Top 10 BBQ Cooking Tips

It’s officially BBQ season! Take out your favourite BBQ and give it a good clean, or visit our Hawkesbury Heating showroom and see what we have in stock. There’s everything from a balcony-sized Weber BBQ to fully kitted outdoor cook-stops, compete with a fridge and kitchen sink! But first, let’s look at some top BBQ-ing tips to whet your grilling appetite.

1.Get the temperature right
Cook over glowing coals, not live flames. Put your hand way above the BBQ then slowly lower it to about a foot over your coals. If you can hold that position for up to 6 seconds before you need to yank it away, that’s low heat. 4 seconds is medium heat, while 2 seconds is high.

2.Use the right BBQ
You could avoid the potential trauma of the above example by getting a gas BBQ or electric BBQ. Many have thermometers in their lids, dials for easy temperature control, or integrated food probes like the Weber Pulse. You can also buy an independent thermometer.

3.Invest in BBQ tools
They’re not just fashion accessories. Aprons and gloves prevent injury while tongs, trays, rotisseries, grates, grills, skewers, and trivets ensure your food cooks evenly. Opt for easy-to-clean stainless steel tools with insulated handles. They’re better for safety and hygiene.

4.Pick your finish
Cooking with the lid down gives you a moist, smoky result, while keeping the lid off has a crispier finish. In both cases, searing seals the juices in. Or if you want a richer, smokier flavour, consider using dedicated smokers like the Weber Smokey Mountain.

5.Think beyond meat
Grilled vegetables can look and taste great, and they don’t quite have that ‘boring veggie taste’. Wash them thoroughly, cut them into thin slices, and cook for minimal durations with no oil or seasoning added. Think crisp and grill-marked. Never let them get soggy.

6.Marinate overnight
It makes the flavour better, so plan ahead to avoid the two-hour-rush. Retain some of the marinade. As you cook, brush the food in marinade every ten minutes or so. It enhances the taste, keeping cuts moist and seeping your ‘spice mix’ well below your food’s outer surface.

7.Put something on the side
And not just veggies. Every good BBQ in Sydney needs starch. Offer variety – potato salad, corn on the cob (roast maize), lightly toasted flatbreads … if you have a pizza oven, you can bake your own garlic-bread buns and rolls for an extra homey touch.

8.Skip the shop patty
For a truly delectable burger, buy your own mince and do the burgers at home. Tell the butcher what the mince is for, so they can give you a suitably fatty cut – not too much or too little. Chuck and flank are best. Buns can be store-bought or home-baked, no harm done.

9.Be a little fishy
BBQ-ed seafood is a heavenly treat. Buy from a fresh supplier and handle carefully, because fish easily goes bad. Smoking gives the best results, so cook it slow and low (heat) for a firm finish. Over-grilled fish is crumbly and tasteless. Undercooked seafood gives you the runs!

10.Always clean up
The sooner you do it, the less involving it will be. Or get a BBQ with ash-catchers, drip-trays, and self-cleaning systems for a more effective hygiene routine. For more BBQ tips … and the right BBQ unit to go with them, call Hawkesbury Heating today on (02) 4571 2295.

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