Chef Martin Anderson
It’s always great to see the sunshine return to glorious Donegal.
The butcher shops are lying in wait, DIY stores & supermarkets are getting the equipment in and yep away we go barbecue season is here .
Your BBQ has been waiting patiently in the garage, slowly getting rusty under a canvas cover at the side of the house or even over at the neighbours, time to get it back and fired up .
There are 3 types of BBQs available , the gas BBQ , where lava rock is heated over gas jets to produce heat & flavour , the charcoal , where you actually light , wooden sticks , layer with charcoal and when the charcoal turns white you may begin to cook or the disposable.
These are good in the right environment but are not my favourite. They are fine for cooking sausages & skinny burgers but steak and chicken are difficult to cook as I find these BBQs don’t hold the heat well. A lot of folk use these at the beach or camping trips but be careful as the bottom gets hot and you don’t want to start a fire or burn yourself or family.
Before firing up your BBQ make sure it is well cleaned , no spiders or traces of wee animals left on it. Take it apart and give it a good wash the day before you wish to use it or at the start of the summer . The wire rack which you cook the food on can be scrubbed with a wire scrubber to remove any traces of rust and the rubbed with cooking oil which will burn off when heating .
If using gas make sure you have enough in the tank to cook for the day . If using charcoal you will need sticks, BBQ fire lighters & good charcoal . Make sure the pan is well cleaned and that the BBQ is set up in a sheltered spot of the garden , nothing worse than filling the house with smoke or trying to light it in the wind .
Gas BBQs take about 15 minutes to heat the lava rocks and the charcoal can take up to 30 minutes as the charcoal must be white and glowing or it hasn’t reached the correct temperature for cooking there will be a light dusting of ash on it as well.
Disposable take about 10 minutes to get maximum heat and its down hill all the way after that so get cooking quickly with them .
Make sure you have the right tools , thongs are essential for turning the food , a fish slice or egg slice for the flatter foods like burgers and a clean tray to keep the food hot , some BBQs have a built in shelf to keep the food hot other wise have your oven on in the house at 100c minimum .
Wash your hands first and often you will be handling raw meat and cooked meat often and hygiene is very important .
Select your food in advance and get the cooking times right . When barbecuing meat or vegetables you must remember that all they should be of the same thickness.
There is no point in trying to cook a 16oz t-bone and a burger at the same time and expecting them to be ready at the same time the T-bone will still be raw when the burger is cooked.
You may cook fish on the BBQ by wrapping it in buttered tinfoil and then placing that on the BBQ make sure it’s well cooked though .
You can brush the food with a little oil to help the cooking process, but this is not a very healthy option.
Marinated foods should have the excess oil removed to prevent burning.
When cooking chicken or other thicker foods on the BBQ remember to turn them over often to distribute the heat and cook them evenly , I would even consider finishing off the cooking process in the oven in the house
Meat and poultry can be marinated for several hours to tenderize or add flavor. Marinate food in the refrigerator, do not leave it out all day, if some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in it.
Some foods are more suitable for marinating than others.
Chicken can be marinated to increase the flavor, steaks,spare ribs , pork and lamb can be marinated to help tenderize them. Liver or mince would not be suitable for marinating as they are too messy and would simply fall apart.
Marinate meats in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
Cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a BBQ often browns very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature.
The temperature should reach 70c or above for at least 2 minutes.
Never partially BBQ meat or poultry and finish cooking later.
Keep your salads cold and serve them when the BBQ meats are ready
Keep your meat in the fridge also and bring it outside as you need it , in good weather the temperature of the meat will rise quickly and bacteria will multiply at a ferocious rate.
Have paper towels and hot, soapy water on hand to keep your hands clean .
Use marinades only once. Never save and reuse a marinade. Any liquid that has touched uncooked meat must be dumped .
Don’t cross-contaminate. Use separate, clean plates and utensils for raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods. When in doubt, use a new plate or fork.
Store remainders in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking.
Make sure you have enough beer !
So this week I have 3 simple recipes for you to try , ideal as dressing for your salads or to accompany the meat , chicken or vegetables from your BBQ .
Avocado hummus.
Serve as a dressing or dip.
You will need.
1 ripe avocado.
Juice of one lemon.
1 tsp of garlic paste.
Seasoning.
1 dessert spoon of tahini /sesame seed puree.
120g of cooked chick peas, either fresh or tinned.
Method.
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pesto dressing.
You will need.
100g Fresh basil leaves.
25g Pine nuts.
1tsp Garlic paste.
50g Parmesan cheese.
Seasoning.
300mls of olive oil.
Method.
Place all the ingredients into a bowl and blend with a stick blender or blend until smooth in a food processor .
Honey and wholegrain mustard dressing.
You will need.
4 tablespoons of Wild honey.
1 tablespoon Whole grain mustard.
Dash of lemon juice.
50g of Fresh chopped coriander .
1/2 inch piece of Grated ginger.
Method.
Combine all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
Simply shake and serve as required.
