BBQU

This week we have a special blog post written by Lee Gilmour, Managing Director of Auschar, about his fantastic experience at this year’s Steven Raichlen BBQ University.

The class schedule was demanding, and all in the beautiful surrounds of the Broadmoor Resort, Colorado Springs. We were taught to grill at least 8 different dishes a day and the body of knowledge obtained from an expert like Steven, even after such a short period of time, was astounding. Some of my favourite recipes from the experience include: Tucson T-Bones, Kansas City-Style Ribs, Pit-Roasted Pork in the style of the Yucatán, Grilled Vegetables in the style of Santa Margherita and the Holy Grail, Bacon-Crusted Texas-Style Brisket with Spicy Apple BBQ Sauce (these will be placed on the Heat Beads® website in the weeks to come).

On Wednesday evening, the BBQU kicked off with a welcome reception dinner at the Broadmoor Golf Clubhouse, where we sampled food from the menus of each of the six restaurants at the club.

From Thursday June 5 to Saturday June 7 we spent from 9am to 12pm fine tuning our grill skills. We then got the chance to eat our delectable creations for lunch, before retiring to a range of relaxation and recreation activities available at the Broadmoor Resort. 24 grills and smokers were used to cater for the 50 students. We shipped a pallet of Australia’s finest BBQ fuel, Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes over to the US, especially for the event. This allowed my fellow students to experience grilling Aussie Style!

On the final day of the BBQU, we endeavoured to take on the challenge of Steven’s infamous two-part (oral and written) exam. Although it was somewhat difficult, I’m pleased to say the entire class passed, just in time for the graduation!

Here is one of my favourite BBQ recipes from BBQ U, that you can try at home:

Morton Bay “Bugs” with Ginger-Mint Butter

Source: The Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen (Workman Publishing, 2008)
Method: Direct Grilling
Serves: 4

You will need:
Bugs or Lobster tails
Butter, fresh mint (chopped), fresh ginger (minced), lime zest (grated), fish sauce, fresh limejuice and salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Pre heat the grill to high.
Chop the lobster tails lengthwise and set aside while you prepare the ginger-mint butter.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and then add the mint, ginger, garlic, and lime zest. Once the mix is fragrant but not brown, stir in the fish sauce and limejuice.

Find the lobster tails and brush the cut sides with the ginger-mint butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the lobster tails onto an oiled grill grate cut side down for 6-8 minutes and then repeat the process for the other side, all the while basting the lobsters with your remaining ginger-mint butter.

Serve immediately.

Kansas City isn’t the only place in the US that knows how to grill. As well as being one of the ‘fattest’ cities in the world, Houston, Texas is famous for its grilled delights (for those of us who are not carb conscious, of course). A fairly constant warm and humid climate is conducive for year-round grilling, but the official BBQ season really kicked off a couple of weekends ago in Houston when the US celebrated Memorial Weekend.

Experts estimate that eight in ten US households own a grill or smoker - Houston is famous for its Brisket and Spare Ribs and of course there’s the infamous Texan Smoker BBQ. So, while we in Australia claim to be experts in the backyard BBQ domain, perhaps we still have much to learn!

One group that could teach us is the Greater Houston BBQ Society. They describe themselves as a not-for-profit group of people interested in Backyard Barbequing and having FUN, that teach the uninitiated what “REAL Q” is and how to do it. They hold a series of events, free to their members and sometimes even to the public. The society has recently held its first quarterly Backyard Meeting and Cookoff in Katy, Texas. So, if you ever find yourself in Texas, why not soak up some of the American BBQ culture by visiting the Greater Houston BBQ Society or even just indulging at one of the many BBQ restaurants in the Houston area?

We are all familiar with the incredibly dull array of chops and snags available at the regular BBQ, but these weird and wonderful BBQ recipes could just be the thing you need to spice up your next BBQ!

1. Coca-Cola Steaks
Amanda Diggins has taken a leaf out of the American’s book and used a favourite soft drink as a sweetener for this dish!

Ingredients:
6 Scotch Fillet steaks
1 can Coke
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Method:
Combine all ingredients in shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Barbecue steaks until done to your liking. Boil marinade in a saucepan until thickened slightly and serve with steaks.

2. Vegemite Rissoles
Leisa Conley has taken your everyday breakfast spread and turned it into a winning dinner dish that all the family can enjoy.

Ingredients:
750g minced meat
1 onion finely chopped
½ capsicum finely chopped
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vegemite
Salt & pepper

Method:
Mix together and shape into rissoles, roll in plain flour
Cook on BBQ as long as you like - the vegemite makes them go dark anyway, serve on bread with tommy sauce.
The kids can’t get enough of them!

3. Char-Grilled Bugs
This recipe from Sarah Evans gives new meaning to getting back to nature!

Grill Morton Bay bugs in their shells, split in half. As they warm place a knob of garlic herb butter on top and watch it soak in. They melt in your mouth.

4. Satay Prawn Pizza
Ever thought of cooking a pizza on your BBQ? Well now thanks to Elizabeth Davey’s recipe, you can…
Elizabeth Davey

Ingredients:
1/2 bottle satay marinade
Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 medium brown onion, sliced
Can of diced capsicum
100g snow peas, sliced thinly
500g small uncooked prawns, shelled
1/2 cup roasted cashews
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 cup pizza cheese
Small store-bought pizza bases

Method:
Mix marinade with desired amount of sweet chilli sauce. Spread pre-cooked pizza base with satay marinade, top with onion, capsicum, snow peas, prawns, cashews, coriander and cheese. Cook in a covered BBQ, using indirect heat for about 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Enjoy!!

5. Barbecued Bacon Wrapped Prawns
Effie Bakkalis’ recipe puts a gourmet tw

ist on the traditional pig wrapped in blanket party favour recipe.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Dash of cayenne pepper
24 large/jumbo prawns, shelled and deveined
12 bacon slices, cut in halves

Method:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan

. Add the onion and saute until soft and transparent. Stir in the ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, dry mustard and pepper. Stirring continuously, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately stir the prawns into the sauce, covering them completely. Let them stand for 15 minutes. Heat the grill and grease the rack. Remove the prawns from the sauce. Wrap each prawn in a piece of bacon and secure with a wooden pick, or thread 4 bacon-wrapped prawns onto a skewer. Place on the greased rack, on high heat, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn them and cook the remaining side until the bacon is crisp. Reheat the

sauce and serve separately as a dipping sauce.
This recipe makes 6 main-dish servings or 12 appetiser servings.

6. Grilled Pineapple with cracked salt

This recipe from grill master, John Ryan, is surprisingly delectable with the salt bringing out the sweetness in the pineapple!

Take one ripe pineapple, skin and cut out the eyes. Either core and cut the pineapple into rings or slice the pineapple from the core; marinade in a good Rutherglen Muscat for 4 hours. Heat the grill to hot and place the pineapple slices on, watching carefully as they will char very quickly. Turn once and ensure you get good grill lines. Remove from the grill and crack rock salt liberally over. Serve with good quality vanilla ice cream if desired.

7. Barbecued Leg of Lamb with Lavender and Baked Garlic
Deidre Steain’s recipe provides an interesting combination of flavours. Don’t be frightened to leave it in the marinade for a little longer!

Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb (roughly 1.75kg and butterflied)
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp of fresh lavender flowers (retain the stems)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp demerara sugar
Salt and black pepper
Baked garlic
2-3 bulbs garlic
Olive oil to sprinkle
Sprigs of fresh thyme

Method:

Flatten the lamb by pressing on it and place in a large dish
Sprinkle over the onion and the lavender flowers
Mix together the balsamic vinegar, cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and sugar. Season with the salt and pepper and pour over the lamb
Leave to marinate for 1 hour, turning frequently to ensure an even coating
Dampen the leftover lavender stalks and scatter over a cool area of the BBQ
Remove the lamb from the marinade and place on a medium-hot BBQ and cook for 30-35 minutes, turning occasionally, basting with the reserved marinade. Allow to rest
To prepare the garlic, shake over some olive oil, add a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme and then wrap loosely in some tin foil. Leave over the warm part of the barbecue for 30 minutes or until soft.
Slice rested lamb and serve with garlic and salad of your choice.

8. Grilled Pork Chops with Apricots
The following recipe, according to Juliette Elfick, is a bit different, healthy, simple and scrumptious.

The idea of bbq’ ing fruit is one which makes our barbies so much more interesting for everybody, but particularly vegetarians. See Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer for her bbq’d pineapple dessert (we chuck amaretto over the top too at mine). Take a few pork chops and 2 apricots, halved and pitted, per chop and bbq. Be sure each chop has a small layer of fat on it. BBQ the apricots cut side up drizzle with a little honey until they are quite mushy - soft enough that you can see their inner fibres - and maybe a little caramelised (you may need to coat them in honey for this).
The cooked apricots should be eaten as a kind of relish with the chops. Ideal accompaniments to this dish are bbq’d sweet potato (in thin discs) and asparagus.
A total barbie meal!

9. Beer Can BBQ Chook (need a Weber TM)
According to Angela Clark, this recipe can even be used with duck! The beer infuses a fantastic flavour into the chicken, a keeps the meat tender and moist.

Ingredients:
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 whole free range or organic chicken
2 tsp olive oil
1 can large beer - the Germans make the big cans, like DAB
Cherry wood chips (optional)

Method:
In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients.
Lightly spray or brush all over with the oil, and season inside and out with the rub.
Open the beer can and pour off half of the beer. Set the half-full can on a flat surface and slide the chicken over the top so the can fits inside the cavity. Transfer the bird to the grill, keeping the can upright. Carefully balance the bird on its two legs and the can. Roast for 1¼ to 1½ hours.
Carefully remove the chicken and the can from the BBQ, being careful not to spill the beer - it will be hot. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before lifting it from the can. Discard the beer. Cut the chicken into serving pieces.
Eat!
To make it even better, try soaking some cherry wood chips in the remaining beer for a few hours beforehand and place them in the WeberTM with the roasting chook for an extra smoky flavour.

(Julian Wu’s Beer Can Chicken Pictured)

10. Blue Bone Groper in Beer
This one’s for the seafood lovers by Caroline Nicholls.

Nothing beats a fillet of Blue Bone Groper in a banana leaf or foil wrap.

Method:
Place fillet in leaves, garnish with onion, tomato, lemon slices, lemon pepper. Pour half a cup of beer over fillet. Seal and place on the grill until done. Totally decadent!

This week’s blog concludes our series on the art of char grilling. Hopefully with your newfound skills you are now able to create a BBQ feast to impress your friends and family alike!