Top Barbecue Tips For the Perfect Outdoor Meal

Having a barbecue is a great way to have a meal outdoors in a relaxed and informal way. It can be as simple as you wish or made more elaborate for a special occasion. Barbecues are a very versatile way of entertaining and by using some of these top barbecue tips for the perfect outdoor meal, your BBQ should be a great success.

The first tip is your barbecue itself. Whether you have a gas, electric or coal BBQ, picking the right place for it is essential. Avoid windy spots and allow plenty of space around the BBQ. Avoid positioning it near to plants, fences or buildings that may catch fire. Ensure it is on a hard level surface to stop it toppling over.

Always keep children and pets away from the BBQ and have a fire blanket and water close to hand in case of emergencies. Your BBQ needs to be thoroughly cleaned after each use, this will save any nasty surprises next time you come to use it.

There are several tools that are essential for barbecuing, these are mainly long handled to protect your hands from the heat and include tongs, spatula, and knife along with skewers for vegetables or kebabs. All your tools should be ready for you to use on a side table next to you along with any plates and the food to be cooked. This saves you going backwards and forwards for things and leaving the BBQ unattended.

Other very useful BBQ tools include oven mitts, a basting brush for oiling your BBQ foods and a wire brush to keep your grill free from burnt bits. It's important to keep your grill clean when you are cooking as well as after. A spray water bottle is also useful to dampen down any flare ups as this can make the food taste charred.

Always give yourself plenty of time to pre-heat the BBQ. This will depend on the type of BBQ you have, coal BBQs often take longer than gas ones. Check the instruction manual before you start. Food placed on the BBQ before it is hot enough will not cook properly and may cause lots of unwanted smoke.

To keep the meat more succulent and avoid drying  or burning, remove it from the fridge an hour before cooking to bring it back to room temperature. Be sure to keep it covered and out of direct sunlight. Add flavor to your meats and fish dishes by using rubs, pastes or marinades. These should be used at least 20 minutes before cooking or marinated up to 24 hours ahead of cooking.

For the perfect outdoor meal keep your BBQ as stress free as possible, do as much of the preparation as possible. Homemade burgers can be made in advance as can salads and kept in the fridge. Make up vegetable or meat kebabs on skewers, place in a dish and cover with foil and place in the fridge.

Although there are many dessert dishes that can be made on the BBQ, to make your BBQ simple have ready made or bought desserts for your guests. Make up your own favorite desserts such as cheesecake the week before and store in the freezer until ready to be used.

Foods can sometimes fall apart on the BBQ such as fish. To avoid added mess cook them or wrap them in foil. This also helps in the cleaning of your BBQ with foods that stick to the grills. Brush the foil with oil before placing the food on it. Add salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon to salmon, fold the corners over to keep the juices in and you have a lovely barbecued salmon dish with no cleaning up.

For small items such as prawns, you can use special cages to put the food in to contain them. These are also handy for sausages and burgers and make it easy to turn them over in one go.

And finally, be prepared the weather can change fast. Have a plan 'B' if it starts to rain. Either think about some sort of cover such as a gazebo or be prepared to move your BBQ inside and cook on your grill or hob. Either way keep it simple is the best way for the perfect BBQ meal.