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.
4. Barbecue Tips for Christmas - Stay with your barbecue and look after your food
Stick with your barbecue while you are cooking, you never see a chef walk away from the stoves mid dish. Ensure you are cooking everything to the correct level of doneness. Make sure you season everything, only add salt to your marinades if you are intending to keep the meat in the marinade for less than 2 hours. Season with salt and pepper just before you are about to cook the food, and a fine salt is usually better than a flake as flakes tend to fall off and you will lose them on the hot plate.
If you are using good quality tender cuts of meat , then you will need to allocate resting times, keeping an eye on them if you are resting them in the bbq itself.
5. Barbecue Tips for Christmas - Barbecue flavours
Marinades aren’t just for flavouring meats, they add moisture and also tenderise the meat. Overnight marinating gives the best flavour but some more delicate fish and shellfish will not benefit from overnight marinating - and never use salt, or lemon and lime juices in a marinade for longer than two hours. Avoid acid juices like lemon, orange and pineapple as you will find they will slightly cook the meat or fish before you even get it to the heat. A combination of dried and fresh spices and herbs are ideal for adding loads of flavour. Rubs and flavoured salts are also idea to add different layers of flavours to both meats and vegetables.
6. Barbecue Tips for Christmas - Bringing meats to Temperature
For perfectly cooked steaks medium /medium rare and rare bring the meat out of the fridge 20 minutes before you are about to cook it. This ensures the internal temperature is perfect . If the meat, chicken, fish or vegetable is too cold in the centre, the outside may well burn before the inside is cooked.
7. Barbecue Tips for Christmas - Is it ready yet?
To test for doneness with meats and other proteins there are a few easy tricks. For steaks and meat on the bone, using a small sharp knife, cut into the centre of the meat (down to the bone if there is one), check that the flesh is cooked or slightly pink and the juices are slightly pink – clear. By the time you take the meat off and allow it to rest it will be perfect. Always rest the meat, this allows the muscle /meat itself to relax and will ensure a more tender juicy finished product. It is best to loosely cover the meat with foil or baking paper which will keep it hot without it over cooking. For flaky fish, press the flesh with your finger or a fork to check that the flakes come apart.
8. Barbecue Tips for Christmas - Step out of your comfort zone when it comes to ingredients
Summer is a perfect time to try new season fruits and vegetables grilled, baked or in salads, so explore new ideas for incorporating vegetables into your bbq repertoire. Slices of potatoes dressed with olive oil garlic and rosemary, corn on the cob rubbed with chipotle chillies, butter and parmesan, slices of pumpkin dressed with salt and pepper and cinnamon and chunky slices of zucchini are all perfect for grilling and roasting in your bbq. Looking for recipe inspiration see my tips for Christmas meal ideas on a budget and making your meals go further.
Check out the flavours of my Ginger Beer Barbecue Beef with Crispy Noodles
If you would like a little recipe inspiration, then you will love my Free Ebook . Perfect for festive new year cooking. It is free when you subscribe.
