How To Have The Ultimate BBQ

We decided to answer all of these important questions and more by quizzing 1,000 Brits across the country on their BBQ-ing habits, and to show for it we have the first Official BBQ Survey.

We know our official BBQ survey wouldn’t be complete without the views of the best BBQ experts, so we’ve also grilled British BBQ Champion Andy Annat, who once cooked for the Queen’s 80th birthday, on useful BBQ recipes and hacks, and foodie and co-editor of About Time Magazine – Alicia Grimshaw, who shares her go-to BBQ food with us.

Britain’s weather isn’t always kind to BBQ-ers, but here’s hoping that the month of May brings some sunshine, as Monday 25th May is officially the most popular day of the year to have a BBQ. Don’t worry if your grill-skills aren’t quite ready, the 8th August and 11th July follow closely behind as popular days to host a BBQ as is the 12th September, oddly enough…perhaps we’re clinging on to those last rays of summer before winter really sets in!

Hosting a proper dinner party can be a bit of a stressful affair: co-ordinating tablecloths and napkins, laying out the right cutlery and condiments, and carefully curating the perfect seating plan. What is it about cooking outside that makes us throw caution to the (hopefully not too chilly) wind and eat with our hands, swig beer out of plastic cups, and slather absolutely everything in tomato sauce?

It seems women are the real worriers when it comes to BBQs, fearing not just food poisoning but also burning their meat (23%), getting too tipsy (6%), breaking a nail (2%), and setting their hair or body on fire (1%). Men take it mostly in their stride; only really worrying about burning the food (23%), or running out of beer (15%).

With all these worries, its no wonder 65% of the people we surveyed described themselves as feeling under-confident in their BBQ skills. 20% would describe themselves as adequate, presumably, these are the people who manage to just about walk the line between undercooked food poisoning and burgers that resemble charcoal. Just 15% of those surveyed said they were confident in their BBQ skills.

Our Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts to keep your BBQ simple and tasty…

Do: Use a meat thermometer to make sure your dishes are cooked all the way through!

Don’t: Overwhelm yourself by doing too many dishes. Repeat after me: You are not Jamie Oliver

Do: Take the pressure of yourself by asking your guests to contribute a cold dish.

Don’t: Clean your BBQ after use…may seem counterintuitive but leaving that old meat grease on the grill will actually protect it from rust!

Do: Clean your BBQ before use…you’ll need to scrub off all the muck you left on there last time!

Don’t: Be afraid to make unusual meat choices. Try swapping pork ribs for lamb ones, slathered in a delicious minty yoghurt dip.

Do: Use herbs such as rosemary as edible skewers.

Don’t: Limit BBQs to the evening- you haven’t lived until you’ve eaten a bacon sarnie hot off the barbecue!

Do: Cook directly on the embers- corn on the cob is particularly delicious.

Don’t: Worry so much about everything being perfectly presented that you forget the main point of a BBQ; to get drunk outside with your mates, and enjoy the (rare) sunny English summer!

Below are Andy’s answers to some BBQ questions you tweeted us with earlier this week- these great pointers will make sure we all make the most of the BBQ-ing weather this summer:

What makes a good BBQ? Do you have any top tips to get the home BBQ spot on?

1. It is important that you buy a BBQ with a lid. This opens up a great deal of cooking opportunities; roasting, hot smoking, cold smoking, baking, grilling, What ever you can cook in your in your home, you can cook in a closed BBQ giving new & unique flavours and making eating a great outdoor social occasion. I have a saying “if you’re looking, you’re not cooking” – so keep the lid down!

2. Charcoal or gas? This is a lifestyle thing! My personal preference is charcoal although if we had the good weather like we can do in the Summer; I would be doing a lot more outdoor cooking and may prefer the convenience of the gas alternative. Charcoal & gas BBQ’s both have the ability to cook almost anything; pizza, large fish, whole goat leg, breads, chocolate brownies & superb vegetables, this is just to name a few; the possibilities are endless.

3. Make it a social occasion. Outdoor cooking is the perfect way to entertain a crowd in a fun and informal way. The climate in Summer lends itself perfectly to this. So why don’t you invite your friends, family or business associates for a BBQ party.

What basic things are essential?

Long tongs – for turning the food on the grill and lifting the food onto the plate. Avoid using a fork for this, as it will pierce the meat & loose those delicious juices.

Temperature probe – you’ll always find one in my pocket. I often hear of food been dry, particularly chicken breast. This is because it is over cooked and has lost all its moisture. If you test the temperature of the meat, you can make sure it is firstly safe to eat & secondly taken off the grill before it is overdone.

Spray can – I use a spray can and fill it with apple juice. This is sprayed onto the meat as it is being cooked. The juice helps keep the meat moist & also the natural sugar will start to caramelise.

Chimney starter – This is one of the best BBQ accessories for use with a charcoal BBQ. The coal is put into the cylindrical chimney starter with a fire lighter underneath & “hey presto!” In 20 minutes you have hot charcoal ready for cooking. Additional charcoal can be lit throughout the day and added to your BBQ without having to stop cooking. Using a chimney starter is a safe way to light your charcoal without the use of chemical accelerants.

In a city filled with apartments, how can one still enjoy barbecuing?

Barbecue all over the world is becoming fun, funky & fashionable and with the smaller type grills such as the Go anywhere, Smokey Joe and Q100 grills from Weber, it means that BBQ can now be enjoyed from large elaborate gardens to inner city apartments with a balcony.

After a long and rainy winter, BBQ season is finally upon us! So, whether you do it in your back garden or at a national festival, fire up the coals, pour yourself a tall glass of Pimms, and tuck into some delicious outdoor treats!