Out & About July 2017

It’s barbecue time and HILARY SCOTT has the best tips and the latest trends in outdoor cooking. Don’t have time to fire up that grill? We look at pubs and restaurants where you can eat barbecued food without the work or making anyone’s eyes water

B arbecuing is a popular pastime in the summer months and an easy and fun way to get a few friends together. The shops are full of grills, from portable barbies for the beach to gigantic specimens that need a big garden or deck and feed hordes. There is a plethora of add-ons too, like a plancha, basically a metal slab you cook on over the coals, or chimney starter kits which are narrow and tall and start off your coals for you, making them quicker to get to the right heat (Tesco £4.80 is one of the cheaper ones) and if you want to research barbecue tongs, prepare to make plenty of time for it. A big trend this year is smoking your food. There are lots of fancy smokers available, all pretty large. But you don’t need an expensive smoker to do it. We look at a few different

THE BIG EASY SMOKER, ROASTER AND GRILL does what it says on the tin – smokes, roasts and grills. Roast up to 11kg poultry

CHOOSEYOUR CHIPS It’s not a mystery what kind of chips to buy, though some serious barbecue/smoker types like to convince you it is a bit of an art, like wine-blending or cheese-making. The first thing to consider is what kinds of wood to use, based on how overpowering the smoke they put out is. For delicate foods like fish or poultry, go for birch or fruit woods like apple, cherry and peach. Maple, hickory, oak and, pecan work with pork, and are good for beef and game, too. Mesquite is the strongest of all the woods, but always use carefully. Mesquite chips will add a strong bacon-like taste to foods – Weber do a bag at around £10 from different outlets. If you are buying your wood chips from the high street they will usually be labelled to show you what they are good for, like Weber Pork Wood Chips for ribs, pulled pork or pork chops. John Lewis £4.99 a bag. Apple Wood Barbecue Smoking Wood Chips from Tesco, £3.50 are, as I said above, good for smoking cheese (with a cold smoker not on a barbecue) or grilling gammon or chicken. They can be used on a charcoal barbecue, with or without lid; can also be used on a gas barbecue. You can even buy whiskey-soaked chips – Jack Daniels Wood Chips, around £10 a bag from different outlets, are made by the whisky soaking itself into the wood of the barrel over many years. Some of the whisky is left in the wood after the process has finished and the liquid has been bottled for sale. These pieces of wood are then broken down and made into smoking chips.

with no oil using the cooking basket and

adjustable racks, which are included. The Big Easy includes four rib hooks to roast mouthwatering barbecued ribs. The removable porcelain coated grate provides easy cleaning when you cook your favourite meat. £279 from B&Q.

If you don’t want to splash out or don’t have the room outdoors, you can smoke food on a normal barbecue. You will need a smoke box, a box usually made of stainless steel with holes in the top. You place this below your barbecue grill and the smoke rises through the lid’s holes and infuses your steaks. Tesco, B&Q, Clas Ohlson, Amazon and many other outlets sell them. Always wait for the barbecue to smoke before you place the food on the grill and remember if you want to smoke low and long, always include a water pan to keep the temperature down. The best meats to smoke include chicken, lamb and beef. The cuts for the best results are generally beef brisket, pork shoulder, and ribs. Some meaty fish is good smoked and mackerel is brilliant for smoking. Other foods like plain old chillies are fabulous with a little smoky hit. And remember, white smoke is good, black smoke is bad. If your fire lacks ventilation or you place your food directly over the fire and juices are burning it will give off black smoke and will lead to a nasty taste. THE KITCHENCRAFT HOME MADE BBQ SMOKER SMOKE BOX is easy to use and works on both charcoal or gas barbecues. Around £8.99 from Amazon. Or try the Blooma Smoker Box, £7 from B&Q .

ways to get smokin’. THE SOUTHERN COUNTRY 2-IN-1 CHARCOAL SMOKER is designed for

serious low and slow cooking, but also converts to a portable picnic grill. When used as

a smoker, the chimney-like design with a vented lid and tight-fitting doors creates a constant flow of new smoke, and integral

flavour channels direct smoke for maximum food flavouring.

To use as a grill, simply remove

the body and drop the lid to the base. The reflector pan redirects heat to the cooking surface for thorough and even cooking. £89.99 from: www.bbqandsmoke.co.uk

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