How To Barbecue Like a Pro

For Flock & Herd

Summer is finally in full swing and with it the rare pleasure of well barbecued meat, the smokiness that's impossible to replicate. We appreciate that getting a barbecue just right can be more difficult than it looks, we've all been burned enough times by what can be the unpredictable nature of grilling on open flames.
With that in mind we put together some of our top tips for a perfect BBQ and chatted with our long time mate of the shop Caspar veteran chef of fire grilling kings Kiln, Forza Win and Brat to steal some of his best recipes and marinades.

Flock & Herd’s Top Barbecue Tips

- Time Is Your Friend -

whilst you might not plan every dinner days in advance adding time and sorting out a great marinade is the easiest and best way of making sure your food really soaks up all the flavour it can, especially with bigger pieces of meat and longer grills, your marinade is going to make all the difference

- Don't Go In Cold - 

The image of the charred on the outside, ice cold in the middle sausage is one that haunts the memory of almost every barbecuer. The best way to avoid this is to make sure that the meat is out of the fridge for at least an hour before it goes on the grill. The idea is to start the cooking with a neutral core temperature. If you're trying to get a steak to 45c in the centre it's a lot easier if the centre starts at 18c and not straight from the fridge at 5c. 

- When Did You Start The Fire? -
Getting the moment of introduction right is important to grilling. That sweet spot between blast furnace hot and and evening breeze cool is all important. Although there are many variants depending on size and shape of barbecue as well as type of coal and/or wood you want the coals to have turned white and the flames to have more or less died down.

- What's In The Fire -
Good coal or briquettes do make a big difference as do wood chips. There are plenty on the market ranging from the cheap and cheerful to the hideously niche and expensive. We love Green Tree coal, it has a really long burn time so you can cook multiple things over an afternoon and comes in at £18 for 5kg which should see you through at least four barbecues

- Be Ambitious (You can always stick it in the oven) -
There's often a propensity to go for lots of small things for a barbecue, 6 chipolatas, two burgers, a couple of thighs etc. etc. and the variety approach can be great but there is also great pleasure in big bits of meat on the grill. We love a lamb shoulder cooked slowly over fire. If you don't want to do it all the way in the oven you can also stick it in the oven for an hour to finish it off