The northern spring is sproinging and, while many a young man's fancy turns to love, there's also those of us who look happily towards the barbeque.

I've seen many, many pictures of American barbecues, and they're so very different to the way we do it Down Under, and then there's the British version which can only be described as 'interesting'.

My personal belief is that while clothes maketh the man, sauces maketh the meal, and I've a couple of simple ideas that may suit many tastes.

Here's cheers to the barbecue!

Watch out or Bob G. will chime in and give you a "history" lesson about how barbeque was "invented" in Vegas and the Proper way to do it. :)

Of course, those of us in Texas KNOW the only barbeque sauce is from TEXAS.. We have it Totally PERFECTED..  ;)

But now that you mention it -- time in TEXAS to fire up the old grill and put those ribs on and get ready for the feast...  8-)

Thinking of you down-under as the barbeque sauce drips off the ribs.. Luv ya  :-*

BarbaraD wrote on Mar 28^th, 2016 at 8:17am:

Watch out or Bob G. will chime in and give you a "history" lesson about how barbeque was "invented" in Vegas and the Proper way to do it. :) Of course, those of us in Texas KNOW the only barbeque sauce is from TEXAS.. We have it Totally PERFECTED..  ;) But now that you mention it -- time in TEXAS to fire up the old grill and put those ribs on and get ready for the feast...  8-) Thinking of you down-under as the barbeque sauce drips off the ribs.. Luv ya  :-*

What do you mean time to fire it up?  ;D I grill outdoors all year round - like I did in California. Mild weather can do that to a man.......

The only difference is that I don't use a propane grill anymore. Just Mesquite, unless I'm in a hurry on a weeknight - then a bit charcoal is needed. After all, this is Texas!

AussieBrian wrote on Mar 28^th, 2016 at 4:43am:

My personal belief is that while clothes maketh the man, sauces maketh the meal, and I've a couple of simple ideas that may suit many tastes.

Still waiting for the other shoe to drop...

Sliced cabbage, sliced green apples, sliced onions, pickled ginger, cracked black pepper and some butter.

Lightly steamed beforehand, or braised on the bbq and served hot.

Fabulous with anything pork.

Tart Tomato Sauce - and it's supposed to be a bit lumpy.

Wash your hands, open a beer and put a clean saucepan onto medium heat on the kitchen stove. Add some butter along with finely chopped onions and garlic, saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add can/s of crushed tomatoes, a glurp of Worcestershire sauce, a goodly shplut of dijon, oregano, brown sugar, then a red wine for the cooking and two for the cook.

Finely chop de-seeded lime/s, skin and all, and throw them in, too.

Allow to simmer uncovered, 20-40 minutes, until thickened, S&P to taste.

Serve as a sauce but it's great spooned over half-cooked meats while still on the bbq so nature can take its course.

Open beer.

and then there's the British version which can only be described as 'interesting'.

Lovelly weather, great company, brilliant swimming pool, fantastic barbeque..............brilliant weather, lovelly company,fantastic pool, swimming barbeque  ;D ;D ;D

Yum.  Have to try it.

A potato salad that's remarkably popular because it has NO mayonnaise!

I prefer to use the tiny 'seed' potatoes but any variety is fine when cut into nice big chunks and boiled/steamed until only just cooked.

In addition there's asparagus boiled for 30 seconds then thrown into icy water, red onions finely sliced, smokey bacon fried and sliced thin, carrot strings and mint leaves, and a sauce of olive oil, dijon mustard, heaps of lemon juice and zest.

The trick is to gently combine all these ingredients in the serving dish while the spuds are still piping hot and all the tastes will then meld beautifully. Cover with plastic and wrap it in a couple of towels so it cools so very, very slowly.

It's ideal made earlier in the day and served while still a bit warm and garnished with heaps of parsley tops, but it'll keep happily for days if the kitchen monster don't sneak in and beat you to the leftovers.

Goes very well with cold beer.

Double yum!

Hey AussieB--your recipes are the shit.
Adding beer (or wine, or other adult beverages) to the cook is one of the finest public services possible and almost always adds to the quality of the food produced.
I salute you, sir, and will continue to try your inventive and delicious recipes!!
8-)

Brian - your recipe sounds just like how the late Keith Floyd used to cook, with a glass of wine in one hand and frequent sips.

Nothing like a good rub, I reckon, and this one is especially good rubbed heavily into chicken pieces before going over the fire, not quite so heavily into beef, buff or bison, and only a light dusting for meats like lamb, kanga and duck -

3 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp ground sumac
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp oregano flakes
1 tsp rosemary flakes
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Some of it will always stick to your fingers and give you the bested whiff and sniff each time you lift the beer you so truly deserve.

This mustard sauce requires regular tasting while making it so it pays to keep a cold beer handy, just in case.

Into a mug put a tbsp of flour and a few drops of water and start stirring it. Add more tiny quantities of water to stir it into a smooth paste. (It takes only moments, unless you rush it.) Add your favourite mustards, I use a big tsp each of dijon and hot English, stir in and set aside.

Whisk together an egg and a quarter cup of sugar, add a quarter cup of vinegar, a cup of white wine and the mustard mixture.

Drink beer, taste sauce, and add a bit more of anything you please. Simmer over a low heat, stirring, until only just thick.

This is beaut poured over anything barbequed, including the fruit and veg, and is also great as a dip alongside your favourite beer-snacks.

Brian...every time I read one of your recipes I gets HONGRY...and bemused....

My Father was an excellent cook...he HAD to be as Mom was NOT....I still dream about his dozen or so signature dishes which I took for granted.... and am forever doomed to never taste again. I SHOULDA paid attention and learned what he did...golly they were good and I have no idea what the "recipe" was...tho as my Nannie (another wonderful cook)  used to say..."Jonny,I have no recipes".....so I thank you for providing.....

The best I can do is what I call "easy a** dinner...like: a can of refried beans (chunky and NO fat) in a bowl....generous heap of diced onion (LARGE dices) mixed in.....great dollops of Tapatio on top...and finished with a big sprinkling of garlic powder. Shredded cheese may be added if you are going for the gourmet experience. No utensils are necessary as your favorite tortilla chips serve most admirably...

And one other comment...afraid it's the Food Science background...I surely hope that egg you add is
pasteurized. Maybe the eggs down under are safer than here.....but I wouldn't mess with raw eggs.....

Best

Jon

How do you Pasteurise an egg ?

Peter510 wrote on Apr 8^th, 2016 at 5:04am:

How do you Pasteurise an egg ?

...heated water bath (135-140 F) just below cooking temp .....commercially available and recommended
for recipes calling for uncooked eggs...e.g. Caesar dressing.... have been around for almost 20 yrs now

...there are numerous websites touting do-it-yourself......but the USDA recommends against since
commercial equipment is much more sophisticated and accurate

...odds of a contaminated egg are only 1:20,000...but that's 1 egg per pallet....I'd rather win the
regular lotto so I don't play this one...and yes, I do recognize it's a bit of professional paranoia...so when I start worrying too much I have another beer.............................

jon019 wrote on Apr 8^th, 2016 at 5:58am:

...so when I start worrying too much I have another beer.............................

And rightly so! Just as you're perfectly correct in worrying about the use of a raw egg in a barbeque situation, in warm weather, where there might be old people, children, babies or pregnant women.

Such culinary negligence can be devastating!

Kindly note, however, that the egg in this sauce is beaten, whisked with vinegar and wine, then cooked within an inch of its life while the sauce slowly thickens.

Raw it ain't, safe it are, but there's plenty of other mustard sauces about that are easy to make and people love 'em as they beat the pants off anything that comes off the supermarket shelf.

Food should be fun!!!

yup...I missed the simmer part....my apologies...carry on..............I'm going to have
another beer as punishment.............

If beer is the punishment, I plead equally guilty - regardless the crime!

But when it comes to just good ol' bbq sauce, I must wonder if you Yanks aren't just a step ahead of us decent folk down under.

Y'see, I never realised it could be so much fun as your Rhett & Link with their BBQ sauce song.

Putting fun into food.

Since moving to the Sierra, my favorite is to head out in the morning and catch a couple of pan sized trout.  Gut & skin them, then:
Wipe with maple syrup,
place lemon slices in gut cavity,
place a couple slices of bacon on aluminum foil,
lay trout on bacon,
couple more slices on top of trout,
seal up foil and place on medium grill about 9 minutes on each side.
Makes for a great lunch!

Bob P wrote on Apr 8^th, 2016 at 9:01am:

Since moving to the Sierra, my favorite is to head out in the morning and catch a couple of pan sized trout.  Gut & skin them, then: Wipe with maple syrup, place lemon slices in gut cavity, place a couple slices of bacon on aluminum foil, lay trout on bacon, couple more slices on top of trout, seal up foil and place on medium grill about 9 minutes on each side. Makes for a great lunch!

I HAVE to try this. Thanks!

Whoa...I thought I liked beer....

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For introductory drinks on arrival I like to give people my fresh berries in champagne, especially as it can be made days beforehand and simply kept chilled.

I use disposable plastic flutes for this, about 30c apiece, as I'm especially lazy and it cuts down on glass around the place. I also use the cheapest sparkling white wine instead of champagne and have never been caught out.

Two bottles of booze will easily make 12-14 glasses (allowing for the cook) and each bottle you use wants a goodly tablespoon of gelatine.

Put half the wine into a bowl, wait for the bubbles to settle a little, then sprinkle in your gelatine. Don't stir it. Put the other half into a saucepan and bring it up to simmer along with a cup of sugar per bottle and lots of orange rind.

When everything is nicely dissolved in each pot, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the gelatin mixture. Leave on the bench to cool completely.

Pour enough into each flute to fill the first inch or so along with 4-5 drops of Cointreau to each. Put them into the fridge and within a few hours it'll set as jelly. (Jello for non-English speakers.)

I then add a huge strawberry, on top of that is balls of rockmelon or the like, then a layer of blueberries to take it past the half way mark and make the colours look fabulous. Any fruits can be used, of course, just ensure they're ok with jelly. Fresh little mint leaves won't go astray, either.

Add enough wine to to just cover it all and whack them back into the fridge.

When they've set add some more of the wine mixture, put them into the back of the fridge, and they'll be fine for days unless the kitchen monster sneaks in. (This happens often in my house!)

Serve them with teaspoons that are almost as long as the glass because it's beaut to watch people start on the wine jelly, love the fruit, then realise there's a surprise at the bottom and the spoon won't quite get it out.

You can make good money promising not to put their efforts on YouTube.

Holiday Weekend &  Barbeque remains me of my 10 years in the USA - Happy Days, good weather, great food.

Holiday Weekend &  Barbeque in Ireland - not a chance. lashing rain and freezing cold with the Beast knocking on the door. :(

Hey Con,

I know what you mean about the weather.

How are you getting on?

Peter.