Barbecuing by the pool - there’s no better way to make that summer feeling complete. That's why we’d like to give you a few tips on organising the perfect summer barbecue.
For a successful barbecue, you need a good barbecue. This can be a gas barbecue or a charcoal barbecue.
+ More flavour thanks to specific charcoal or wood types
+ More aroma
+ Specific grill flavour
- More space needed
+ Heats up more quickly
+ Takes up less space
- Food doesn’t taste as grilled
Do not put the food on the barbecue too soon. Especially with a charcoal barbecue, it is important to wait long enough.
This takes a while, ideal for drinking your first aperitif in the meantime.
There are 2 classic ways of preparing food on a barbecue. The most common method is preparing with direct heat. Here the meat is placed over the briquettes or charcoal and the lid closed. Direct heat is perfect for all foods that need less than 20 minutes on the barbecue.
If your meat needs to be cooked for longer than 20 minutes, indirect heat is recommended. To do this, push the briquettes or charcoal to the sides and put the meat in the middle of the grille. Then close the barbecue lid if there is one.
An open fire will guarantee that the meat will be literally burnt. This makes the meat on the barbecue less healthy.
The flames occur when fat or oil drips onto the coals. The fat from the meat begins to melt through the heat of the fire. This makes it difficult to avoid flames. We do have a few tips though:
The amount of oxygen plays an important part in the preparation of your barbecue. Air vents enable you to adjust the amount of oxygen in your barbecue. The less oxygen, the slower the barbecue will cook. Make sure you do not close the oxygen grille completely because that will put out your fire altogether.
If your barbecue has a lid, use it. This enables you to circulate the hot air. You use the barbecue as an outside oven, with the heat distributed evenly.
The core temperature of your meat will continue to rise by a few degrees after you remove it from your barbecue. So it is better to let your meat rest for a while before cutting. This allows the juices to spread evenly through the meat.
When you’ve finished cooking, let the barbecue continue to burn for a bit. This way, you can burn off the food residues, making it easy to remove them with a wire brush. Then rub half a lemon over the grille while it is still warm. The acid from the lemon will clean up your grille immediately.
