Food Porn: Summer Barbecuing

This week the morbid clouds finally parted to reveal azure skies, golden sunshine, and scorching temperatures. And blimey it was hot. 

I think it's a part of human nature that when the weather is blooming gorgeous we suddenly have the impulse to barbecue. I've never quite understood why, when the heat is topping 30c, that we want to hang out over a smouldering pit of coal. Nevertheless I couldn't hold back my barbecuing impulse; I MUST COOK MEAT. 

I decided to do fairly traditional British barbecue fare, but with an international twist. So I incorporated elements of American, Cajun, and Argentinian cuisine in order to spice things up a bit. 

I sort of cheated and cooked pulled barbecue beef stuffed into soft white rolls to begin. Now I know this isn't strictly 'barbecue' in the British sense, being that it was all cooked in the oven, but a) it's 'barbecue' in the American sense and b) I just wanted an excuse to eat it again. 

Cheese-Stuffed Beefburgers 

Having your cheese on the top of your burger is all well and good, but having it on the inside instead creates a core of melty, creamy cheesiness that keeps the burger juicy. I use Emmenthal cheese for these as I like the sweet, nutty flavour and the cheese melts perfectly creamily. These burgers also have a fresh, summery flavour because of the addition of herbs and tomato and you can also make these as 'normal' burgers without the cheese. Another epic burger bonus? These are naturally gluten free!

Ingredients to make 8 stuffed burgers or 14 'normals': 

1kg of lean beef mince

1 small red onion, very finely chopped

1 tbsp of dried oregano

2 tbsps of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 tbsps of tomato puree

1 egg, beaten

Salt and pepper

6 slices of Emmenthal cheese

Firstly break up the mince strands with your hands in a large bowl; this gives the burgers a better, firmer texture when they're cooked. Add the herbs, tomato puree, onion, seasoning, and the beaten egg and mix all together; I prefer to use my hands to do this to make sure all the ingredients are mixed in thoroughly. 

To shape the burgers it's best to use either a burger press or a cooking ring; this makes it easier to create two even layers with the cheese in the middle. For the barbecue I used a cooking ring as my burger press was too big! Start by pressing a small ball of the burger mixture flat into the bottom of the cooking ring, then place small pieces of the cheese onto the layer (roughly 1/2 a slice per burger but it's up to you) in the middle. Be careful of the cheese being too near the edges as it will leak out whilst cooking. I find it a lot easier to use ready-sliced cheese as grated cheese gets everywhere! 

Then press another small ball of burger mixture onto the top and press down firmly to seal the burger together. Lift the ring off the burger and make sure that the edges are all pressed together with no gaps. Place the burgers into the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm up. 

Make sure your barbecue is ready to cook and the coals are white hot. Place each burger carefully onto the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side initially. Take care when turning the burgers as they will be delicate because of the layering! Then cook for a further 8-10 minutes with the lid on the barbecue (or use a large separate metal lid placed over the burgers on the grill; I use a wok lid) to ensure that they're cooked all the way through. 

Serve hot in the rolls of your choice! 

Steak with Chimichurri Dressing 

Steak cooked over smokey hot coals and served in a roll was a no-brainer for me when planning this barbecue. But me being me I decided to liven it up a bit with a spicy, fresh chimichurri dressing. The dressing is best made 24 hours in advance in order for the flavours to infuse. 

Ingredients to make the chimichurri dressing:

1 large red chilli, finely chopped and deseeded

2 large cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tbsps of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tbsp of dried oregano

2 tbsps of red wine vinegar

2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsps of cold water

This dressing is amazingly simple: mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and place in the fridge for 24 hours for the flavours to infuse. And yes, that's it. 

For the steak sandwiches I used 1 rump steak per 2 people and trimmed them of any fat and sinew. For medium-rare cook the steaks on the hot barbecue for 3 minutes on each side. Then slice the steak into strips and serve in the rolls of your choice; I used ciabatta for crunch. Drizzle a spoonful or two of the chimichurri dressing onto the steak in the sandwich and munch! 

Jerk Chicken Drumsticks 

Chicken drumsticks are a barbecue staple but marinading them in cajun spices and honey makes them hot, sticky, and sweet. This is a very simple jerk marinade, using a ready-mixed jerk seasoning but is best marinaded overnight for the best flavour. These drumsticks are cooked in the oven initially and then finished on the barbecue for flavour; no salmonella here! 

Ingredients for 10 drumsticks: 

10 chicken drumsticks, skin removed

3 heaped tsps of jerk seasoning

2 tbsps of honey

1 tbsp of soy sauce (substitute with GF soy sauce if needed)

4 tbsps of tomato ketchup 

Firstly cut 2-3 slits into the meat of the drumsticks (without cutting all the way through) to allow the marinade to better flavour the meat, then place all the drumsticks into a tray. Mix the jerk seasoning, honey, soy sauce, and ketchup together in a bowl and pour over the drumsticks. Using your hands or two large spoons move the chicken around so that the marinade is covering all the meat thoroughly. Place in the fridge and leave to marinate overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan. Remove the drumsticks from the fridge and transfer to a roasting tray; pouring the remaining marinade over the top. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the drumsticks halfway through. This will make sure the meat is cooked thoroughly but for the best flavour and to caramelise the meat it's best to finish on the barbecue. 

Make sure the coals are white hot then place the drumsticks onto the grill. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the skin is darkened and caramelised; don't worry if the meat blackens as this will only add to the flavour!