Argubly the best thing about summer is the al fresco get togethers and barbecuing to your heart's content. One of our Executive Chef's Aidan top tips for a great BBQ is boosting the flavour of your chosen meat with marinades and dry rubs, which you are best doing before cooking to get the most from the flavour. Check out our favourite recipes below for marinating!
House Rub Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 100g soft dark brown sugar
- 50g caster sugar
- 2tsp garlic powder
- 100g table salt
- 3tsp smoked paprika
- 6tsp paprika
- 1tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne
METHOD
1. Toast the fennel, cumin, coriander & back peppercorns in a dry pan over a medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan, until the spices release an aroma
2. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool
3. Use a pedestal and mortar to grind the spices to a coarse powder, combine with the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly
Hot Sauce Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1kg red peppers
- 250g red chillies
- 5g Maldon sea salt
- 25ml cider vinegar
- 25ml maple syrup
- 25g garlic cloves
METHOD
1. Grill the peppers and chillies on the BBQ backening the skin all round. Place into a container with a lid and leave to cool. Peel the peppers and chillies, Discard the skins and as many seeds as possible, then put the flesh into a saucepan
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, bring to a simmer and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes
3. Put the mixture into a blender and blitz until well mixed but still a little chunky. Decant into a 500ml sterilized jar or bottle and refrigerate. The sauce will keep in the fridge for 1 week.
BBQ Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 25 ml vegetable oil
- 1 white onion, peeled and grated
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
- 25g Spice Mix (see below)
- 125ml apple juice
- 125ml cider vinegar
- 135 ml maple syrup
- 125mlFrench's mustard
- 125ml treacle
- 125ml apricot jam
- 500ml Ketchup
- 25g smoked Maldon sea salt
SPICE MIX INGREDIENTS
- 5g fennel seeds
- 5g cumin seeds
- 5g coriander seeds
- 5g celery seeds
- 5g mustard seeds
- 5g black peppercorns
METHOD
To make the spice mix, toast all the spices in a dry pan over a medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan until golden. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Blitz the toasted spices in a blender to a rough powder.
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and spice mix and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until the onions are cooked through.
2. Add the apple juice and cider vinegar and simmer until reduced by a third
3. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Blitz the sauce with an immersion blender, then pass it through a fine sieve. Pour into a 1 litre sterilized bottle. Once cool, store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks.
MORE BBQ TIPS
Preheat your BBQ
Whether you are using a gas or charcoal BBQ, ensure you leave enough time for it to get to cooking temperature before you actually need it.
Precook your meats
Works great if you have a large number of people to feed. Cook in a low oven, without colour and finish on the BBQ. Works great for tender pork or beef ribs
Prevent sticking to get those grill marks
Ensure the grill is hot enough before putting any food on it. As an extra trick rub the grill with a ½ raw potato. The starch will act as a temporary non-stick barrier.
Know your heat zones
BBQs will naturally have hotter and colder areas, and knowing where these are and what to cook on them will help your BBQ skills. Direct heat for searing, indirect heat for finishing cooking. The Shelf in the lid can be used to keep your food warm whilst you cook more.
Let your meat rest
Get a casserole dish with a lid, when you have finished cooking, put your meat in there and let it relax, this will help ensure it is tender. If you carve or start eating it before, it will be really tough in comparison to when it’s properly rested.
Don't run out of fuel
Seems like an obvious one, but make sure you have enough charcoal or gas in the tank before you start.
Clean up
Get into the habit of cleaning down the grill after you’ve finished will make it quicker to set up next time. Don’t worry about intense scrubbing, instead scrunch up some foil and rub it along the bars of the grill to get them clean and help keep them rust-free, too. Did you know? Half of a raw onion it will get any unwanted burnt bits off with ease!
