Firing up the barbecue always gives me a buzz. Summer dinners from the barbie are casual, fun, friendly and full of flavour. However, I recently attended a barbecue where I was very choosy about what I ate. Why? Because the host left the raw meats sweating in the sun for 30 minutes before throwing them on the hot plate.
When ‘high risk’ foods — including meats, fish poultry, stocks, sauces, milk, cream and eggs — are not handled and stored correctly, harmful bacteria can multiply every 20 minutes. The safe rule is: keep cold foods very cold and hot foods very hot and always keep food chilled until ready to cook.
Chicken tends to be one food that can deteriorate quickly. Normally I precook chicken portions in the oven then finish them on the barbecue, especially if the pieces are large and contain bones. However, chicken tenderloins are a joy on the barbie because they only take about 5-8 minutes to cook through.
Healthy Hints
- Preheat the grill to very hot, for at least 5 minutes, to burn off any food residue.
- Reduce the heat before placing the food on the grill so the outside does not burn before the inside is cooked.
- Ensure frozen meat is completely thawed before cooking.
- Wash your hands before handling food to prevent cross contamination, especially after touching raw meat.
- Barbecue foods until they are very hot on the inside (75-80 degrees Celsius) as well as on the outside.
- Keep raw and cooked foods separate.
- Provide clean plates on which to serve the cooked goods — not the plates that were holding the raw foods.
- Always clean the barbecue after use.
Garlic steak
Serves 4-6
700g piece rump steak, 2cm-3cm thick
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Using the tip of a sharp knife, make slits all over the steak. Cut the garlic into small pieces so it can be tucked into the slits and covered to prevent it burning during cooking.
- Brush the steak with oil then sprinkle with black pepper. Barbecue for about 3 minutes each side, depending on thickness.
- Place on a platter and loosely cover with foil. Rest for about 5 minutes before slicing to serve.
- Great served on lightly toasted sliced ciabatta with salad greens and mustard and mayo.
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Thai-style prawns
Serves 4
The flavour of the kaffir lime leaves is absorbed by the prawns during cooking
400g raw prawn cutlets
Marinade
6-8 kaffir lime leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp each: olive oil, grated root ginger, lime juice
2 Tbsp each: fish sauce, thick chilli sauce
- Pat the prawns dry and place in a plastic bag.
- Finely dice 1 small kaffir lime leaf. Reserve the remaining leaves for threading onto the skewers with the prawns.
- Combine with the garlic, oil, root ginger, lime juice, fish sauce and chilli sauce. Place the prawns in a plastic bag and add the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Thread 4 prawns on a skewer adding 1/2 a kaffir lime leaf in the middle. Repeat until the prawns and leaves are all skewered. Barbecue for about 1-2 minutes each side. Serve with lime wedges.
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Barbecued mini peppers with mozzarella
Serves 4-6
An attractive vegetarian meal or an accompaniment
350g vine-sweet mini peppers
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
Pinch ground cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
390g can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
125g fresh mozzarella, drained & finely diced
- Cut the tops off the mini peppers, Scrape the seeds from inside the peppers.
- Heat half the oil and sauté the onion, until softened. Add the seasonings and the chickpeas. Heat for a few seconds then roughly mash. Stir in the parsley and mozzarella.
- Fill the mini peppers with the mixture and push the lids back on. Spear 2 peppers per skewer threading from the cap ends through to the points.
- Brush with the remaining oil. Barbecue on medium-high for about 10 minutes, turning often.
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Chipotle chicken
Serves 4-6
Chipotles are red jalapeno peppers that have been smoked
400g can mangos, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup Barker's Chipotle Sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped coriander leaves & stalks
2 Tbsp lemon juice
750g chicken tenderloins
Spray barbecue oil
- Combine the mangos, seasonings, chipotle sauce, coriander and lemon juice in a blender. Mix until smooth.
- Place the chicken in a plastic bag. Add about ⅓ of a cup of the mango chipotle mixture. Move the tenderloins around so they are well coated. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to marinate.
- Meanwhile, simmer the remaining marinade for 2-3 minutes. Place in a bowl to serve with the cooked chicken.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain well. Spray the barbecue hot plate with oil. Stir-fry the tenderloins on the hot plate for about 5-8 minutes, until cooked. Serve with the reserved sauce.
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