Derval O'Rourke: Top tips for a successful BBQ - and my broccoli & feta salad to serve alongside
Broccoli & Feta salad, Derval O'Rourke
Now that we are firmly in the middle of summer I get to do one of my favourite things: barbecue!
There is just something so magical about a sunny evening, with friends and family around the garden, the smell of the barbecue in the air and good food and conversation.
This week I’ll give you my best BBQ tips. I will also share with you one of my favourite recipes to serve with BBQ meats, a broccoli and feta salad.
Marinating your meat, fish, tofu or meat substitute can be a great way to impart some extra flavour.
A simple marinade is made up of three components: an acid, an oil and a flavouring agent with a 3 to 1 rule, three parts oil to one part acid.
A lot of marinades use ingredients that you would have on hand such as olive oil, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup or garlic.
Ideally leave meat to marinade for a couple of hours but if you’re tight on time then simply marinade first and have that sitting in the fridge while you prepare salads and vegetables!
Here are a few simple marinades to transform your BBQ
- Chicken - Olive oil, lemon juice and garlic with a sprinkle of cinnamon and cardamon
- Lamb - Olive oil, lemon juice and garlic with a splash of red wine vinegar and fresh oregano
- Steak - Soy Sauce (5 tbsp), rice wine vinegar (5 tbsp), grated ginger (1 tsp), chilli flakes (1 tsp) and honey (1 tsp)
- Halloumi - A squeeze of lemon juice before going on the BBQ, before serving drizzle with honey and sprinkle with za’tar.
As a meat eater, it can be very easy to forget about the vegetables when it comes to a barbecue, but fire and vegetables are a match made in heaven.
When barbecuing vegetables you want to avoid soft and leafy vegetables, and stick with fibrous ones such as asparagus, courgette, peppers, aubergine, corn or cauliflower.
There is room to play around with different vegetables but those are some of my favourites.
A simple marinade of oil, lemon/vinegar, chilli flakes, salt and pepper brushed on top of grilled vegetables can be enough to boost their flavour without so much hassle.
Time wise give yourself between four and 10 minutes for vegetables to be done, grill until tender and lightly charred.
You are making a confined fire so set up in an open space, away from fences or trees. Keep kids and pets well away. Use long-handled tongs and proper bbq equipment with insulated handles. Consider food safety tips such as fully defrosting frozen meat and washing your hands before touching food. Ensure all meat is cooked through in particular chicken, pork, sausages and burgers. When cooking on a barbecue, you are essentially using an outdoor oven so it's good to know where your hot spots are and the cooler parts. To figure this out, or if you are unsure whether your barbecue is hot enough, you can hold your hand about 5 inches away from the barbecue and gauge how hot it is by the length of time you can hold it there. Six seconds is a low heat spot, 4 seconds is a medium heat spot and 2 seconds is a very hot spot.
I hope these tips and tricks help you this barbecue season.
Don’t forget about the vegetables when you are barbecuing. They can be so delicious and are a healthier alternative to just grilling meat.
Think about the 4-day rule, barring injury, illness or family emergency, try not to let more than four days go by without exercise.
