The weather has been beautiful lately, and I've spent far too much time dreaming about sitting in the garden with a chilled glass of wine and a delicious plate of food. When it comes to eating outdoors, the BBQ is king, and for good reason. Barbecuing (or grilling) is an incredibly versatile method of cooking. From chicken wings to potatoes, steaks to pizzas, the world is your oyster. (Oysters can be cooked on the BBQ too!) And while we're not always blessed with barbecue weather, it always helps to be prepared for when the sun does peak out from behind the clouds.
Before you fire up the BBQ, check out these 7 tips to help you grill like a pro.
Choose charcoal over gas
Gas BBQs are much easier to light and control, but the flavour of a charcoal BBQ can't be beaten. That unmistakable smoky, chargrilled flavour is what barbecuing is all about. And while it takes a little more care and attention to grill over charcoal without burning the food, it's easily mastered.
Choose the right fuel...
While it might be easier to grab whatever charcoal is available in your local petrol station forecourt, you'll get a better result if you put a little more thought into it. You don't need to buy super high-end charcoal but at the very least grab a bag of lumpwood from your nearest DIY store and avoid anything that claims to be 'instant'.
...and light it properly
Lighting a charcoal BBQ isn't difficult, but we've all struggled with it at some point. Whether the coals just wouldn't light, or the flames wouldn't spread, or you couldn't see through the smoke, pretty much everyone has a BBQ disaster story. Barbecuing always seemed like so much hassle, and I'd often go through more fancy fire lighting cubes than charcoal. Then I discovered chimney starters. (I picked mine up in Tesco for next to nothing.) Fill the bottom of your chimney starter with scrunched up newspaper (I keep free newspapers that come through the letterbox for this purpose), fill the top with charcoal, light the paper and wait for your coals to turn white. It couldn't be easier.
Organise your space...
Barbecuing is all about multitasking, so preparing the space around your BBQ in advance will save you a lot of hassle. You'll need different utensils for your raw and cooked foods, so set up a space on either side of the BBQ to keep them apart. Add a couple a dishes and some foil to rest your cooked meats and keep them warm and you'll be good to go.
...and your food
Marinade, marinade and marinade some more. Easier said than done in a country where the weather can only be described as 'unpredictable'. If you can, though, marinade your food (meats, veggies and even cheeses like halloumi take marinades well) the night before for maximum flavour and tenderness. Make life even easier for yourself by choosing sides that can be prepared in advance too. Potato or pasta salads are great options.
Oil your grill
This may seem a little obvious, but the best way to prevent your food from sticking is to oil the grill. Give it a good clean with a brush and heat your BBQ as normal before oiling it. (Wait until the flames have died down completely and the coals are white.) Dip a wad of kitchen paper in some flavourless oil and use a tongs to carefully oil the grill. Don't use too much oil, and stand well back - safety is the priority here. Of course, if you've already oiled your food you won't need to oil the grate.
Use direct and indirect heat
Is it just me, or can barbecuing sometimes feel like a game of Whack-A-Mole? If you cook too many things at once, you may end up constantly moving food around the grill to prevent sticking and burning. Start smaller foods like chicken wings and sausages directly above the coals, and then move them to the side to finish cooking while you add more. If you fancy barbecuing something a little bigger, like a butterflied leg of lamb, indirect heat is the way to go. Cooking with indirect heat can be tricky at first, but the results are spectacular. Check out this brilliant guide to cooking with indirect heat.
So there you go, our top 7 tips and tricks to help you BBQ like a pro. Do you have any BBQ tips that help take your summer cooking to the next level? Let us know below, or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. We love to chat.
If you're looking for recipe inspiration, we've gathered some of our favourite BBQ recipes:
Lamb Tagliata with Spinach
Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Goat's Cheese Sauce
Rib Eye Steak
Greek Salad with Lentils and Lamb
Happy Cooking!