The Great British BBQ

[MrBen]

Let's be honest. As a nation we don't do it well. On the few days of the year when the sun coincides with a weekend, a faint whiff of charcoal drifts across the sleepy terraces of SE22 telling us summer has arrived....black sausages, raw in the middle, economy burgers, a crap bowl of salad and bad white rolls from the corner shop.

I propose it is high time that the modern British man learnt how to do a decent barbie. And today, after liberating one of these monstrosities, I'm keen to make my first "proper" barbecue count as I take another tentative step into middle age.

The UK bbq ritual used to be about meeting women and the food came second - not today - so I'm selecting my cuts, marinading my chicken and carefully choosing my salads.

With 8 women due over and rain forecast (a pre-requisite for any British bbq planned in advance) I have to grab a beer and do my bit. I also plan to fire up an old charcoal grill to see what works best.

Any BBQ tips / recipes?

Thoughts on the charcoal vs. gas debate?

Any master classes from our antipodean / s'affer friends?

[Keef]

Get lamb, and use lime juice. Always tastes good.

[charliecharlie]

charcoal any day

get some nice big prawns, poor on olive oil, add chopped garlic and ginger and a sprinkle of crushed dried red chilli,

squeeze on lime juice - leave in fridge to do its stuff for a few hours (or not if no time)

slap it on the barbie... one or two mins either side

and done... DELICIOUS

[Brendan]

Gas bbqs are cheating and not nearly as much fun as making a fire. But in this weather and if you aren?t used to making fires it is the sensible option. Plus playing with the flames is fun.

To be honest the most important thing is the quality of your food. The main reason British bbqs are often so crap is because burgers and pork sausages aren?t really even meat. A good selection of salads and breads and stuff, sauces, salsa etc and even if you burn the meat a bit no one will mind.

Personal advice on food would be to get some boerewors from William Rose, make some skewers of you own and do a vegetarian option as it ingratiates you with the ladies (good easy vegy options are thick sliced aubergine rounds soaked in olive oil with some salt and pepper and/or haloumi skewers with peppers or onions or something.

Don?t make your grill too hot, unless you are just doing 1 kind of meat on it like steak or jerk chicken. Otherwise you need to cook most things a bit slower to get them properly cooked through and avoid getting them burnt on the outside.

Alternatively invite an American, Australian, South African or some such person around and get them to do it. But they will probably just drink all your beer and leave with one of your lady friends.

[MrBen]

Wise words Brendan - thanks.

Got some quality chicken, steaks and everyone else should be bringing stuff....

This made me smile:

[Horsebox]

MrBen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Let's be honest. As a nation we don't do it well.

> On the few days of the year when the sun coincides

> with a weekend, a faint whiff of charcoal drifts

> across the sleepy terraces of SE22 telling us

> summer has arrived....black sausages, raw in the

> middle, economy burgers, a crap bowl of salad and

> bad white rolls from the corner shop.

>

I can honestly say I have never been to a BBQ such as this. Only good quality, well cooked food gets served when I am in the apron. Sadly I don't have a garden these days so am reliant on invites to parents and those blessed with more space than I.

[Brendan]

MrBen Wrote:

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> This made me smile:

> Sizzling Ribe Eye!

Yeeehawww! Do you think the taste of the steak is directly related to how similar to Kris Kristofferson you sound.

[MrBen]

Watching it I imagine what he looks like. A big beard and dungarees for sure.

And Brendan - William Rose sold out boerewors today as a result of your post (which made them all snort like piggies with joy at the power of the East Duwlich forum). I kid you not!

[Moos]

Grilled trout is delicious on a barbecue - never done it myself so can't offer a recipe but will try to dig one up (although I think it's just wrapping the fish in foil with marinade).

My favourite barbecue recipe is marinading chunks of halloumi, red onion, peppers and mushrooms in olive oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano(etc. etc.) for as long as you can be bothered and then grilling them on skewers. Stole it from my mum who stole it from Delia so it is the height of uncool but really delicious. It's nice to have a chunky dish that isn't meaty too.

Also important at barbies are quality salads: slightly warm couscous or better still bulgar wheat with leaves and good tomatoes.

[Ted Max]

The young couple next door are having a barbecue. The smell of charcoal-singed meat, the clink of ice on glass, the perplexing music, all penetrate through to your small sitting room where a portable TV keeps you up to date with the afternoon's racing from Chepstow.

Later, you risk a look over the fence as you water mum's hanging baskets.

"Come and join us," shrills the hostess, not kindly. The husband is wearing an apron with the outline of a naked woman printed on the body. He throws his empty beer bottle onto a growing pile. Forgotten chops curl on the cooling grill.

You head back to the 5:15, last race. You fancy the second favourite but haven't backed it.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Spoon half a jar of marmalade (orange, lime or lemon) into a freezer bag, add a dash of white wine vinegar then put in a few chicken pieces and leave to marinade for a few hours. Its yummy.

[Strawbs]

I love a fire bbq but I agree with Brendan its a little difficult over here. I personally cannot stand the chicken wire bbqs that are over here, I always fear my meat wont be cooked properly.

My advice would be to invest in a good quality gas bbq with one side being a flat plate and the other side being a grill. That way on the flat side you can do sliced potatos, chicken, onions, corn cobs wrapped in foil with butter and sweet chilli and the grill can be for your steaks, kebabs etc. Hot tip is when you have the potatos on to keep them moist and give them a great taste pour a bit of beer over them, they will smoke and suck up all the juice - yum! hot tip, microwave the potatoes with no water for about 1 minute (maybe two at a push) to kick start them in the cooking process..

sunday roast on a bbq

smoking planks for fish (or you could just wrap in foil)

In Australia I had the following bbq but it had a hood on it - if you click on the picture you will see what I mean about the two different plates

Billabong BBQ

Oh and for a great bbq in the summer you must have pims and lemonade and loads of it!!

so when are we all coming around?

xoxo

[SeanMacGabhann]

She's not off the veg 5 MINUTES and she's worried about how her meat is cooked! ;-)

Having recently acquired a garden and a barbecue for first time in 20 years I have been doing lots of reading and practice. Charcoal all the way so far for me. Not had a problem lighting a fire yet. And I prefer the wire grill to the hot plates I used in Oz.

[Strawbs]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> >

> She's not off the veg 5 MINUTES and she's worried

> about how her meat is cooked! ;-)

>

> Having recently acquired a garden and a barbecue

> for first time in 20 years I have been doing lots

> of reading and practice. Charcoal all the way so

> far for me. Not had a problem lighting a fire yet.

> And I prefer the wire grill to the hot plates I

> used in Oz.

Cheeky chops!!! he he pardon the pun..

I must admit chicken wings that I had on the wire rack last weekend were fantastic!

So bbqs at your place then this summer!

We are thinking of having a bbq/ drinks in Aug so will need to acquire a bbq for then..

[ratty]

MrBen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Let's be honest. As a nation we don't do it well.

> On the few days of the year when the sun coincides

> with a weekend, a faint whiff of charcoal drifts

> across the sleepy terraces of SE22 telling us

> summer has arrived....black sausages, raw in the

> middle, economy burgers, a crap bowl of salad and

> bad white rolls from the corner shop.

>

> I propose it is high time that the modern British

> man learnt how to do a decent barbie. And today,

> after liberating one of these monstrosities, I'm

> keen to make my first "proper" barbecue count as I

> take another tentative step into middle age.

>

> The UK bbq ritual used to be about meeting women

> and the food came second - not today - so I'm

> selecting my cuts, marinading my chicken and

> carefully choosing my salads.

>

> With 8 women due over and rain forecast (a

> pre-requisite for any British bbq planned in

> advance) I have to grab a beer and do my bit. I

> also plan to fire up an old charcoal grill to see

> what works best.

>

> Any BBQ tips / recipes?

>

> Thoughts on the charcoal vs. gas debate?

>

> Any master classes from our antipodean / s'affer

> friends?

Speak for yourself. We do fooking ace to base barbecues in my hood!

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Ted Max Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The young couple next door are having a barbecue.

> The smell of charcoal-singed meat, the clink of

> ice on glass, the perplexing music, all penetrate

> through to your small sitting room where a

> portable TV keeps you up to date with the

> afternoon's racing from Chepstow.

>

> Later, you risk a look over the fence as you water

> mum's hanging baskets.

>

> "Come and join us," shrills the hostess, not

> kindly. The husband is wearing an apron with the

> outline of a naked woman printed on the body. He

> throws his empty beer bottle onto a growing pile.

> Forgotten chops curl on the cooling grill.

>

> You head back to the 5:15, last race. You fancy

> the second favourite but haven't backed it.

Don't keep us in suspense any longer Ted.

What happened(?)

[MrBen]

BBQ went well - as Brendan said a friendly S'Affer was on hand and when confronted with a the terrible prospect of a Brit at the grill...could not help but lend some helpful advice. That is before actually doing all the cooking and stealing my girlfriend at the end. Ok..last bit not strictly true.

Anyway - I learned a lot and now feel the need to share this. Here goes:

1. Don't pour charcoal out of its bag onto already hot coals. It will catch fire and you will be left holding a flaming bag of charcoal and look stupid before you have even started (yes I did this, no wonder S'Affer stepped in).

2. Arrange the charcoal so that coals are on one side with a cooler area to the other - this allows you to control cooking heat.

3. 3 finger test - If you can't hold your hand 3 fingers width off the grill for 3 seconds its too hot to cook. Cooking on a too hot grill is a classic British error and makes food black outside and raw in the middle.

4. The too hot phase is also the "burn off" phase and allows you to get rid of any black stuff built up on the grill. S'Affer tip at this point is to use half an onion on a fork to wipe down the grill - the chemicals help remove the build up.

5. As a general rule. Cook Sausages and then chicken first. Steaks last. Obvious I know but....

6. Chicken - try to avoid breasts and fillets as they can get quite dry barbecued. Much better to get jointed thighs and legs on the bone and with skin on. Skin provides better protection and can get a little blackened. Bone seems to keep it juicy.

7. Flames - when cooking fat from the meat can ignite on the coals and cause flames = black meat. Pour some water or beer on the flames to keep them down and move meat until they're under control.

8. Turning meat on a fully hot grill really is a full time job. Resist urge to ogle bare legged women in bikini tops / find beer or you will screw it up.

9. Great salads and sides - as per one of posts above. Good tip. If you screw up the meat it won't matter much. Then again - don't screw up the meat!

10. Gas vs charcoal - I say BOTH. I used charcoal to cook on then my gas BBQ with lid on a low heat to keep the meat rest and keep warm so that it could all be served at once. Gas BBQ's also great out back in spring and autumn when you wouldnt bother lighting a fire.

Finally - don't walk into a packed William Rose and mispronounce boerewors "Burrough-Worst" they will laugh at you, snort and ask if you have just read that on the East Dulwich forum. Snort again like over fed swine and make you feel generally stupid.

Or you could vist the van on Northcross Road. Hope the above helps. :)

[Horsebox]

MrBen Wrote:

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> 8. Turning meat on a fully hot grill really is a

> full time job. Resist urge to ogle bare legged

> women in bikini tops / find beer or you will screw

> it up.

MrBen, you will get the knack of this particular bit eventually. The best way to do it is to have more BBQs, invite even more women in bikini tops and drink even more beer.

Good luck, the best is yet to come.

[Brendan]

MrBen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Finally - don't walk into a packed William Rose

> and mispronounce boerewors "Burrough-Worst" they

> will laugh at you, snort and ask if you have just

> read that on the East Dulwich forum. Snort again

> like over fed swine and make you feel generally

> stupid.

>

> Or you could vist the van on Northcross Road.

Don't worry MrBen I can confirm that the staff at William Rose don't know how to pronounce boerewors either. Make it they can but pronounce it, not so much.

[????]

I think Saffa's are world champions at BBQs, my biggest (to be fair my only) disappointment in Australia was their BBQs - gas fired hotplates...are not BBQS

[Michael Palaeologus]

Bit late but a nice sweet can be made from slitting Bananas stem to stern, into the crack push in a Cadburys Flake. Wrap in tinfoil and put on BBQ for about 20 mins. Scoff with Sour Cream. Num Nums.

[woofmarkthedog]

I think we are mixing up out door cooking with BBQ's, gas plates ect,are for those who cant really cook....sorry but true

Charcoal is king , pre cook the meat some what if you have to & then finish off on the smoke rack.........SLOWLY

If you can "really cook" then you can BBQ, if you cant then "CHAR" the sh*t out of things as usual

Ahh "lets guess the meat' shall we.........mmmmmm...?

W**F

[Mick Mac]

I like to BBQ on charcol - and I like to char the meat too - nice chacol taste on the outside as long as not overcooked throughout, that is the taste for me.

[silverfox]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think Saffa's are world champions at BBQs, my

> biggest (to be fair my only) disappointment in

> Australia was their BBQs - gas fired

> hotplates...are not BBQS

Don't know where you went in Oz but I never saw a gas fired monstrosity. My issue was everything tasted of eucalytus from the dried wood we collected in the bush. Never saw any self respecting Aussie try any of the fancy recipes above either. Even at the

[silverfox]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I think Saffa's are world champions at BBQs, my

> biggest (to be fair my only) disappointment in

> Australia was their BBQs - gas fired

> hotplates...are not BBQS

Don't know where you went in Oz but I never saw a gas fired monstrosity. My issue was everything tasted of eucalytus from the dried wood we collected in the bush. Never saw any self-respecting Aussie try any of the fancy recipes above either. Even at The Oaks in Sydney there was none of this marinated nonsense.