This barbecue marinade has an Oriental kick to die for!

Ingredients

• 4 x 225g fillet steaks or sirloins
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger powder/ground fresh ginger (I prefer using the fresh ginger!)
• 2 tablespoons of ground garlic powder
• 10ml chilli purée  (use more if you can handle the heat!)
• 60 ml lime juice
• 1/2 cup sesame oil
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 small beef stock cubes

As the steaks need to have been marinated for up to 8 hours before putting them on the barbecue make sure to make the marinade before hand.

Preparation

Except for the oil, Place all the other ingredients into a blender and mix. Whilst the blender is mixing the other ingredients, slowly add the sesame oil.

The marinade should be of a slightly thick consistency.

Put the steaks in to a large container and pour the mixture over them, making sure both sides are coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and pop in to the fridge. As mentioned above, leave the steaks to marinade for at least 12 hours.

Before putting your steaks on the barbecue, ensure the barbecue is at a medium heat.

Put your steaks on the barbecue and leave to cook for at least 30 minutes, making sure to turn them over half way through cooking.

Please remember, the cooking time of your steaks depends on their cut aswell as the thickness and also whether you would like your steak well cooked, medium rare etc.

Once cooked, make a few cuts on the top of each steak and serve.

It is imperative that all barbecue Pro’s must have their own barbecue sauce. The right barbecue sauce adds flavor and moisture to your meat, but sometimes some sauces may suit certain meats more than others. It is pretty easy to do, so it shouldn’t be a problem for you to make your own unique sauce!

There are many types of barbecue sauce out there. Most are based on the traditional ingredients such as tomato sauce, mustard or vinegar; these sauces also tend to be more or less thick. For example, in the United States, the barbecue sauce of North Carolina; “BBQ sauce” is light and fluid, while the sauce in Kansas City is thick and sticky.

There are also variations of the “mopping sauce” which the Americans are very fond of. This sauce is poured evenly over the meat while it cooked.

When to use your barbecue sauce

The barbecue sauce can be used before, during or after cooking the meat. Just avoid the use of tomato-based sauces or sauces which are high in sugar while cooking. These ingredients burn easily and can make your meat taste bitter.

Barbecue sauce recipes

Here are three basic barbecue sauces with different bases. Start by following these basic sauce recipes, then experiment to develop your own “signature” sauce.

• Tomato based Barbecue sauce
• Barbecue sauce with Vinegar
• Barbecue sauce with Mustard
• Strawberry Barbecue Sauce

Once you have tried all these basics sauces, you can choose the sauce that is closest to what you want in terms of taste, and then do some further experimenting. You could do this maybe, by adding your favorite secret ingredient or simply by adding some herbs. You can even add or remove ingredients, or vary the doses of the different ingredients and spices to your preference.

Making the perfect barbecue sauce takes a long time so be patient! Once you’ve found the perfect sauce, then there is the decision as to whether or not you will be keeping your unique recipe secret to yourself or whether you will be unleashing it to your jealous friends!

Generally, vinegar sauces are perfect with fish, and pork, However ensure not to add too much sauce to prevent it from turning into a soup!

Ingredients

• 30ml cider vinegar
• 20ml of hot water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation

Mix the brown sugar into the hot water and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over a low heat for several minutes.

Other sauces

• Tomato based Barbecue sauce
• Barbecue sauce with Mustard
• Strawberry Barbecue Sauce

This recipe is part of a series of three articles on sauces. Read the main article on how to make your own barbecue sauce.

This mustard-based barbecue sauce goes very well with fish, grilled chicken, sausages and it is especially suitable for red meat.

Ingredients

•      4 tablespoons mustard
•      2 tablespoons brown sugar
•      20ml balsamic vinegar
•      20g butter
•      1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•      1 tablespoon lemon juice
•      1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Preparation

Start by melting the butter over a very low heat in small saucepan, then add all the ingredients and mix together.  Cover the saucepan and leave to cook over a very low heat for at least half an hour.

Other sauces

• Tomato based Barbecue sauce
• Barbecue sauce with Vinegar
• Strawberry Barbecue Sauce

This recipe is part of a series of three articles on sauces. Read the main article on how to make your own barbecue sauce.

The advantage of this tomato based barbecue sauce is that it can be used with any all types of meat and seafood (although, in my opinion, I think it should be used slightly less with fish).

Ingredients

20ml tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato purée
2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of mustard
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Ground pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Sauté the garlic and the onion, then add all the ingredients together adding the oil last. Leave to simmer over a very low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, remembering to stir often to avoid setting the food on fire! Subsequently, it is advisable to refrigerate the sauce for up to 3 days (this solely depends on how patient you are!) before use. This allows for the different flavours of the sauce to merge as well as resulting in a thick and soft consistency.

Other sauces

• Barbecue sauce with Vinegar
• Barbecue sauce with Mustard
• Strawberry Barbecue Sauce

This recipe is part of a series of three articles on sauces. Read the main article on how to make your own barbecue sauce.

Nothing beats having a beef kebab at a barbecue and not only because they are delicious but because they are so easy to make too! Follow the below recipe to make beef skewers and made sure you use lots of colourful vegetables to enhance the flavour and then enjoy with friends!

Here is a starter that will definitely please your taste buds! You will need curry paste, which you can find either in Asian or Chinese grocery stores (they are also found in some large supermarkets). Although this is not mandatory, you can also have chapatti’s authentic side to add to the authentic side of the dish.

Preparation time: 20 minutes / Cooking time: 20min

Ingredients

For the chicken tikka kebabs
• 150g yoghurt reduced
• 2 tablespoons curry paste
• 4 diced medium sized chicken breasts
• 250g cherry tomatoes

For the cucumber salad
• Half a cucumber
• A red onion
• Coriander leaves
• A lemon
• 50g lettuce

Leave 8 wooden skewers in a bowl of water to soak Mix yogurt and curry paste in a bowl, then add the diced chicken and leave to marinate for at least an hour.
During this time, you can make your cucumber salad. Firstly, chop the onion and the coriander leaves finely. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then core and cut into it into slices. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, and then chill until ready to serve.
Now time to put those juicy pieces of chicken on the skewers. First of all, take each piece of chicken out individually ridding of the excess marinade as you go, and then thread the chicken pieces and cherry tomatoes onto the skewers. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes over a medium heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Put the chapatti to heat in the oven or microwave, or even on the grill!
Toss the lettuce in the salad, and then divide the salad onto four plates. Present by putting two skewers of chicken tikka on each plate as well as the chapattis.

Fancy making a pizza while enjoying the sights of the great outdoors?

With a little practice, you can make yourself a pizza on your barbecue! Using either a gas or charcoal grill you can create a pizza with the taste of a difference. Here’s how …

Step 1: Evaluate which grill you should use.

It is imperative to use either a gas or charcoal grill as a barbecued pizza definitely won’t work on an electric barbecue. In addition, the barbecue that you use to cook your pizza should be capable of heating to a temperature high enough to cook any food that will be going on your barbecue, not just for your pizza dough. If your grill has a thermostat, is it able to maintain a cooking temperature of at least 220°? If not, then there is a way around this problem which will be explained in the next step.
If you were provided with a baking tray for your barbecue, this can definitely make things easier.

Step 2: Prepare and preheat your grill.

The fumes from a barbecue are what allow your food to consist of that authentic barbecue taste. But in the case of cooking a pizza, if your grill is not clean, this will lead to too much smoke being emitted and this will have a negative effect on the taste of your pizza. It is therefore important to have a clean barbecue and have a warm-up time long enough to remove any food residue that may be still on the grill from previous use.
If you are not sure if your barbecue can maintain a constant high temperature then it would be advisable to use bricks. Bricks (clean bricks with no dirt should be used as dirt can cause burning, otherwise you can wrap your bricks in aluminum foil) can imitate the effect produced by a baker’s oven during cooking, and so what it does is that it preheats the grill until it reaches the right temperature. Although this method has a longer cooking time, it will definitely aid so that your pizza is cooked to perfection. If you do not have a baking tray, you can use any other kind of oven tray as long as it is heat resistant.
If your barbecue doesn’t have a lid, do not to worry! You can easily replace it with a wok (which has to be preheated) which you would place the wrong way over your pizza in order to the retain heat . Although this method is highly effective, ensure to be incredibly careful when placing the pot on top of the pizza as there is a likeliness of you burning yourself.

Step 3: First time? Start with a thin crust pizza!

Thin-crust pizzas contain fewer ingredients then original crust pizzas and so can be cooked quickly and evenly. Barbecues equipped with a thermostat can cook any type of pizzas, but it makes sense to start with a thin crust pizza on your first attempt. If you would like to attempt with a thicker crust, then ensure to preheat the pizza before putting in on your barbecue to avoid your pizza burning on the outside and staying uncooked on the inside. It is also advisable to add the pizza toppings after the pizza has been preheated.

Step 4: chop your ingredients into small pieces

The larger your ingrediants are, the longer they take to cook! It would be better to chop your ingredients into smaller sizes in order to reduce the cooking time and it is also possible to use your grill to pre-cook meats and fish before putting them on your pizza.

Step 5: Check the Pizza frequently while it is cooking

Remember that this type of barbecuing is very difficult to control. Regularly monitoring your pizza is essential if you don’t want it to end up burned to the brim!

Final Step: Enjoy your pizza!

Serve immediately: grilled pizzas are much better eaten hot, right off the barbecue. Remember that the barbecue is a tool for easy cooking, so involve your guests! Everyone can create their mini pizza (allowing everyone to add their own toppings). Again, the pizza on the barbecue is a rather complex technique to master, so it is quite common to fail the first time, so courage: it is practice makes that makes perfect!