BBQ Tips
How to make sure your BBQ is ‘well done’.
Barbecue season. The perfect excuse to bring friends and family together, and serve up a big tasty helping of fun in the sun as you tuck into our mouth-watering menu of meat & poultry, fish & seafood, salads, sides and other in-season ingredients.
It’s a great time for sharing too, which is why we’ve pulled together our favourite top tips and handy hints to help you make the most of ‘summer al fresco’. Enjoy…
How to set up a BBQ
Set up your barbecue on flat, even ground and keep kids and pets away.
1. Pile the charcoal, firelighters and scrunched up newspaper into the barbecue. Light the coals and leave to burn for about 30 minutes until the coals are white and glowing red. Oil the grill before cooking.
2. Direct cooking Set up tiers of coals in a single, double and triple layer, plus leave an area with no coals, for resting. Char food on the hottest (deepest) zone first before moving it to a cooler area to cook through.
3. Indirect cooking For larger or bone-in joints, run the coals along both sides of the barbecue and place a drip-tray in the centre. Place food on the grill over the tray and close the lid while cooking.
Barbecue timing tips
Make sure you look like you're a pro, by following these easy steps to barbecue your food on time
1. Decide what time you want to eat and work back. Barbecues can take 90 minutes from lighting to being ready to cook on. Include time to let your meat rest once it’s done.
2. Take the pressure off with easy starters to keep everyone happy.
3. Plan your menu so you cook the food that takes longest first.
4. Don’t play with the food once it’s on the barbecue, just let it cook.
5. If you’re cooking fish, wrap it in foil before putting on the grill.
6. Don’t forget you can use your oven to start food off.
Chef's Q&A
We asked one of our chefs for their top tips for barbecue success this summer.
Q. What are the basics of barbecuing?
A. Barbecuing is as easy as you make it. You can feed anyone anything off a barbecue, from burgers to brisket. It’s all about the marinades or rubs to add flavour, and working out your timings first is key.
Q. How long should you marinate for?
A. You can marinate for taste or for texture. Taste takes less time – fish needs an hour. If you’re using a marinade on a tougher bit of meat like a kebab then leave it overnight. Remember to place raw meat at the bottom of your fridge – I marinate using a ziplock bag. Use half beforehand and the other half to baste your meat as you turn it.
Q. What is the best type of barbecue?
A. Charcoal is the king of barbecues. You should use the lump wood style over the briquettes for longer and hotter coals. Gas is great for instant heat, or if you’re new to barbecue cooking, but nothing beats the flavour of charcoal.
Q. Are instant barbecues any good?
A. They’re great on holiday or for when you want to go to the park or the beach but do remember to raise them off the ground and dispose of them sensibly.
Q. How do you know when your barbecue has hit the right temperature?
A. It’s perfect when your coals are burning, but with no flames, and you’ve got a heat shimmer and some grey ash.
Q. How should you check your meat is cooked through?
A. Invest in a meat thermometer, it’s worth every penny. Steaks should be cooked to 48°C and the sides well browned; sausages to over 75°C. With chicken and sausages, check that when you prick them the juices run clear.
Featured recipe
Seabass with Chilli, Ginger and Lime
If you don’t fancy whole fish, ask our Fishmonger to fillet it for you. They’ll even give you some flavoured butter to pop inside the foil parcel. Oily fish such as mackerel or salmon can go straight on the grill – a skewer inserted on either side will help you turn it.