We Brits love a barbecuebut it’s fair to say that, for all our bravery when grilling in the rain, we can be a little timid when it comes to what we cook.
With the upcoming heat wave to hit the UK in Julyit’s not a bad idea to start planning your summer garden party menu — and be a little adventurous while you’re at it.
While in some countries a barbecue will probably contain something like a slow cooked brisket, a large piece of beef or a whole fish, in the UK you often turn up to find sausages and burgers – drumsticks, skewers or helloumi at a push.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Almost anything can be cooked on hot coals, and it’s time to get on our collective barbecue games.
Whether you your barbecue antics for the public holidays or a weekend is an opportunity to fire up the grill, these recipes from Helen Graham, chef at Bubala, Londonare a good place to start.
Best barbecue recipes for a summer garden party
Fillet with beardilla, charred asparagus
In general, fillet steak is quite an expensive case of style over substance. Sure, it’s very, very tender, but for that you sacrifice flavor. A truly glorious day, beef master Olly Woolnough of Meats gave me a fillet from an ex-dairy cow that he had dried for 14 days. Game. exchanger. Full of rich ribbons of grease marbling, both tender and ridiculously tasty. If I couldn’t get a fillet like that, I’d probably use hanger/onglet instead. Fraction of the cost, much more flavor.
I make the bearnaise over the barbecue, moving the pan on and off the fire to keep the temperature nice and stable. I like to encourage people to think of a charcoal fire as your heat source, just like you would a stovetop, but you can make this indoors if you prefer.