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THERE’S NOTHING LIKE the smell of the BBQ heating up to really feel like summer’s here.
We know – summer in Ireland is not reliable at the best of times, but we do get some nice days and when we do, we take advantage of it in a way only a sun-starved nation can.
With BBQ.
Aw, yeah.
We want to know how you BBQ in style in the comments below, but first a quick round-up of some of our ideas of how to hold the best BBQ evah.
No, we’re not talking about the weather – although that always helps.
Your grill needs a while to heat up, so factor that in when you’re calculating what time dinner will be ready at.
You don’t want your coals to be ‘flaming’ – the hottest heat comes when the coals are white hot, that is – grey and glowing.
Ok, chances are you’ll realise at 3pm that it’s hot enough for a BBQ and your meat will be lucky to be salted before hitting that grill, but planning a little in advance if at all possible and leaving your meat to sit for a few hours, or ideally overnight, in a marinade – even one as simple as BBQ sauce, will make all the difference when it’s cooked.
When you’re marinading your meat, save a little marinade to brush over the meat as it’s cooking – it’s add extra layers of flavour on top of what you’re already getting from the meat and smoke.
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Cold Beer
And plenty of it.
Or in the presence of a South African friend do your best to mispronounce “bri” as much as possible – very entertaining….
A pot of tea…..
Cut up the onions, put them in tin foil (Frank can use his hat), put in a bit of oil, wrap the tinfoil around the onions and they cook and smell delicious.
Braai
Charcoal, not gas ….
The first thing i Do is go to that fabulous place called ‘ALDI’ what great BBQ offers they have right now. Yes its ALDI all the way for me – just can’t get enough of that shop called ALDI. What a place.. where dreams are not just dreams but they are ALDI dreams. So if its a great BBQ i want – i first go to ALDI.
Why Gabbi you’re like a walking advertisement for Aldi.
Aldi, the place where you can get your BBQ requirements and at the same time purchase a lawnmower to cut the grass while your meat marinates….
Congratulations Pearse, you just made my day
Never BBQ in the nude!!
sit back and let someone else do it
The most important ingredient in any BBQ is beer
A BBQ uses charcoal not gas. If your using gas that’s an outside grill not a BBQ.
Go to the hardware store and buy a pack of wood chips (mesquite, maple and jack daniel’s infused) once the coals are up to temperature empty the wood chips onto the BBQ to impart a real smoky sweet flavour to your food.
They can use timber as well, gas BBQs can have coal put over the burners. The difference in taste is overstated. Yes coal is better than gas but if you fancy a quick BBQ after work your probably not going to fire up the coals. That’s more of a weekend thing
Make sure you pre-cook anything big in the oven before sticking on the BBQ, reducing the chances of giving your guests salmonella
Boorrrrring
Careful not to burn the end of your sausage. Can ruin your day
Throw some rashers on the BBQ. Quick and simple and for some reason nobody ever uses rashers on a BBQ. I can’t think of anything that isn’t improved with bacon!
While cooking steak, pour beer on the coals, a gorgeous flavour infuses into the steak. Works great on sausages too! Just don’t put too much as obviously you don’t want to set yourself on fire !
Is your beer flammable?!
Don’t invite vegans….and if some arrive, whack ‘em on the cheek with a cold sirloin….
Get yourself a bag of weed, partake in said bag of weed while you are firing up the coals, wash food down with copious amounts of beer/cider
Have the local chipper on speed dial.
Australia
Now I’m not joking but BBQ’d pineapple with your meat is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!! :)
Low and Slow
Smoked kielbasa from the Polish Store, good quality hot dogs – gourmet homemade burgers – buy the burger buns and Hot dogs buns from bakery – the one’s in the supermarket are not fresh and fall apart. Good homemade potato salad – lots of cool drinks and plenty of fun games – and the most important ingredient is family and friends to share it with!!
Go to a Polish butcher for kielbasa.
If you like cooking outdoors,invest in a gas BBQ. Coal ones are good if your having a party
I burnt my eyebrows with a gas BBQ . Don’t even ask how I managed that.
Bring beer and you have the ingredients for a perfect BBQ even if it’s crappy ones you buy from the shop that last an 20mins
split a banana fill inside with chocolate buttons and wrap in tin foil put in on bbq and leave for about 20 mins delis
Cajun pigeon.
Have a really hot spot and a not so hot spot.
Fry, burn, cook the onions first to clean the plate.
Use sand or a grease catcher when doing fatty foods.
Cook your steaks on a very hot spot, 3 mins each side, then rest them off the BBQ for 10mins.
My tip. Move to a country with good f*****g WEATHER.
Chicken Brine, google it, there are lots of recipes out there. If you’re just doing a batch of chicken legs/wings you can use the brine in zip lock bags.
Awesome with whole chicken. Forget beer can chicken, chicken brine is where it’s at.
Also, offset cooking if you’re doing a whole chicken on the BBQ.
Discovering brine changed my life, couldn’t agree more!
Yeah, definitely worth the effort.
Beer
Beer
Beer
Feck
Dipsos
and more beer.
Hic.
….and a couple of bottles of sherry for the Sheilas
Boil the sausages coddle style first
be sure to drink beer while you’re cooking
Frank’s Hot Sauce!
Use gas. Wasted so many Saturdays/ Sundays trying to get coals to work…
Pepper bells cut in half with bacon pieces and grated cheddar. Place on the grill for 15 minutes. Delicious.
my tip? get someone else to cook it, get a seat close to the drink cooler and don’t move.
first off all Charcoal >>>>> Gas
Use a chimney starter and pile up your charcoal, don’t spread them out. They will burn hotter this way.
You want to get them as hot as possible. Sear your meat on the hot side then move to the cooler side and put the lid back on.
Jays us anne loves a bit of chicken off the grill
have your say