If you’ve been waiting for August to get the BBQ out and show off your grill skills, here are our top tips for grilling with confidence.
- Safety first
BBQs should always be held in gardens or on your own land, while there are some public places that are designated BBQ areas, having one outside can cause massive problems for wildlife and of course, there is always the risk of fire.
Whenever and wherever you are hosting your BBQ, make sure it is on flat ground and well away from any trees, shrubs or buildings. Keep children and animals away from the BBQ and never leave it unattended.
Similarly, when you’re finished, always way for the BBQ to fully cool before moving or cleaning and never put hot ashes into a bin as it can melt the plastic and cause a fire. - Plan ahead
Sometimes you just fancy a BBQ and that’s fine, but planning ahead will always give the best results. Make sure to throroughly defrost any frozen food before you cook it and store anything perishable in the fridge until it is ready to eat. Anything that is ready to eat should be kept in a shady spot so they stay at their best. - Get your timings right
When it comes to cooking meat on a BBQ, you need to leave plenty of time to preheat your barbie. If you put meat over flames it won’t cook evenly and you could be at risk of food poisoning. Glowing coals give better results. - Keep it separate
Everything we know about food safety goes out of the window when it comes to BBQs, it’s probably the excitement of cooking food over a fire outdoors, but you have to remember to use different dishes and utensils for raw and cooked food – just as you would in the kitchen. Always wash your hands after handling raw meat and if you are catering for vegans, vegetarians or anyone with an allergy, you should have a separate barbecue where possible, but if not use as many separate bits of equipment as you can. - Use the right equipment
Never use petrol on a charcoal BBQ and when lighting, use the minimum amount of firelighters or starter fuel and wait, it will work and won’t cause flare ups. - Avoid burning
Of course, you want a bit of char on your food otherwise it isn’t a BBQ, but make sure to lightly oil your food before grilling, this will stop it sticking to the grill and avoid any flare ups from excess oil. Also – if you’re making kebabs, wet any wooden skewers for 10 minutes so they don’t catch. - Avoid cross contamination
Never use left over marinade as a sauce without cooking it thoroughly first. Similarly, if you want to marinade your food, make sure to do it all at the same time to avoid using a sauce that has had raw meat in it on another dish. - Always check your food before serving
Food that looks cooked on the outside doesn’t necessarily mean that it is cooked on the outside. Check that juices are running clear and meat isn’t pink in the middle. Burgers and sausages should be evenly cooked all the way through and shouldn’t be served rare.
