ALL FIRED UP

The backyard barbecue has come a long way from the days of char-grilling some sausages. Now it’s an indispensable part of summer life – and with instant gas and electric barbecues, some people barbecue every single night.

DIRECT HEAT

This method is when the food is cooked directly over the heat or burners, with hood open. It is used for searing and is best for food that requires short cooking times. Usually food should be seared first over high heat and then cooked over a lower heat until done to your liking.

INDIRECT HEAT

This method is used with kettle or hooded barbecues, when lower temperatures and longer cooking times are required, cooking in a similar way to an oven. It is the best for large cuts or joints of meat and whole poultry. The interior heat circulates around the food, cooking it through without burning it. The heat beads or coals are placed around the outside perimeter of the bottom grill, surrounding the food being cooked rather than burning directly under it. Or, if using a gas burner or electric barbecue, the burners directly under food are switched off, while burners around the food are left on. If your barbecue doesn’t have a hood, try using a domed lid (wok lids are great) or an old large deep flameproof baking dish. Smaller barbecues may only have one wrap-around