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With warmer weather finally here, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share some top tips and recipes for how you can cook the perfect BBQ for yourself and your friends and family on an outdoor grill.
Gone are the days of having to worry about burning the outer part of your meat, while having the inside still raw, as we have an expert chef on board to tell you exactly how to successfully make your bbq.
Tips from an expert
We’re very aware that not everyone is the Gordon Ramsay of outdoor cooking, so to give you a few tips and point you in the right direction, we’ve enlisted help from award winning chef and chef proprietor at La Fosse at Cranbourne, Mark Hartstone.
“The ingredients for cooking over a grill are absolutely essential, but something equally as important is the type of fuel used. With Chesneys products in particular, it’s recommended that you use kiln dried hardwoods or charcoal.”
Kiln dried wood is recommended as with a kiln, you can control the environment, such as temperature/humidity/steam levels for a period of time. This allows you to dry the wood to the desired moisture at a much faster rate than air-drying.
Tips to cooking the perfect roast
“When choosing your beef for slow cooking on the grill there are a few points to consider:
- The fat content is vital. A good amount is required both within the joint (thin streaks called marbling, which keeps the meat moist and adds flavour) and the coating of the joint which protects the meat. Both render down with long cooking and the external fat is easy to cut off prior to eating if not your cup of tea.
- The breed and age of the cow; traditional names such as White Park cattle have a fuller flavour
- Local butchers might stock ex-dairy beef which ticks the box for age. Age develops the flavour of the meat.
- Fourthly, and lastly, the maturation/hanging process of the beef also brings about added flavour. You’re looking for at least 5 to 6 weeks in my books, although, those that like the notes of blue cheese might be looking at maturing for up to 100 days.
“Top tip: if you see Himalayan salt chamber mentioned in the maturation process, this is actually a way of the butcher controlling the humidity of the cold room allowing him to hang the meat for longer. It is not a sign of the quality of the meat on its own. Simply a tool a butcher may use.
Post-cooking tips
“Another important tip for your roast post-cooking, is to give the joint time to rest – the pinker it is in the middle, the more time required. If it’s cooked to the point that you can shred it like pulled pork, resting isn’t really required, however if it’s a large joint served rare in the middle, then I would recommend at least 45 minutes of rest time. This does require patience when you’ve already been roasting your joint for a fair while!
“The main part of cooking over a grill is that it’s a social experience, and is best when shared with friends and family. It makes such a memorable experience for everyone involved.”
Tips for cooking the perfect potato
When you’re cooking roast potatoes on a grill, it’s important that you do so in a large flameproof roasting pan. Add some oil and garlic to the pan, place the pan on the grill, close the lid, and let it heat until the oil begins to simmer – it should take around 2 minutes.
Then once your oil is hot, carefully add the potatoes to the pan and be sure to coat them in the oil. Close the lid again and let the potatoes roast, keeping the lid closed other than when you’re turning the potatoes occasionally. After 20-25 minutes, your potatoes should be looking golden brown and crispy, so season as you see fit and add to your roast.
Tips for roasting vegetables
When it comes to roasting vegetables, grills will entice out every bit of roasted sweetness possible from even the most basic vegetables, and the concentrated heat will bring out a smoky flavour. When it comes to making a roast dinner, carrots, asparagus and cauliflower are your best options for grilling. Here are some tips on how to perfect the art of grilling vegetables:
Make sure to slice all your vegetables to the same thickness to ensure they cook at the same rate
Put some oil on the vegetables before grilling, and spreading them out
Add seasoning such as salt and pepper
Start grilling them on a medium heat of around 200°C and flip after around 3-5 minutes
Close the lid to create the same environment as an oven, which will bake the vegetables while they lightly char
With your carrots, make sure to boil them first for 4-6 minute as they tend to be a bit thicker, and take longer to cook through to the middle, when compared to asparagus which will only take around 6-8 minutes on the grill, and they won’t need to be boiled beforehand.
The recipe
Slow Roast Rib of Beef with Horseradish Yorkshire Puddings
Serves 6 – 8
Ingredients:
For the roast beef
- Well-aged 3 bone rib of beef, trimmed and tied
- Olive oil
- Flaked sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bulb of garlic, halved
- A few sprigs of rosemary or thyme
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 litre vegetable stock
You’ll also need a temperature probe or meat thermometer.
For the yorkshire puddings
- 115g plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 150ml milk
- 1 tbsp horseradish sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- Sunflower oil, for cooking
You can find the full recipe page here.
If you want to go ahead and give cooking your Easter dinner on the grill a go, our Garden Gourmet is the ideal appliance for the job, with a good distance to the fire, easily controlled temperature, domed lid and unique rotatable grill. It’s also large enough to cook for 8-10 people.
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