Don’t stay cooped up in the kitchen this holiday, enjoy the great outdoors and whip up a delicious meal on the barbecue. Impress your family and friends and be a true champion of the barbecue with these easy hacks.
Check your gas bottle level
Not sure if you have enough gas left in the bottle to sizzle those snags? Disconnect your bottle and turn off the valve before pouring a container of warm water down the side of the tank. When you run your hand over the outside of the tank it will feel cool where there is gas and warm where it is empty, giving you an idea of the level remaining in the tank.
Cook fish on top of lemon slices
Ever had a piece of fish end up in a broken mess because it stuck to the barbeque? Place lemon slices directly on the barbeque and cook the fish on top. It will stop the fish sticking and make clean up a lot easier, plus it will also add a delicious smoky, citrus flavour.
Skewer those vegetables
Stop loosing vegetables through the barbeque grill by threading them onto skewers, it will also make it easier to turn during cooking and to eat with a cold drink in your hand. Pre-soak wooden skewers in water to prevent them burning or choose steel barbeque skewers. Some great vegie options to throw on the grill include capsicum, mushrooms, zucchini and asparagus.
Ditch the brush and grab some rosemary
When basting grilling meat with marinade, ditch the brush and use a small bundle of rosemary. Not only do you not have to worry about singeing a pastry brush over the barbeque heat, by using a bundle of rosemary you will add an extra hit of flavour to your meat while keeping it moist.
Don’t cook straight from the fridge
Take your steaks out of the fridge about 15 minutes before putting it on the barbeque. By allowing it to come to room temperature before throwing it on the grill, the meat will cook more evenly which will help prevent it drying out.
Take your lemons and limes to the next level
Create a flavour explosion by barbequing halved lemons and limes cut side down until you start to get some char and caramelisation on the fruit. Grilling citrus brings out their tartness, plus a hint of sweet and smoky flavour. They are great squeezed over seafood and grilled chicken, in salad dressings or in lemonade and summer cocktails.
Give your meat some rest time
You’re not the only one that benefits from a little ‘time out’, let barbequed meat rest after removing from the grill to allow the juices to redistribute. This will not only make meat easier to carve, it will make sure all that juicy flavour stays in your meat and not on your plate.
Use an onion to clean your barbeque
Cut an onion in half and rub the cut side on the still warm grill using a fork. Onions are a natural disinfectant and the natural oils will help remove grit and residue from the grill. Plus as an added bonus it will add extra flavour to your next cook up.
Put these tips into action and cook up a barbeque feast during your next Ingenia Holidays getaway at one of our 36 brilliant holiday locations. Share your best BBQ snaps on our Facebook and Instagram!