5 Top BBQ Tips for 2019
With the weather heating up and summer just around the corner it’s time to get ready for your BBQ events and luckily, we’re here to help. It doesn’t matter if you have just purchased a grill from us or if you’re dusting off last years ready for action – follow the key tips below to help guarantee a successful day!
Preparation is Key
Try to have all your key ingredients and essentials ready to go the day before the BBQ. This also means cleaning your oven in preparation for use and marinating any meat to be cooked. Having your cutlery, napkins and music playlist ready to go will help things on the day to run as smoothly as possible. Try to be ahead of the game and get the BBQ fired up before your guests arrive to make the cooking process nice and easy.
Split your BBQ
Separate the BBQ top into two clear cooking areas. One of these zones should allow you to sear food directly over the flames whilst the other zone should be used for the meat to be cooked indirectly in order to achieve a thorough cook. Try and manage the work space efficiently by working out how many grill loads you are cooking and allocating foil trays to each group of meat that you cook. Keep a selection of kitchen utensils to hand as should you need them in the moment you will not want to abandon your cooking station.
Slow and Steady – it’s not a race!
Avoid the temptation to rush yourself when barbecuing – try to ignore any impatient guests and focus on giving a top-notch BBQ experience! Patience is paramount and allowing the meat some space and time to cook properly will mean that the result has been more than worth the wait. You should also limit how much you interact with the meat itself as too much poking and pressing will result in it losing the delicious juices that make it so great!
Nobody wants overcooked or under cooked meat and it’s up to you to make sure that doesn’t happen. Thoroughly check the meat by cutting into the thickest part, usually the centre, to ensure that juices are running clear and meat is cooked throughout – in particular, white meat such a chicken should not be pink. You should also use a temperature probe to insert into the meat and check it is at the prime temperature, this may vary depending on what it is you are cooking.
Get Saucy
Adding a glaze or sauce to your BBQ meat is a fantastic way to add a pop of flavour but you want to make sure you wait until the opportune moment to do so. Our advice is to wait until most of the cooking is done as this will help boost flavour without burning the sauce. As glazes contain such high sugar levels, they are susceptible to burning easily making the taste very bitter. Be sure to avoid this otherwise all that time and money spent cooking will be for nothing!
Scrumptious Sides
As fantastic as BBQ food can be, why not branch out a little and try some out of the box side dishes to keep your guests interested? A yummy Greek salad with feta or a home cooked ratatouille can really add something to the meal as well as offering an option for any veggies you may be catering for. Speaking of which, don’t be afraid to skewer up some tomatoes, peppers and onions for the grill to add a delicious warm option they will be sure to love.
