Recipe: Heinz Classic Burger

We love a good burger. Have a go at this corker from Heinz and let us know what you think!

What you need:

4 tbsp Heinz Barbecue Sauce

4 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 cup of chilli powder 

75g fresh breadcrumbs 

1 egg lightly beaten

black pepper

500g lean beef mince

6 slicer cheddar

6 hamburger buns

sliced beef tomatoes

lettuce

What you do:

In a bowl combine the Heinz Barbecue Sauce, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and chilli powder. Add breadcrumbs and egg and stir together. 

Add the beef, season lightly with pepper and combine gently.

Divide the mixture evenly and shape into 6 burgers. Chill the burgers for 15 minutes.

When ready to cook, barbecue the burgers on a medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Top with a slice of cheese, cook for one minute, or until the cheese has melted. 

Serve on a toasted bun topped with sliced tomato and lettuce.

Smoooookin'!

We all know by now that the delicious flavour and beauty of BBQing lies in the smoke! Fancy tech smokers have begun to creep into the houses of many across the country, and they aren't cheap. Never fear! If you've got a barbi with a lid, we've got the tips you need to convert it into a fancy smoker.

1 - The variety of wood you use should change depending on what kind of food you're smoking. Pecan wood will add a beautiful flavour to brisket whilst hickory works perfectly with ribs. Just be careful to avoid unsuitable and potentially toxic kind of wood.

2 - Get soaked! It often a good idea to wet your wood as the steam from your chips will keep all of the succulent meat nice and juicy. If you'd rather, you can wet half of the chips and keep the rest dry for and even balance.

3 - Wrap the chips in tin foil like a burrito and poke lots of holes evenly throughout the packet and it's ready to go!

4 - Location, location, location. You don't want the food to be too close to the smoke as it can be a little too smoky. The best place to smoke anything is undoubtedly the top rack of the BBQ. So long as the meat isn't too close to direct heat and the the BBQ is properly ventilated, you'll be OK.

5 - Be patient! We know you'll be tempted, but don't keep peeking under the lid to see if the food is ready. You'll know when to intervene by regularly checking the temperature and watching for the smoke to dissipate. 

6 - After the first hour, lift up the lid and allow the smoke to clear before getting too close. Filling a clean spray bottle with apple juice can act as a great baster for meat. Keep basting every 20 minutes until the meat is falling off the bone.

Enjoy.

Recipe: Coriander and Ginger Lamb Chops

If you picked up the Mail on Sunday, you would have seen this delicious recipe! It's a variation on a dish we picked up from a small roadhouse on the way out of Bondi, and the slightly fusion edge enhances the overall flavour.

What you need:

6 Lamb Chops

50g Ginger

1 ripe papaya, peeled and roughly chopped

30g bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped

50ml extra virgin olive oil

2 or 3 hot chillies, finely chopped and deseeded

100ml Activia Low Fat natural yoghurt 

30g unsalted butter

What you do:

Mix ginger, papaya, oil and coriander in liquidiser, mix in the chillies and yoghurt

Remove fat/meat from top 2 inches of the chop and flatten out meat, removing any extra fat

Coat the chops with marinade and refrigerate in sealed bag for at least 4 hours

Sear on a high heat then grill for around 10 mins of medium heat and the a further 5 minutes on low

Keep turning to prevent burning

Season with salt & pepper and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving 

Recipe: Honey n' Cream grilled Nectarines

We're always preaching that BBQs shouldn't be reserved for sausages and burgers alone. With this recipe, you can take a step towards becoming a barbi hero and dazzle friends at your next alfresco party. This is an extravagant, indulgent, sweet treat that's perfect for a pallet cleanser.

What you need:

- Nectarines halved and stoned x 4

- 20ml Honey

- 10ml black treacle

- 5g ground cinnamon

- Vanilla ice cream (or Activia Intensely Creamy yogurt!)

- 20g clotted cream

What you do:

- Mix honey & black treacle and brush over the surface of the nectarines

- Grill face down on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until warmed through

- Serve with a scoop of ice cream and smaller scoop of cream on top...

or, for a healthier option, pour over some delicious Activia Intensely Creamy Yogurt!   

Top Tips - Spread the heat!

Control your temperature across the grill by having one half full of hot coals leading to the other with none. Though there's no direct heat in this end, it's great for warming food through and slow cooking.

We want to know your barbi tips... Leave them in the comments and we'll share the best!

Recipe: Gastro Grilled Chilli & Pineapple Spare Ribs

Serves 2

Forget the local Chinese; this Asian Delight is a real grill-star of the Orient and we got the idea for this dish at, believe it or not a pub on Lantau Island. Simple to both prepare and BBQ, these ribs taste great being, sweet, sour and spicy all at the same time!

What you need
Pork spare ribs x 6
Small canned pineapple, finely chopped, plus juice
Birds Eye chillies - finely chopped/deseeded
Red onion - finely chopped
4 crushed garlic cloves 
30g grated ginger
50ml x tomato puree 
lime juice 
runny honey
70g EV olive oil 
sea salt
black pepper


What you do

- Separate ribs and simmer in salted water fro 30 mins 

– drain & cool- Pan-fry garlic, ginger, onion & chillies with oil until soft then add in chopped pineapple.

- Add pineapple juice, tomato puree & honey. 

- Season to taste and boil till thick – leave to cool.

- Brush mixture over ribs and grill over medium heat for around 15 mins, or until sauce becomes crusty/brown

More than tasty tasters!

On the RoadShow we've got a lot more than just tasty summer goodies for you to eat and drink. One such AWESOME item you can get your hands on is a little Heinz recipe book, full of great ideas for summer BBQing! Here's a little snippet below for Marinated Chicken Drumsticks!

Oh, and it's free! Come and grab one.

(click to see full size)

BBQ tips you should know

As it's National BBQ Week, we thought we ought to share a few little tips & tricks that may help you reach gastro grillin' glory! If you think we've missed something out, comment or tweet using #NatBBQWeek.

1 - Hold your hand 6" from the grill to test the heat. If you feel you can hold it there for...

- under a minute, the grill is too hot
- 2-3 minutes the heat is high and ideal for searing
- 3-4 minutes is a medium temperature for normal grilling
- 4-5 minutes in fairly warm and good for heating food

2 - Marinated food tastes great and grills better, right? The longer the soak, the better the taste, right? Cut marinating times in half by placing marinated food in a sealed bag and placing in the fridge.

3 - Low & Slow! BBQing is not a race against time. Sear on high and then take it slow to retain all of those juices whilst cooking all the way through.

4 - Now you can buy a gas BBQ for under £40, there's a real argument for what's best, gas or charcoal. Follow this simple rule... Gas for ease, charcoal for taste.

5 - Shake up a barbi party with a theme. Food, clothing & drinks can all match a country's theme.

Caribbean = jerk chicken & dreds
Australian = Kanga steaks & cork hats
British = Soggy hotdog & a raincoat?

6 - Throwing wood chips and herb branches onto the coals can add great smoky flavour.

7 - Create barbi theatre by pressing meat on the grill with a spatula. The release of natural fat will create flames and make you look like a pro. (health warning: BBQs are fun. BBQs aren't toys. Be careful and treat them with respect)

8 - Introduce colour to BBQ food with flame roasted red, yellow & green peppers.

9 - Achieve criss crossed lines like a pro by searing on a high heat, quickly wiping the grill and placing back at 45 degrees.

10 - Safety first. Place the BBQ on level ground away from overhanging shrubbery. Only use bbq lighter fuel and NEVER use petrol. If a gas barbi doesn't light, turn off the gas and leave for a minute before returning and trying to relight.

National BBQ Week

You may have seen across social media (Facebook & Twitter for those not in the loop) that we're running National BBQ Week this week. BBQing sits at the very core of our alfresco ethos and there are few better ways to enjoy a communal mealtime than gastro grillin'.

National BBQ Week is one of the UK's biggest awareness weeks and has changed consumer BBQ attitudes and usage from just 9 million in 1997 to over 120 million last year! Now in its 19th year, National BBQ Week sees friends, families, pubs and hotels come together and embrace the BBQ culture, whatever the weather.

We want you to get involved! Whether it's just having a simple BBQ in the garden with the family, or sharing an alfresco afternoon with the whole of the village, we want to see your pics, tips and recipes.

Send them over on Twitter using #NatBBQWeek and we'll share the best ones.