start of cooking.
■ Before placing marinated items on the barbecue shake off any excess marinade, particularly if there is oil in it, to prevent flaring and burning.
■ Never use your best extra virgin olive oil in a marinade. It will burn and smoke because of the high content of monounsaturated fatty acids. Use light olive oil or vegetable oil instead, and save your best oil for salad dressings.
■ Acids are an important ingredient in marinades as they help break down enzymes and tenderize the meat. Common acid ingredients found in marinades are lemon juice, yogurt, wine, soy sauce and vinegar. Some fruits such as kiwi fruit and pomegranate are also highly acidic and are common meat tenderizers.
■ Do not over-marinate your meat. You may gain in flavour by doing this but you will also lose in texture. Some acidic marinades will break down the meat or fish if left too long.
Food safety and hygiene
Food safety is an important issue when it comes to barbecuing, keeping in mind that it is usually a hot summer’s day when the barbecue comes out. When you’re barbecuing, the greatest risk of food poisoning comes from raw and undercooked meats. Bugs such as E.coli, salmonella and campylobacter can cause serious illness. Follow these simple steps to avoid illness:
■ Always wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling raw meats.
■ Always keep your food cool, covered and out of the reach of animals and children.
■ All meats should be thoroughly defrosted before cooking. The best way to do this is to defrost them in the fridge overnight.
■ All marinated foods should be refrigerated until about 30 minutes before cooking unless a hot marinade has been used (see page 10). Take chicken out no longer than 30 minutes before cooking.
■ Use separate dishes to transfer uncooked and cooked meats and never combine the two.
■ Check your meat is at a safe temperature for eating; insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the flesh so it is as close as possible to the centre of the meat. Avoid contact with bones, which will give you an inaccurate reading. The temperatures should read approximately:
Beef/lamb/venison = 60–65°C (140–149°F) for medium-rare, 70–75°C (158–167°F) for well done. The meat should feel soft but firm and should still be juicy.
Pork = 65–70°C (149–158°F). The meat should be opaque throughout but still juicy.
Chicken = the flesh should be opaque throughout with no traces of pink and the juices should run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the flesh.
■ Don’t assume that meat charred on the outside will be cooked properly on the inside. Check that the centre of the food is piping hot, particularly when cooking chicken, burgers, sausages and kebabs.
■ Always have a bucket of sand nearby just in case the flames get out of hand.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Long tongs
These are essential for turning meats. Avoid any with sharp teeth or you will pierce the meat, and juices will be lost causing flare-ups and tough, dry results.
Wide spatula
A useful tool when dealing with whole chickens, pizzas or any large items. Ideally a pizza paddle with a long handle will do the job best. Otherwise use a large flat fish slice with a long handle.
Clean plates and trays
Essential for cooked food. Never put cooked meats back in the same plate or dish that they came in. One trick is to line the dish of uncooked meats with clingfilm. While the meat is cooking, remove the clingfilm and you are left with a clean dish for the cooked meat.
Timer
An extremely useful piece of equipment to have at your side when manning the barbecue. Over-cooked meats are never a joy to eat so set the timer and then you can carry on socializing. Timers are particularly useful when the lid is down and you can’t see exactly what is going on.
Brushes
Essential for basting meats or vegetables as they cook. Today you can buy heatproof silicon brushes but if you can’t get hold of these, just use whatever brushes you have available. If you don’t have a brush then try using a bunch of hard herbs such as thyme and rosemary to dip into the marinade and brush over the meat or vegetables. This is just as effective and imparts a delicious flavour at the same time.
Kitchen paper
Essential in order to keep your workspace clean. It is also useful to help absorb any meat juices when meat is resting.
Large kitchen knife
This is useful for carving large cuts of meat such as a fillet of beef or a whole chicken.
Small sharp knife
Use this to test if the meat is ready. This is particularly important for pork and chicken, where bacteria are more likely to be found and the temperature is more critical.
Thermometer
This enables you to test if your meat has reached the correct temperature (see “Food safety and hygiene”, page 11).
Long matches or lighters
These enable you to light the barbecue easily without burning your fingers.
Chopping boards
Do not use the same boards for cooked and uncooked meats.
Wooden or bamboo skewers
These should be soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes before cooking so they don’t burn. If you have forgotten to soak your skewers then wrap the ends in foil to prevent burning. Alternatively, use metal skewers for long-cooking foods like a whole peri-peri chicken or use sugar cane, rosemary skewers or lemongrass stalks for short-cooking foods such as fish kebabs.
Poultry shears
Useful for cutting through raw chicken with bones.
Hinged wire grills
These are an easy way to cook fish over charcoal. The fish is encased, so you don’t have to worry about keeping it intact while turning it.
Drip pan
Use disposable aluminium trays or an old roasting dish that you don’t mind ruining. Place it over the coals and under the grill when barbecuing particularly fatty meats