You’ve been BBQ-ing all wrong! Expert reveals the common mistakes everyone makes grilling – including not cooking vegetables first and forgetting to marinate the meat
- Mursal Saiq, founder of west London BBQ restaurant Cue Point spoke to FEMAIL
- She revealed common mistakes made while barbecuing following the heatwave
- Not marinating the meat is a common mistake, while many cook the meat on a too high heat
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With no more restrictions on gatherings and the weather having hit 88F this week, many people will be dusting off their barbecues and enjoying delicious treats in the sunshine.
But many will make common mistakes while outdoor grilling which could leave them with some less than desirable dishes.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Mursal Saiq, co-founder of the wildly popular Afghan Guyanese BBQ specialists Cue Point, and their head chef Josh Moroney revealed how to avoid a grilling disaster.
‘It’s a common misconception that BBQ is all about pork, country music and beer. It’s really not anymore,’ Mursal, who runs a restaurant in Chiswick, west London, told FEMAIL.
‘We founded Cue Point in order to shake up the BBQ scene. We don’t serve pork, we’re completely inclusive for Muslims and Jewish people, vegans, the dairy intolerant, and our food is made in small batches with big flavours,’.
Here, she tells FEMAIL her top tips on barbecuing, from making a good marinade to keeping your fire under control…
DON’T FORGET TO MARINATE
‘Marinating is a big part of BBQ – but you can take it too far, with over-seasoning, brining and rubbing.
‘There is nothing wrong with creating a dry rub and putting it onto the meat, fish or veggies, straight onto the BBQ.
Remember to marinate! Mursal told FEMAIL: ‘There is nothing wrong with creating a dry rub and putting it onto the meat, fish or veggies, straight onto the BBQ’. (stock image)
‘We believe you do need to marinate white meat, but beef can just be cooked with a bit of herby salt and comes out just as moist and flavoursome.
‘Lamb on the other hand, because it’s more gamey, really benefits from a good marinade.
PREPERATION IS KEY
‘Get your trays, tongs and tea towels all ready to the side of the BBQ so you’re ready to serve up. Preferably with a cold glass of something nearby.
KEEP YOUR FIRE UNDER CONTROL
‘Burn marks do not mean that the food is cooked!
‘A lot of people assume that you can only cook on white charcoal, but you can cook slowly using less charcoal making sure not to overload your barbecue, slow cook on black coals rather than searing hot white coals, ensuring that meat in particular is cooked from within and throughout.
Don’t be afraid to slow cook! Mursal explained that slow cooking using less charcoal works well (stock image)
DON’T LEAVE YOUR MEAT ON THE GRILL WHEN IT’S GONE OFF
‘Picture the scene: you’ve got a BBQ in the garden or park, the fire’s gone out a bit, so you fan the coals with a bit of cardboard and before you know it the ashes have gone all over the food, into the drinks and all over your clothes. Don’t be lazy!
‘Take the time to remove the food from the barbie, ask everyone to move out of the way and get fanning in a safe way.
ALWAYS WEAR AN APRON
It’s a mucky business! Always wear and apron when barbecuing and clean it after cooking (stock image)
‘BBQ-ing can be a mucky business: they’re never totally clean when you start, so get it hot then invest in a really good BBQ cleaning brush and give it a rub down.
‘If you’re really organised, you can clean it after your BBQ too!
BUY A THERMOMETER
‘BBQ really is a scientific process and people don’t realise that!
‘Meat acts in different ways, and in different conditions. Just because you’ve always cooked thing a certain way doesn’t mean it’s going to come out the same way each time.
‘Darker meats that we smoke, such as brisket, should come out at around the 88º-92º degree level.
‘This works for any meat that you want to melt in the mouth.
‘Steaks would be around the 55º degree mark level, so that they come out juicy and gorgeous.
It’s a science! Mursal said using a thermometer is key – and that beef should be 88º-92º (stock image)
COOK YOUR VEGETABLES BEFORE THE MEAT
‘Sounds simple – but another people always forget.
‘Always cook your vegetables before the meat, so the veggies can eat it without a load of meat juice being all over it!
‘And don’t be afraid to par boil veggies, so they don’t come out stringy or hard. This works particularly well with corn on the cob, beetroot and asparagus. Veggies can often do well wrapped in tin foil.
Always cook your vegetables before the meat, so the veggies can eat it without a load of meat juice being all over it. Stock image
DISPOSE OF YOUR BBQ IN A METAL BUCJET
‘You need to think about where you place your BBQ.
‘Don’t put it right by your rose bush as the heat and ash will ruin it.
‘Buy yourself a metal ice bucket, stick some water in there and then put the charcoal in it so you can dispose of it safely.
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Source: Food Recipes and News
