Another sizzling summer is on the way, and we have the tastiest tips for cooking up a storm on the barbecue this year.
Barbecues are a staple of summer, with 90% of British households owning one. However, many shy away from their garden grill due to fears of undercooked meat.
The weather is heating up, make sure your dinners are smoking hot and safe. Our head butcher, Suzi Howard has shared her expert advice so you can have the best barbecue yet!
Food safety:
Invest in a reliable meat thermometer to make sure the meat reaches its ideal internal temperature – it’s a quick and easy safety measure. Meat should be at least 74°C at the thickest part.
Before your meats hit the grill, it’s important to make sure your coals are white with no open flames. Flaming coals provide too high a heat too quickly and will burn the outside of the meat but leave inside raw. White coals provide a slow consistent heat that cooks the meat evenly.
Cuts:
Everybody knows the classic BBQ menu of sausages and burgers, but Suzi suggests a well-marbled steak cut like ribeye or sirloin for a tender and juicy way to shake up the standard.
Don’t underestimate a chicken breast or pork shoulder which goes excellently with roasted vegetables on some grilled skewers.
She recommends putting thicker cuts of meat, such as poultry and pork, on the barbecue first and in areas of indirect heat so they can cook for longer and all the way through. Put burgers and sausages on last as they don’t take as long to grill.”
Rubs and marinades:
Fellow butcher Flavian also has some excellent recipe recommendations for marinades and rubs to give your barbecue an extra kick.
Marinade your meat in paprika, salt, black pepper, chilli flakes, chilli powder and rapeseed oil for a couple of hours before grilling.
Coat the cooked meat in maple habanero sauce. Just blend shallot, ginger powder, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, honey and water with habanero chillies and salt, then simmer in a pan until it thickens. Let it cool off before serving.
Our grill always makes an appearance during the summer, and we look forward to feeding happy campers during the Wickham Festival this year.