Summer BARBECUING Take it slow with a range of rubs STORY: LIAM NASH
H
e who mans the grill holds the key to others’ happiness — quite the responsibility indeed. A big part of becoming a supreme force with the spatula is keeping up to date with the innovations in the wild and wonderful world of barbecuing and beyond. Our Home chatted to Jason Bathman from Barbeques Galore Shepparton about some of the latest grilling trends to keep on your radar.
RUBBING THE RIGHT WAY For seasoned barbecue buffs, hunting down ways to stimulate the tastebuds is a never-ending search. Jason said getting experimental with a range of rubs was a great way to take meat from mediocre to melt-inyour-mouth. “To enhance your barbecue recipes there are a huge range of rubs and sauces,” he said. “The rubs are particularly important to use in the art of low and slow cooking. “Some names of the rubs attract a laugh from our customers, such as ‘Rub some Butt’, ‘Holy Cow’, ‘Hard Core Carnivore’ and more.”
APP-SOLUTELY BRILLIANT Technology is everywhere, and the realm of barbecuing is far from exempt. Advancements in automation have made for increasingly stressfree preparation when taking to the tongs—a crucial factor whenever the stomach begins a-rumbling. “With the incorporation of wi-fi into our low and slow barbecue/smokers, you are able to cook the perfect mouth-watering slow-cooked meats,” Jason said. “The built in wi-fi function pairs up with an app on your phone so you can have full control of your smoker remotely. No more caveman cooking.
“You no longer have to watch the barbecue/smoker to maintain the fire and temperature levels for long stretches of time, sometimes up to 10 hours. “You can create juicy succulent pulled lamb or pork whilst watching your children play their weekend sport.”
BUTTERFLIED LAMB LEG WITH ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND ZESTY SALAD 1 tbsp garlic, crushed 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp lemon juice
SMOKE SHOW
METHOD
It’s undeniable the US sits on the throne when it comes to manning the grill. The uber-patriotic, star-spangled folk sure know to handle the heat, and taking a page out of their recipe book often pays off when searching for ideas to invigorate meat and more. According to Jason, all burgeoning home chefs should be on the lookout for events that promote the avant-garde style of smoking popularised by the US. “The low and slow barbecue/smoker range has grown in Australia and is still trending strongly thanks to a strong American influence, and various smoking trade shows that usually feature during the summer months. “One to look up is ‘Meat Stock’.”
1. Butterflied lamb leg: Pre-heat barbecue (hood down) to high heat. Remove lamb from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Place oil in a bowl, add rosemary brush. Brush oil over lamb and season. 2. Reduce barbecue to medium. Place lamb on hot grill plate, skin side down. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes on each side, hood down or until an internal doneness of 58°C. Drizzle with lemon juice. Transfer lamb to a chopping board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 minutes. 3. Roasted cauliflower: Preheat barbecue (hood down) high heat. Combine oil, garlic, paprika, cumin and coriander in a bowl. Blanch cauliflower for 7 minutes, remove, and cool for 10 minutes. Place cauliflower on a baking tray head up. Baste with spice mixture and season. Place in the barbecue (hood down), roast for 1 to 1 ½ hours, basting throughout. Remove from barbecue, grate parmesan over cauliflower and serve with lemon wedges. 4. Roasted lemon and tomato salad Place all ingredients except oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Combine oil and vinegar in a jug, season with salt and pepper. Add dressing to bowl and toss gently. 5. Tahini dressing: combine all ingredients in a bowl, set to the side. 6. Slice the lamb across the grain, serve with chargrilled lemon, cauliflower, tahini yoghurt and roasted lemon and tomato salad.
WHAT WORKS BEST? Economy over efficiency is a debate that shouldn’t extend to the kitchen. Supercharging a steak is best achieved by grilling over charcoal or wood; however, Jason said Barbeques Galore’s economic alternatives also worked a charm. “For true depth of flavour and controlled cooking for these barbecues/ smokers, predominantly use charcoal or wood pellets. “The Traeger pellet grills, Kamado Joe and Masterbuilt gravity-fed charcoal grills make outdoor cooking a breeze for time-poor families. “However, there are some great electric and gas smokers on the market also.”
Serves six Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS 1.5kg butterflied lamb leg, scored 2 tbsp olive oil ½ bunch rosemary Salt and pepper to season
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER 1 head cauliflower 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground cumin ¼ cup olive oil ½ tsp garlic powder Sea salt and ground black pepper to season Grated parmesan and lemon wedges to serve
TOMATO AND LEMON SALAD 2 medium lemons, pips removed, sliced, chargrilled 6 heirloom tomatoes, sliced ¼ bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves picked ¼ bunch mint, leaves picked 1 pomegranate, seeds only ½ small red onion, finely sliced 100g salad leaves 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp red wine vinegar Salt and pepper to season
TAHINI YOGHURT DRESSING 125g plain Greek-style yoghurt ¼ cup tahini paste
OUR HOME // SPRING 2020 // 41
