Here are some great tips to ensure your food is perfectly cooked and none of your guests complain of burnt burgers.
Here are the top ten barbecue tips:
1. Warm up the barbie
Before you start cooking, make sure the coals are hot enough. Try and heat your BBQ up around 20 minutes before you want to cook. General rule is 200oC is too hot, 180oC is about right and 160oC is too low.
2. Oil the grill
Once your BBQ is warm enough, brush some oil on the grill to stop the meat sticking. It will also sear the meat.
3. BBQ Tools
Don’t restrict yourself to one set of tongs. Keep two close at hand – one for turning the meat and the other for turning the coals.
4. Burgers
To stop your burgers falling to bits when you pop them on the grill, place then in the freezer for five minutes before cooking. Just remember to add a few more minutes cooking time.
5. Drizzle with apple juice
Drizzling meat with apple juice, particularly pork, will keen the meat moist, tender and full of flavour.
6. Veggies
Wrap some vegetables in foil and toss them on the barbecue. Roasted carrots and peppers make a tasty change from big bowls of salad.
7. Stop the food burning
If your meat is beginning to burn, slow things down with a spray bottle. Spray some water on the outside and that will slow down the colouring process.
8. Herby skewers
Try using sprigs of rosemary as skewers. They look amazing and will give your meat and vegetables a really delicious flavour.
9. Serving condiments
Instead of having endless bottles and jars of condiments on the table, try decanting into a muffin tin. It looks nicer and is much easier to carry.
10. Perfect pudding
Don’t buy expensive desserts, instead fill bananas with marshmallows and chocolate and toast them until they warm and gooey. Delicious!