8 Barbecue Tips for Christmas
Christmas in Australia, rain hail or sunshine, is hot! It’s almost a tradition, above all a perfect time of the year to fire up the Aussie BBQ. So if your plans are to dress in your festive apron, fire up the coals, and settle into your bbq domain, here are some great tips to ensure your day is a smooth as it is relaxing and delicious.
1. Barbecue Tips for Christmas – No need to make the kitchen any hotter at Christmas.
Using the barbecue is an ideal option if you are planning on grilling, roasting or slow cooking a number of different items at once to be ready at the same time. A barbecue also gives you the option of another cooking space if you are running out of room in the oven. The barbecue is such a social piece of equipment, enabling you to chat to your guests and engage in conversation while performing your cooking tasks at the same time. Looking to do a little roasting at Christmas? Check out my tips for Budget Friendly Christmas Roasts.
2. Barbecue Tips for Christmas – Just about anything can be cooked in a hooded barbecue,
If you are cooking for the masses with a number of items on your menu, the first step is to organise what is getting cooked on or in the barbecue. Plan your cooking times, thinking about which items may take longer. Also consider if you are cooking a mixture of meats, seafoods, fruits and or vegetables, which should get cooked first. As a rule if you are using the same barbecue plate or grill, vegetables and fruits should get cooked first, then meats, then seafood. If you mix up the line up, you may need to do a good clean of the barbecue plate or grill in-between cooking each item. Be adventurous, there are many recipes for salads, desserts and starters which can be cooked on a barbecue, you will be surprised when you start looking into it.
3. Barbecue Tips for Christmas – Be organised and have a tidy clean barbecue
Mis en Plus is the terminology used by chefs meaning to get everything in place and be ready. The reason why this is so important and why you will thank yourself for embracing this step on the day, is you will find that cooking, serving and the overall feel of the day will be relaxed and you will also be able to enjoy yourself. To start, make sure all your marinating is done the day before or at least a few hours before you are going to start cooking. Look to have everything prepared in advance as much as you can. This will leave you with more time on the day or night to set up, greet your guests and spend time with them instead of spending all your time the kitchen.
Ensure your barbecue area is clean and your barbecue hasn’t been tidied up from the last time you used it with bits of charcoaled meat and cold old fat still lingering. This will definitely affect the flavour and taste of the fresh food if not your health.
Have enough work surface to ensure there is room for a plate with your raw meat and a plate for your cooked meats. Have all your utensils ready, paper towel and a tea towel or oven mitt in case you need to pick up something hot. Work out what you are cooking and in what order, what equipment you will need and the flow of the cooking process.
