One essential is a meat thermometer – use this to ensure your meat is properly cooked without having to ‘nuke’ it! A grill thermometer is also really handy. It let’s you know that the BBQ has reached the right tem- perature so you know when to start cooking and how long your food will take. Tongs or a spatula are ideal for turning and lifting hot food. Make sure your knives have been sharpened and have a cutting board or clean plate to hand, along with a damp cloth and kitchen roll.
TOP TIPS FOR GREAT GRILLING National BBQ Week report that the UK style of barbe- cuing has evolved into gastro grilling – ‘from sausage to sword fi sh and burger to brochette’. Whether you prefer the traditional chicken drumsticks and burgers or something more exotic, BBQ Week recommends the following general grilling techniques:
ACCESSORISE!
Like so many activities, your experience will be vastly improved if you have the right equipment to help things run smoothly. According to research from National BBQ Week, the BBQ is no longer a male domain with nearly 50% of grillers now being women. We like to think this is why there’s been an increase in great tools and accessories for barbecue cooking. Let’s face it, burning your fi ngertips whilst trying to fl ip burgers is not for us; better to do it quickly, cleanly and safely with an attractive pair of tongs!
1. Marinate. Ensure food to be grilled is marinated, as this not only enhances fl avour but actually helps protect food on the grill.
2. Heat. When grilling, a good standard is to ‘sear on high’ then take it ‘low & slow’. Ensure that you have three heat levels – high/med/low. With a gas grill this is relatively easy. With charcoal, bank up the coals at one end and less so at the other end.
3. Flavour. To add fl avour when using charcoal grills, add water-soaked wood chips. Fruit wood works well, or add herb branches or vine clip- pings to the coals.
SAFETY TIPS
Obviously the basic rules of food hygiene and fi re safety apply when barbecuing, Here’s a summary to remind you.
✔ Make sure your barbecue is in good working order.
✔ Ensure the barbecue is on a fl at site, well away from a shed, trees or shrubs.
✔ Keep children, garden games and pets well away from the cooking area.
✔ Never leave the barbecue unattended.
✔ Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby for emergencies.
✔ Always make sure that any meat is piping hot all the way through. Barbecue cooked meat can appear to be charred on the outside yet be almost raw inside, so make sure you check the middle, particularly with burgers.
✔ For the same reason, make sure frozen food is completely thawed before cooking it.
✔ Raw meat sitting in the sun can be a real health hazard so keep it cool and covered and well away from cooked or ready-to-eat food. Make sure you use separate chopping boards and cooking utensils.
✔ And of course, always wash your hands after handling raw food.
✔ Ensure the barbecue is cool before attempting to move it.
To get your BBQ off to a tasty start, why not try this gorgeous BBQ steak sandwich recipe with a Texan twist – the family will love it! Yeehaa!
Try something TEXAN! Encona Texan Chilli BBQ Steak Sandwich
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Shopping list: • 4 sirloin steaks,
approximately 1cm thick
• 3 tbsp Encona Texan Chilli BBQ Sauce
• 2 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half lengthways
• 1 beef tomato, sliced • 2 shallots, fi nely chopped • 3 large gherkins, fi nely chopped • 1 tsp chopped chives • 2 baby gem lettuce, roughly torn • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 slices of Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
• Salt and milled black pepper Cooking time: 5-10 minutes
How to do it: • Pre-heat the barbecue or grill.
• Place the steaks onto a small plate, season with salt and pepper, then brush both sides with Encona Texan Chilli BBQ Sauce and set aside.
• To make the relish, mix the shallots, gherkin and chives in a bowl and leave to one side.
• Meanwhile, for the chilli BBQ mayonnaise, mix 1 tbsp of Encona Texan Chilli BBQ Sauce with 2 tbsp of mayonnaise.
• To make the sandwich, cook the steak on the hottest part of the barbecue or grill for 1-2 minutes either side. If you want to add cheese, place on the steak once you have turned it.
• Whilst the steaks are cooking, toast the ciabatta slices.
• Place the lettuce on the base of the toasted ciabatta, followed by the sliced tomato and then the steak. (2 steaks per ciabatta). Spoon over the relish and spread over a spoonful of the chilli BBQ mayonnaise.
Enjoy!
WWW.MUMSSURVIVALGUIDES.CO.UK 49 Serves 2
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