With the sun finally shining, it’s every meat lover’s favourite time of year. It’s time to welcome your family and friends over to your house and host the perfect barbecue. However, given the wait we’ve had to endure over the past year, you may be worried that you’ve gotten a little rusty and want to make sure you get everything just right. If this is the case, then you’ve certainly come to the right place and so, with your butchers knives at the ready, here are the 5 top tips for hosting that perfect barbecue.

Marinate beforehand

We’ll begin with a classic barbecuing tip. With any recipe you see online or in a cookbook, it will probably recommend that you leave the meat in marinade for a good few hours, or better still, to leave it overnight. The same can be said with your meat preparation for your barbecue. If you want your meats to pack a flavoursome punch, marinate them overnight. Whether you’re going for a chilli sauce, a peri-peri or even a teriyaki, having your meats readily marinaded beforehand saves you a lot of prep time on the day and adds a range of flavours and spices to your barbecue.

Let the flames die down

This one will be a no-brainer for any you barbecuing veterans, but for novices, this can make or break your first attempt at hosting. If you want to get the most effective results from your barbecue, you need to allow the flames to die off and wait for the coals to be coated in white ash. This, in fact, is when your barbecue will be giving off the most heat, making it the optimal time to begin cooking. Despite the term ‘flame-grilled’, if you sit the meats on the grill whilst the fire is still ablaze, you’re actually allowing the heat to gradually increase, meaning that your meats could burn and lose their flavour. Waiting for the coals to whiten will help you cook at the perfect temperature and grant you control when cooking the food.

Check the meats

OK, so we recognise that this probably seems rather obvious on the surface, but it is of the utmost importance to ensure your meats are cooked thoroughly before serving. We’d recommend investing in a temperature probe and, if not, cutting into your meats (especially chicken and pork) to ensure the meat is properly cooked and the juices are running clear. A simple recommendation that can go a long way when hosting a barbecue.

Meat temperature

Broaden your meat selection

If you truly want to make your barbecue stand out, broadening your selection of meats could be a game changer. Burgers, drumsticks, sausages, these are all staples of the classic British barbecue, but a trip to your local butchers could help you to diversify your options and offer your guests something fresh and new for their palates. Why not offer up some brisket, picanha, or even venison, giving them something new to enjoy. (Barbecued seafood is also on the rise in the UK!)

Get the right tools for the job

Our final tip for your perfect barbecue is to ensure you’ve got all the right equipment for the job. In terms of preparation, it’s always handy to have a set of butchers knives ready, so that you make enough cuts for all of your guests. Perhaps you’ve recently invested in your very own burger press or sausage filler and want to try your hand at some homemade classics.

When it comes to the barbecue itself, however, a set of tongs with a long handle will be your best friend. These offer you a steady grip on the meats, allowing you to continuously flip and check them, and at the same time, they offer you enough distance from the heat to prevent the chance of getting burned. Other tools that are always useful to have on hand are a temperature probe, a basting brush, and a set of metal skewers.

With these 5 top tips in mind, you should be primed and ready to host the perfect barbecue. Whether you’re a connoisseur of the grill, or it’s your first time behind the barbecue, keeping these simple tricks in mind should go a long way in impressing your guests.

And if you’re looking for the right tools to get the job done, you’re in exactly the right place. Here at Butchers Equipment Warehouse, we stock a huge range of butchers knives and sharpeners, as well as a broad choice of butchers machinery and butchers spares and consumables, ideal for any private or commercial kitchen. If you need any advice or you’re looking for anything in particular, don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01254 427761. We’re here to help!