Bloom BBQ Tips & Recipes
Cooking over coals just makes food taste great. Mastering the age-old technique of barbecuing is not complicated – it just needs attention to detail.
Remember:
- Know your barbecue before you use it for entertaining. Have a trial run for the family, working out cooking times and when the heat is best.
- Buy good quality equipment, flimsy tools will need replacing and are not economical in the long run. Most important are long-handled tongs for turning the food, make sure you can control them easily as many of them are ungainly and give the user little control.
- Layer charcoal wider than the size of the food to be cooked. Leave the charcoal to burn undisturbed for 30-45 minutes, or until the flames have died and a film of fine white ash covers the surface of the coals.
- To control the heat, spread out the embers for less heat, or pile them together for more heat Have a water spray handy and drench flare ups as they occur – charcoal barbecue only.
- Placing a bundle of fresh herbs over the coals produces a great flavour.
- Joints are best pre-cooked in the oven. Finish off on the barbecue.
- Olive oil in the marinade adds flavour and ensures that the meat won’t stick to the grill. Avoid sweet, sugar-rich sauces that are almost guaranteed to burn.
- Cook over very hot coals, to sear the surface, turning pieces of meat quickly at first to seal in the juices, before cooking further.
- Make sure the meat is of even thickness throughout. Bone legs of lamb and trim off the excess fat which will drip onto the coals and cause smoke.
- Be very organised before you start, planning well and preparing any side dishes or garnishes before you grill.
