Rachel Allen

Delicious barbecue recipes

What is it about food that it just seems to taste better when eaten outside? And when it’s cooked outside, too, you get a double whammy of serious flavour. Cooking with fire is the most primal and pure way of cooking. The flavours that you get from the smoke and flames are hard to beat.

While barbecuing is one of the simplest ways to cook in a casual, convivial way, there’s often quite a bit of prep to do beforehand, but it’s worth every second. Meat should usually be marinated first. The marinade has three purposes. It flavours the meat with whatever spices, herbs or flavourings you use. It will generally contain an acidic ingredient, such as citrus juice, vinegar, yoghurt or wine. This helps to tenderise the meat. Marinades also ensure that your meat stays moist in the dry heat of the barbecue. If you’re cooking a large piece of meat, it’s a good idea to score the surface a few times first to ensure the meat gets lots of exposure to the marinade. If you’re marinating meat, then try to leave it for at least an hour or two. If you can, then overnight will be great, too. Fish, however, shouldn’t be marinated for more than two hours, as the more delicate flesh will begin to break down.

“Squid is a great fish for the barbecue as there’s never any risk of it breaking up into pieces”

I love an Asian-style chicken satay, and this peanut sauce is a brilliant little accompaniment to not only chicken, but beef too. Squid is a great fish for the barbecue, as there’s never any risk of it breaking up into pieces. Make sure to oil the squid well and place it over a hot barbecue so that you get delicious colour around the edges. And if it’s ribs you’re after, and I often am, then try my cousin-in-law Ted Berner’s great recipe. This recipe can be doubled up to feed a large family or a village!