BBQ rules

It’s BBQ season! My very first major purchase in my bachelor mk 2 life - even before a decent bed, which I took delivery of last week - was a good, four-burner, wok-burner on-the-side, barbecue.

Last weekend was a children and parents BBQ. Tomorrow is school buddies only (and not a child in sight).

With any luck my blue tongue lizard will make a reappearance in the garden bed tomorrow, as it was such a hit with the kids last Sunday.

Here are the respective menus.

BBQ menu 1 - adults and kids

Nibbles

• Eggplant and yogurt dip (from the local Turkish place)
• Queso blanco cheese
• Turkish bread

Mains

• Chicken and rice casserole
• Marinated pork ribs
• BBQ veggies

Afters

• Smoothies (banana and strawberry)

BBQ menu 2 - adults

Nibbles

• BBQ Haloumi
• Dips
• Turkish bread

Mains

• Lamb skewers - paprika and yogurt marinade
• Cajun chicken and rice
• Veggies

Afters

• Scorched fruit and ice cream

BBQ rules?

What’s that black stuff?

Firstly, the idea that it’s ok for barbecues to be filthy is just plain wrong. A wire brush and a vegetable oil cloth rubdown is essential before and after each use.

For cleaning implements, you can pay extra for BBQ style wire brushes and poly scrubbers - but you pay half for the same (or better) thing if you go to a decent harware shop. It’s basically painting and tiling cleaning tools you want.

Hood up or down?

Down! If your bbq has a hood, it must be down (closed) during most of the cooking, to take advantage of the full, smoky flavours that the bbq is all about.

Preheat!

For any bbq, the temperature needs to be at optimal cooking level before the food goes on. I preheat my gas bbq for 20 minutes before a single slice is sizzled.

Handling meat?

The basic rules are1. Flip the steaks once2. Don’t poke the sausages

For a steak, medium rare, follow the two-minute rule. Place steak on the grill for 2 minutes, turn 90 degrees, leave for two minutes. Flip. Two minutes later, turn 90 degrees. Two minutes later, remove to a covered dish and let rest for at least two minutes. The juices in the dish are now the ultimate BBQ sauce.

For sausages, the important thing to realise is that they aren’t steaks - full on heat will create problems. Get to know you BBQs hot and cooler spots (the all have them, despite the advertising claims) and your steaks go hot and your sausages go medium. Don’t poke. Flip once.

Where your steaks don’t want to go, your sausages do. It’s a beautiful thing.

What about veggies?

Barbecued vegetables (and fruit) is delicious. I use the grill for meat and seafood, and the plate exclusively for non-meat - haloumi cheese, vegetables and fruit. I think it is good manners to vegetarian friends for them to know that their meal is genuinely meat free. It just keep things simple.

Guilty secret? You can’t do eggs on the slotted grill. I use the plate for this. Sorry…