“My
first outdoor cooking memories are full of erratic British summers, Dad
swearing at a barbecue that he couldn’t put together, and eventually eating
charred sausages, feeling brilliant!” – Jamie Oliver
As we hurtle through May, most of us will
be wondering how on earth the year can be flashing by so fast. The great
British summer is almost upon us, and that can only mean the most traditional
of British pastimes is just around the corner - the barbecue! Hopefully we get some good weather this year....(unlike today - its raining on and off like a good UK summer tends to do!).
Yes, we Brits do love a barbecue in the
summer. As we mentioned in our blog last month, we love to commemorate happy occasions with good food - and boy do
barbecues mean delicious food! Sausages, burgers, hot dogs … you name it!
As the head of a Scottish meat manufacturing
company - who use only the most high quality ingredients in our products – I
tend to feel a certain obligation to make sure the meat we Brits are cooking is done right! That is why, with the help of the rest of the staff at Speyside
HQ, I have put together some top tips for the perfect barbecue!
Tip 1: Traditional beats modern … every
time! Ditch the convenience of a gas or electric barbecue and go for a
traditional charcoal barbecue. You won’t regret that authentic smokey barbecue
taste. Anyway, going old-school mountain man/woman style is half the fun!
Tip 2: The real taste is in the smoke. Carrying
on from tip 1, I would just like to emphasise that to really get that authentic
barbecue flavour you need to keep the flames to a minimum and the smoke to a
max! Keep the lid on your barbecue shut and let your meat smoke for a good half
hour. Only check occasionally, you don’t want to lose the heat and the smoke by
regularly opening and closing the lid.
Tip 3: Some meat will need a bit of
pre-cooking before going onto the BBQ. For example, I would recommend you pop
your chicken in the oven before grilling on the barbecue. This will cut down on
cooking time, and make sure that the meat is correctly cooked all the way
through.
Tip 4: Although the meat is considered the
most important part of a barbecue, you still need to know how to compliment
your mains. Preparing your side dishes in advance should keep you in good
stead. A traditional British barbecue is not usually without potato salad,
coleslaw, corn-on-the-cob and a big side salad complete with baby potatoes.
Tip 5: Last but not least, have fun! A BBQ
is about sharing a summer’s day with your loved ones. A novelty apron, some
outdoor games and a ready laugh can go a long way!
We hope that we have inspired some barbecue
chefs in some of you, and we wish you all a great British summer!
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