| I have been cooking barbecues, or as us Aussies call | | | | your cheek. Feel that? That's the feeling of a rare |
| them, "barbies" for years with great success, and I | | | | steak. Now gently press on your chin. Yep, that's |
| reckon anyone can learn the art of barbeque cooking | | | | medium! And finally, on the end of your nose.. you got |
| perfection! | | | | it, that's well done! This works for steak, sausages, |
| There are some people that take this VERY seriously, | | | | hamburgers - the lot! Use your spatula or tongs NOT |
| and use all sorts of recipes and techniques, but I am | | | | your finger when you're cooking for real! :P~ |
| going to give you the BASICS and you can build from | | | | 5. Timing Your Cooking - You have orders for rare, |
| there. Whether its barbeque cooking fish, steaks, | | | | medium and well done... don't panic! You can get them |
| sausages or chicken - there are some basic principals | | | | all finished at the same time by putting on the "well |
| to follow to ensure your barbeque turns out a treat! | | | | done" meat on first, about 5 mins later put on the |
| So put away that barbeque cook book for now and | | | | "medium" meat and about 5 mins after that, on with |
| read on... | | | | the "rare" orders. Keep an eye on them, and they |
| | | | should all be done around the same time, and ready to |
| 1. Buy Choice Cuts of Meat - If it's cheap and as tough | | | | be served up together! Everyone's eating at the same |
| as shoe leather, barbequing it isn't going to help | | | | time and YOU look like a PRO! |
| matters! If you can't afford good cuts of meat, | | | | 6. Sneaky Chicken Trick - Cooking chicken pieces like |
| marinating it is a good choice. | | | | wings and legs can be kinda difficult and there's nothing |
| 2. Heat Your Hotplate Well! - Before whacking | | | | worse that chicken not cooked right through. Solution? |
| anything on the plate, you want it heated nicely so that | | | | Nuke them in the microwave for a few minutes |
| the meat fries as soon at it hits the plate and doesn't | | | | before barbequing and they'll be cooked right through |
| just stew away. Once your plate is heated nicely, turn | | | | and NOT burned! |
| the burners down to medium heat. | | | | 7. The BEST Onions EVER (Shh, don't tell anyone) - |
| 3. Leave Your Meat Be! - Once it's on the plate, leave | | | | Nothing like beautiful onions done on the BBQ.. |
| it to cook one side at a time. If you continually turn it, | | | | caramelized, soft, sweet and yummy! Want to know |
| meat has a tendency to dry out. You can have a look | | | | my secret weapon? Beer. That's right, beer. Here's |
| under it to make sure it's not burning, but flip it only | | | | how you do it.. throw the onions on the plate, pile them |
| once. When do you flip it? Watch the "gray" colour rise | | | | up and pour some beer on them. As soon as the beer |
| up the side of the meat. Once it is about a third to half | | | | hits the plate, it'll start sizzling and STEAMING the |
| way up the side, turn her over. The exception to this is | | | | onions. Mix and turn the onions while they cook, leaving |
| sausages, they benefit from plenty of turning.. 4 brown | | | | them in a pile to steam some more. Apply beer as |
| sides on a snag? You can't go wrong! | | | | needed until they are brown, soft and sweet. So, |
| 4. How Do You Want That Done? - Here's how you | | | | armed with the above 7 Top Tips for BBQ Cooking |
| can tell how the meat is cooked by "feel" and not by | | | | Perfection, you'll be well on your way to improving your |
| hacking it open to look! Here's a little exercise for you | | | | barbeque skills and getting pats on the back for a |
| to try right now... take your finger and gently press it to | | | | "beautifully cooked barbie"! |