May 26th to the 1st of June is National BBQ Week here in the UK, and with that in mind Newman's Own has put together some quick tips to help you achieve the perfect BBQ! Getting it right is never easy, but with these handy tips anyone can have a fun, stress-free and smoothly run BBQ!
Stop flipping, leave it be! - If you leave your food to sit on the BBQ for a few minutes before turning, you will get better caramelization and therefore a better flavor. It also means that the food is less likely to stick to the BBQ.
If you have a lid, use it! - "If you're looking, it ain't cooking!" - a well known phrase in the BBQ world. With the lid down your food will cook faster and more evenly, which will also prevent food poisoning from under-cooking. it also means your charcoal lasts longer or you use less gas, which means more BBQ's for the summer!
Wait 30 to 45 minutes to use your charcoal BBQ - The coals should be gray before using which means they are hot and give an even temperature. Before this, they will flame and burn your food with uneven heat distribution and not cooking in the middle.
Don't stab your sausages - Pricking the sausage may reduce the chance of it splitting but not by much. However, it will guarantee that all the juice will come out of the sausage leaving it drier and less tasty. So it's worth not stabbing them and enjoying a tastier sausage!
Don't risk under cooking - Digital thermometers are a genius invention. For under £10, BBQ-ers can easily check that their meat is cooked by measuring it's temperature.
All post-tax profits from Newman's Own products go to the Newman's Own Foundation which donates all profits to charity, with over £1 million already being donated to a wide range of charities in the UK alone and over £250 million donated around the world.
With a selection of sauces, marinades and dressings the Newman's Own products are the perfect BBQ essentials and the all new Smokin' Hot Dog Sauce will add some extra hot flavor to your hotdogs this year! If you've been inspired to get the BBQ started at home, Newman's Own has come up with some recipes to fire up your imagination.
Newman's Own Smokin' Hot Dog Sauce is available from April 2014 from Morrisins at a suggested RRP of £1.89
This hot dog sauce is a personal favorite of ours. We just love it and we love the Newman's own BBQ sauce too!
*Newman's Own Minced Lamb BBQ Skewers with Pita Pockets*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe
If you prefer, the skewers can be placed side by side on a baking sheet and cooked in an 180*C/350*F/ gas 4 oven.
For the skewers:
500g (1lb 2 oz) lean minced lamb
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
4 TBS Newman's Own Sticky Original BBQ Sauce
Pita Pockets:
4 pitta bread
2 tomatoes, chopped or sliced
100g (4 oz) feta cheese, crumbled or cut into small cubes
50g (2 oz) piece of cucumber, sliced or chopped
4 to 6 lettuce leaves, depending on size, shredded
a few springs of leaf coriander (cilantro)
Put the minced lamb, chopped shallot and 2 TBS of the BBQ Sauce in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Shape the mixture into small balls and thread on to 8 medium or 12 small skewers. Place in a shallow dish, spoon the rest of the BBQ sauce over the meat and cover with cling film. Chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight until ready to cook.
Lift the skewers from the dish and grill or barbecue for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through, turning them over once or twice and basting or brushing with any BBQ Sauce left in the dish.
Toast the Pita bread lightly on each side or warm on the barbecue. Cut a slit down one side of each pita and carefully open out to make a pocket. In a bowl, mix together the chopped tomatoes, feta, cucumber, lettuce and coriander leaves and divide between the pockets. Serve with the lamb skewers and accompany with a bowl of natural yoghurt dusted with paprika and finely chopped coriander.
Tip: When shaping the meat around the skewers, press it firmly together so it doesn't break up and fall off during cooking. If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes prior to using or cover the exposed ends with small pieces of foil to prevent them from scorching.
*Newman's Own Honey Turkey and Red Pepper Burgers*
Makes 4
Printable Recipe
Turkey mince makes mouthwatering burgers and is far lower in fat than ground beef or lamb. Add extra salad to the buns such as sliced tomatoes, onion rings or cucumber slices according to pertsonal taste.
500g (1 lb 2 oz) turkey mince
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large open mushroom, peeled and finely chopped
6 TBS Newman's own Sticky Honey BBQ Sauce
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into thick wedges
4 sesame seeded burger buns, split in half and lightly toasted
5cm (2 inch) piece of cucumber, sliced
4 lettuce leaves
Put the mince into a bowl, add the chopped onion and mushroom and stir until mixed. add 3 TBS of the Honey Sauce and stir again until evenly combined. Shape the mixture into 4 burgers, pressing the meat together to give a firm shape - a round pastry cutter or special burger press makes the task easy.
Put the burgers on a plate, spread over the remaining Honey Sauce and cover with cling film. Chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Grill or barbecue the burgers over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through, turning over half way and brushing or basting with any of the sauce left in the dish.
Grill the pepper wedges for about 5 minutes or until lightly scorched.
To assemble the burgers, layer up lettuce, pepper wedges, cucumber and burgers in the split buns and serve hot.
Tip: If you prefer you can make 8 small burgers and serve them in rolls or small buns as finger food.
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