pork shoulder or whole chicken
Pork Pork shoulder or whole hog
Dry rubbed (with sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder…) or served ‘well’ with sauce Tomato-and-vinegar based, with a sweet flavour and slightly runny consistency
Pulled and sliced
Pulled or chopped
Mayo and vinegar based sauce sometimes with fruity addition
Thick, sweet, tangy, and sour mustard based sauce
BBQ beans, potato salad, barbecue spaghetti, barbecued bologna Charlie Vergos Rendezvous, Leonards, Jim Neely’s Interstate BBQ, Central BBQ
Mustard coleslaw, baked Pork hash over white rice, beans, potato salad fried chicken, collards, coleslaw Big Bob Gibson Decatur, Maurice’s Columbia, Doc’s Golden Rule Irondale BBQ Columbia, Dukes Orangeburg
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KOREAN > BRAZILIAN >
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10 BBQ SIDES CLICK & LINK TO RECIPES FRENCH DIP BEEF JUS SMOKED VEGETABLES MEXICAN GRILLED CORN COUSCOUS STUFFED PEPPERS ASIAN COLESLAW HOISIN GLAZED AUBERGINE BLACKENED CAJUN FRIES HERBY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD BBQ SMOKE NEW POTATO SALAD CORN, TOMATO, AND SPRING ONION SALAD
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KNOWING WHEN STEAK IS COOKED THE MOST ACCURATE WAY TO TEST IF A STEAK IS COOKED TO YOUR LIKING IS TO USE A MEAT THERMOMETER Learn to test when your steaks are done. Knowing when your steak is ready to be removed from the heat is the key to a perfectly cooked steak. Use either the back of your tongs or fingertip (make sure your hands are clean) and press the centre of the steak. Rare is soft when pressed, medium is springy, and well done is very firm. Always rest the steaks after they come off the heat. This keeps the steaks juicy and tender. Just loosely cover with foil for 2 to 4 minutes before serving. Whilst you can apply the three key principles to cooking any beef, lamb, goat, or veal steak, practice makes perfect, so here are a few extra tips for getting the degree of doneness right every time.
RARE • Cook for a few minutes per side (depending on thickness) • Turn once only • Cook until steak feels ‘very soft’ with the back of the tongs • Internal temperature approximately 55-60ºC
MEDIUM RARE • • • • •
Cook one side until moisture is visible on top surface Turn once only Cook on second side until moisture is visible on top Cook until steak feels ‘soft’ with back of the tongs Internal temperature approximately 60-65ºC
MEDIUM • Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface • Turn once only • Cook on second side until moisture is visible • Cook until steak feels ‘springy’ but soft with the back of the tongs • Internal temperature approximately 65-70ºC
MEDIUM WELL DONE • Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface • Turn and cook on the second side until moisture is pooling on top • Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook until steak feels ‘firm’ with the back of the tongs • Internal temperature approximately 70ºC
WELL DONE • Cook on one side until moisture is pooling on top surface • Turn and cook on the second side until moisture is pooling on top • Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook until steak feels ‘very firm’ with the back of the tongs
…and don’t forget to rest.
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COOKING STEAKS COOKING VERY THICK STEAKS
HAND-Y ‘DONENESS’
• Brown all sides in a hot pan
Believe it or not, you can actually use your hands to determine how ‘done’ your steaks are.
• Slightly reduce heat and cook as required • Turn a second time • If cooking thicker steaks medium well or well done, you may need to finish them in the oven • Test when to take out of the pan by using the back of the tongs or a steak thermometer to measure the temperature in the middle of the steak (described below)
To get used to the ‘feel’ of steak’s doneness, put your thumb and the appropriate finger together lightly. There is no need to assert any real pressure. Then with your other hand, lightly poke the ball of your palm. The feel, or resistance, indicates how firm your steak should be for the desired doneness. Once you have cooked your steaks on both sides and you think they are ready, follow the instructions below that correspond to your desired degree of doneness, then lightly poke the steak. If the firmness is the same on the ball of your palm and on the steak…it is time to take the steak off to rest.
RARE STEAKS. Make a circle with your index finger and thumb, press the ball
on the palm side of your thumb. Steaks with the same soft texture will be rare.
MEDIUM-RARE STEAKS. Make a circle with your middle finger and thumb,
press the ball of the thumb. Steaks with the same soft and springy feel will be medium rare.
MEDIUM STEAKS. Make a circle with your ring finger and thumb, press the ball of the thumb. Steaks with the same springy feel will be medium.
WELL DONE STEAKS. Make a circle with your little finger and thumb, press the ball of the thumb. Steaks with the same firm feeling will be well done.
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TOP TIPS FOR HANDLING MEAT Germs from raw meat can move easily onto your hands and then onto anything else you touch, including food that is cooked and ready to eat. This can happen if raw meat touches anything, including cooking utensils which then come into contact with other food. Some simple steps that will help prevent the spread of germs from raw meat are: • wash your hands after every time you touch raw meat • use separate utensils (plates, tongs, containers) for cooked and raw meat • never put cooked food on a plate or surface that has had raw meat on it • keep raw meat in a sealed container away from foods that are ready to eat, such as salads and bread • don’t put raw meat next to cooked or partly-cooked meat on the barbecue • don’t put sauce or marinade on cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat
AVOID CROSSCONTAMINATION The way you handle and store raw meat is extremely important to avoid food poisoning. Always store raw meat separately before cooking and use different utensils, including barbecue tongs and chopping boards, for raw and cooked food. Also, don’t be tempted to use marinades on cooked food that have been in contact with raw meat.
PRE-COOKING The safest option is to pre-cook your food indoors then put the cooked food on the outdoor barbecue for a short time for flavour.
DON’T WASH RAW CHICKEN
KEEP FOOD COOL Make sure you keep the following foods cool to help prevent food poisoning: • salads • dips • dairy products such as milk, cream, and yoghurt
Washing chicken or other meat can splash • desserts and germs, spreading cream cakes dangerous bugs on to • sandwiches your hands, clothes, and worktops. Cooking will kill any bacteria, including campylobacter.
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BBQ HEALTH AND SAFETY With longer evenings and warmer weather, BBQs may be used in premises, gardens and outdoor spaces to great effect. Although BBQs are a great sales opportunity, they do pose safety risks (both food safety and wider health and safety issues). It is important to plan your BBQ to ensure all health and safety and food safety risks have been minimized. Make sure both you and your staff are familiar with the information.
HERE ARE A FEW TIPS: STORAGE: Foods should be stored
under refrigeration until required for preparation/cooking/serving in order to minimize bacterial growth. All foods should be within their use-by dates and checks should be made before they are taken to the barbecue area.
PREPARATION: Items such as
salads and other cold items will require covering and will need to be kept cold or routinely checked and discarded if they are at ambient for too long – i.e. 2 hours.
COOKING: It is essential that all
food is cooked thoroughly – no rare burgers – even if requested by the customer. If you are going to barbecue joints of meat or poultry, it is recommended that you use your temperature probe to ensure the internal temperature reaches
a minimum of 75°C (82°C in Scotland) during cooking. These probes should be disinfected before use.
PERSONAL HYGIENE & CLEANLINESS: Any person
working at a barbecue must ensure that they maintain impeccable If BBQs are not properly controlled standards of personal hygiene – after all they are on show whilst there tends to be an uneven preparing food for your customers! spread of heat, which can also Chefs and any other persons who be influenced by the size and are engaged in the handling of thickness of the food item. Where open food must wear suitable clean possible you should consider using and washable over-clothing. Handa gas-fired barbecue to ensure the washing provisions must be made consistent output of heat and the available for food handlers at the even cooking of food. wash hand basin. CROSS CONTAMINATION: Raw Remember that good procedures and cooked foods should be kept alone will not prevent the separate to prevent any risk of possibility of accidents and cross-contamination. It is necessary mistakes – it is vital to ensure that separate utensils e.g. tongs are that all members of staff receive provided for placing raw products sufficient training. onto the barbecue and another pair used for the removal of cooked foods. Thorough hand washing is vital in-between handling raw and cooked foods.
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TOP TIPS FOR BBQ COOKING 1) CHOOSE YOUR WOOD
Different woods for the subtle yet distinctive flavours they impart. For example, use mesquite for a slightly sweet, smoky flavour; if you want a smokier taste, use burns oak. Also different woods burn at different temperatures. Mesquite produces a very hot fire, suitable for cooking fish, while oak burns at a temperature favourable for vegetables and meats.
2) TURN STEAKS ONCE ONLY
The more you flip the steak, the tougher it gets. Let the steak cook on one side until moisture appears on top, then turn it.
3) CHOOSE YOUR HEAT
Top chefs know there’s more than one heat on the grill: they use both direct (right above the heat source) and indirect (you guessed it, away from the heat source) to achieve different results—and often use both types for a piece of meat. For example, here’s how to guarantee a juicy steak: first sear the meat on a hotter part of the grill, then move it to a medium-hot area to allow the flavours to develop more slowly.
4) BUTTER YOUR STEAK
When you order steak in a good restaurant, don’t be dazzled by exotic spices or cooking techniques listed on the menu. There’s an astoundingly simple chef’s secret that provides the knock-’em-dead flavour that you can’t seem to achieve when you grill steaks at home: butter. As soon as you remove your steak from the grill, shave ½ tablespoon butter onto it and let the butter melt before serving.
5) DO KEBABS RIGHT
Kebab baskets eliminate all sorts of problems with sticks, which can burn, slip, or become unwieldy. The baskets are a kind of long wire box with a lid and a long handle. You put the stuff into the box, close the lid, and place it on the grill or over the fire. The handle allows easy flipping—and you can make lots of grilled meats and vegetables quickly.
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FLAMING HOT BBQ RESTAURANTS TO VISIT: Barbecoa cooking techniques had an effect. And then Pitt Cue’s truck on the South Bank came along and stole all the food blog space and before you knew it, they’d gone off to Soho and give or take a couple of regional varieties, like John Hargate’s version at the World’s End in Brighton, you’d be forgiven for thinking that as far as BBQ was concerned, that was that. But it hasn’t gone away, and there’s big money lurking around, bringing concepts like ‘Grillshack’ by Richard Caring and his gang along for the ride. It seems though that this time around BBQ is softening up; same thing’s happening in liberal parts of Texas, believe it or not. That means green eggs are popping up in kitchens ALL over town and people like Smokehouse are coming to the fore. Dukes in Dalston is worth a look, as is the aforementioned Pitt Cue Co and now John Salt in Islington. Don’t forget Bodeans, either, which has been around for years. Also worthy... Cabana, the Brazilian BBQ/street restaurant is on rollout, Hickory Pitt from the Roast team is heading for the City, and look at Red Dog Saloon in Hoxton. Big Easy are back for their second site in Covent Garden, and try Salt Yard’s charcoal version: Ember Yard in Soho. And smoking isn’t just for meat: watch out for smoked cream and ice cream (it’s easy to do) and more. Check out Ribstock while you’re at it. And keep an eye out for offshoots such as French Dips sneaking onto menus across town.
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