Now that you have a world class outdoor entertainment area and the perfect line up for your summer outdoor TV viewing, be it live action sports, a movie marathon, a series binge or a Christmas treat, all you need to finish up is the perfect BBQ to wow your guests.

BBQ meat is expensive, (unless you manage to win yourself a meat raffle with only one ticket) so you want to make sure you cook it perfectly to get the best flavour and get the healthiest results for your companions.

Before summer started we gave some tips on how to make the perfect BBQ, now though the sun is out and it’s time to get serious and precise with our BBQ advice.

If you haven’t done so already clean up your BBQ using this article. Keep your grill and BBQ plate clean all summer long by oiling your meat, rather than the BBQ itself; it’s much easier to wipe up later.

Well beforehand:

  1. Check that you have everything you need (cooking utensils, tableware, gas bottle, kebab skewers, oven mitt, meat).
  2. Be informed on total fire bans.
  3. Have a meat thermometer and timer ready at the BBQ.
  4. Chill your drinks.

 30 minutes before you start:

  1. Soak your wood chips

A smoked flavour wins friends and takes your BBQ quality up a notch. Soak your chosen chips in cold water for 30 minutes and placing them on top of your charcoal.

  1. Soak your bamboo skewers

Bamboo skewers are favourites for kebabs but remember to soak them in cold water for at least 30 minutes so they don’t catch fire or burn over the heat.

20 minutes before you start:

  1. Remove the meat from the fridge and let it sit inside, covered, at room temperature.

There is plenty of meat to choose from. For steaks, go for high quality, low fat cuts like boneless rib-eye or filet mignons (just over 1 cm thickness works best). Chicken fillets have irregular thickness so pound them with a meat tenderiser before grilling to be sure they cook evenly all over.

For all your meats buy organic when possible, that’s not about hype, it actually tastes better.

  1. Light your BBQ coals.

You can create different heat settings for your grill by spreading the coals under you grill out on a raised angle so you have high and medium heats each side of the plate. Cook only when the flames are reduced and the coals white-hot.

The timer and thermometer improvement

Take the guesswork out of your BBQ cook up to reduce surprises and increase the wow factor by using tools for precise cooking.  Perfect BBQ meat is crispy and brown on the outside and with a soft melting inside.

A little organisation will have you keeping track of how long everything has been sizzling so you get the perfect finish every time.

Cook your steak

For really great steak the only ingredients you need are high quality oil (canola or extra virgin olive oil), salt and freshly ground pepper.

The perfect steak is as easy as brushing both sides with oil and seasoning generously.

Regardless of each person’s steak request, all steaks need to start out on a high heat for five minutes, this will have them golden brown and slightly charred on one side. After this it’s time to flip them, and this is the only time you flip your steak, turning more than once will leave the meat tough.

Move the steaks to a lower temperature and finish off to their desired consistency (see below). Resist pressing down on the steak with tongs or spatula while cooking, it presses all the delicious juices out.

When done transfer to a plate or cutting board, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for two to five minutes.

    Heat: High (then move to lower to finish)  
    Time taken: 4-5 minutes then turn to other side for … 
    3-5 minutes Rare to medium-rare
    5-7 minutes Medium
    8-10 minutes Medium-well
    12 minutes Well-done
Inside temperature (Celsius) for Perfect steak:
    Rare 57- 60 degrees
    Medium 65 degrees
    Medium-well 67-70 degrees
    Well-done 71 degrees

Cook your rissoles

A good burger patty is crispy brown outside and slightly pink in the middle. If you prefer your burger brown all the way through, leave it on the heat slightly longer than the gauge below. As with steaks only flip these once at the halfway point.

If you want to add cheese, wait until the meat is completely cooked then move the patty to a cooler side, top with cheese and allow it to stand for about two minutes.

     Heat: High
    Time taken: 9 minutes
    Inside temperature (Celsius) for perfect hamburgers: Roughly 71 degrees

Cook your sausages

Think cooking a sausage is a walk in the park…think again. These tricky little fellas require constant attention and take a lot longer than the rest of your BBQ fare to complete.

For a really great sausage rotate them between high and medium heats frequently. This way you make sure the outside is crispy and the inside cooked all the way through.

    Heat: Rotate between high and medium
    Time taken: 20 minutes (max)
    Inside temperature (Celsius) for perfect sausages: 65 degrees

Cook your chicken

Chicken is a more delicate meat so you’ll be looking to use a medium heat to be sure it cooks evenly through. Too much heat and the inside will be raw and the outside burned. Save your chicken ‘til last on the grill when the heat is not as intense and you can roast more evenly.

    Heat: Medium
    Time taken: 8 – 12 minutes
    Inside temperature (Celsius) for perfect chicken: 73 degrees

Corn on the Cob

    Heat: High
    Time taken: 15 minutes

Turn the corn frequently to get the whole piece cooked until just singed right round.

Capsicum 

    Heat: High
    Time taken: 13 minutes

Cook capsicum pieces skin side down for ten minutes to lock in the flavour then turn for a quick three minute sizzle on the flesh side to heat them right through.

Onions 

    Heat: High
    Time taken: 10 minutes

Before grilling drizzle onion slices with oil and sprinkle with salt. You are looking for soft insides and chargrilled shells.

If you still haven’t set your flat screen TV outside ready for summer fun you can read how to do that here or contact one of the staff at SealTV to learn more about taking your inside TV outside.

Link to  SealTV Christmas movie feast

Link to How to clean your BBQ after winter