{"id":1580,"date":"2025-05-02T10:09:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T10:09:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=1580"},"modified":"2025-05-06T13:03:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:03:38","slug":"9-tips-for-a-delicious-bbq-and-the-mistake-where-so-many-go-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/02\/9-tips-for-a-delicious-bbq-and-the-mistake-where-so-many-go-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"9 tips for a delicious BBQ \u2014 and the mistake where \u2018so many go wrong\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fancy a BBQ this weekend? (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You know the British summer has finally arrived when you can smell BBQ<\/a> in the air.<\/p>\n

We may end up with raw sausages and burnt-to-a-crisp steaks, but that doesn\u2019t stop us getting the Barbie<\/a> on the minute the sun comes out.<\/p>\n

With temperatures peaking this week, Brits have just a few more days of sun before cooler weather<\/a> returns \u2014 so, there\u2019s no time like the present to get grilling.<\/p>\n

However, we all know that cooking the perfect BBQ meal is a fine art, and no one wants to disappoint the army of hungry guests desperately waiting for that first chicken drumstick to be ready.<\/p>\n

Need some help? Mike Reid, culinary director of Gaucho, shared his top BBQ tips \u2013 from pre-cooking to the clean up, so you can nail that first BBQ of the year\u2026<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s worth investing in the right tools for your BBQ (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Invest in the right tools<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A poor workman always blame his tools, so make sure you have a great pair of tongs and a spatula to cook with.<\/p>\n

Mike also recommends finding good brushes and spray bottles to apply marinades while cooking.<\/p>\n

\u2018You don\u2019t need a BBQ fork though \u2013 they can do more harm than good when grilling as they create holes in your food and allow the juices to pour out,\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

Prep is key<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Take meat out of the fridge (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting the timing right before you start cooking is more important than you think.<\/p>\n

\u2018Make sure you always take your meat out of the fridge at least half an hour in advance of cooking it,\u2019 Mike explains. <\/p>\n

\u2018This will ensure it cooks all the way through at the desired temperature without having to overcook it. <\/p>\n

\u2018This is important when cooking meat or fish which needs to be slightly under in the middle.\u2019<\/p>\n

Marinade and baste<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is a big one that can make or break your BBQ, as Mike says \u2018moisture is where so many people go wrong on the BBQ\u2019, and that marinades are important here.<\/p>\n

\u2018Marinades don\u2019t just add flavour, they help to keep food moist on the BBQ too.<\/p>\n

\u2018You need to keep basting your meat and veggies in butter, oil or marinades to keep them moist.\u2019<\/p>\n

Spice up your veg<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t let the veg be an after thought \u2013 give them some pizzazz too.<\/p>\n

\u2018A dry rub or marinade will turbo charge the flavour of the food you\u2019re cooking,\u2019 notes Mike.\u00a0\u2018They\u2019re not just for meats, but veggies too. <\/p>\n

\u2018Cooking over flames is a great way to extract flavour from vegetables. I am a firm believer in going against the trend of cutting your vegetables small for the grill, I think it\u2019s much better to leave them bigger or even whole and cook them for longer on a gentler heat to really extract their flavour.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Remember to marinade (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lighting the BBQ<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Struggling to get the BBQ going? Mike share \u2018a great little hack\u2019.<\/p>\n

He says: \u2018When out on the road or camping is to simply scrunch up a piece of paper towel, cover in vegetable oil and then light in the middle of your coals.<\/p>\n

\u2018It burns hotter and longer this way and will kick start your coals.\u2019<\/p>\n

Then, wait for the perfect flame to actually start cooking your meat.<\/p>\n

\u2018If cooking with coal or wood, once lit,\u00a0don\u2019t rush to cook on them\u00a0\u2013 give it time to die down,\u2019 Mike says. <\/p>\n

\u2018You need to wait for them to fully ignite and turn white. That is the best time to start cook, and when you should add your food.\u2019<\/p>\n

Adapt your approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When cooking steak, remember that each cut needs to be cooked differently. <\/p>\n

Mike says: \u2018Generally the rule to work with is the higher the fat content the higher the initial heat you cook it on. <\/p>\n

\u2018You want that beautiful caramelisation on the first side. Whereas if you have a leaner cut like fillet or rump, you want a gentler heat to cook over as you don\u2019t have much fat to be rendering.\u2019<\/p>\n

Smoke for flavour<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Mike advises using wood chips with certain types of meat for the best flavour.<\/p>\n

He suggests: \u2018Try using wood chips, especially when cooking fish \u2013 smoke and fish go hand in hand.\u00a0Adding woodchips to your coals is a great way of getting extra smoke on to your food, enhancing the flavour considerably. <\/p>\n

\u2018If you soak them first in water, it will slow down how quickly they burn and generate more smoke. <\/p>\n

\u2018Choose what type of woodchips you will use depending on what you cook;\u00a0apple wood is mild and fruity and goes well with pork, cedar is strong and is best for smoking fatty foods for example.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Get rid of that BBQ fork (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pimp up your salads<\/strong><\/h2>\n

No one likes a soggy pasta salad, but Mike suggests an unusual ingredient.<\/p>\n

\u2018Try adding some BBQ fruits to your salads for an interesting twist,\u2019 says Mike.<\/p>\n

\u2018Always go for what\u2019s in season for the best flavour and price but some of my favourites include peaches, watermelon, mango, apple and pear. <\/p>\n

\u2018To cook, don\u2019t add any fat, just let the fruit release its natural sugars which will caramelise it. Then just add to a nice peppery salad, using watercress or rocket, perhaps a little goat\u2019s cheese or burrata and your guests will be blown away.\u2019<\/p>\n

Cleaning hacks<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For the bit people enjoy least, Mike has some hacks to make it easier.<\/p>\n

\u2018To clean your grill, spray with vinegar, leave for about 5 minutes and then scrub clean with some scrunched-up foil. <\/p>\n

\u2018Brewed coffee is also a great way to tackle grease on your BBQ, given its level of acidity. Just pour into a large basin and soak your grates for around an hour. <\/p>\n

\u2018Rinse with warm water, and they will be good as new. This also works for utensils.\u2019<\/p>\n

Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fancy a BBQ this weekend? (Picture: Getty Images) You know the British summer has finally arrived when you can smell BBQ in the air. We may end up with raw sausages and burnt-to-a-crisp steaks, but that doesn\u2019t stop us getting the Barbie on the minute the sun comes out. With temperatures peaking this week, Brits […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1580"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1588,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1580\/revisions\/1588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}