James Strawbridge is the driving force behind Strawbridge Kitchen. He lives on the South Cornish coast with his wife Holly and their three young children. When he’s not developing new recipes or directing photoshoots, James can be found foraging for wild food with his family, out at sea gig-rowing for his local club or painting the Cornish countryside.
Here are his top tips for the perfect BBQ...
Cook over embers not flames
Be patient and wait for the barbecue charcoal or wood to really burn down to achieve a strong constant heat to cook with. Once you have hot embers it reduces the chance of flare ups and gives you much more control on the grill to avoid burning or undercooking your food.
Don't forget your veggies
Veggies cooked on the barbie can be delicious. Try grilling vegetables over embers as the star of the show rather than just serving salads and veg kebabs on the side. Spring greens work really well, cauliflower steaks, radishes or peas in the pod can all be cooked in a grill basket.
Cook low n slow
Have a go at a slow cooked barbecue recipe this summer with some wood chips for a real smokey flavour. Start early in the morning and try your own beef brisket hot smoked down at 120˚C with an internal temp of 94˚C for 5-6 hours for an authentic tasting BBQ.
How to cook your onions
Instead of frying your onions in a pan, try throwing your whole onions straight onto the hot coals and cook in their skins for 45 mins. Once blackened, slice in half on a chopping board to remove the sweet, tender onions from their charred outer layers and toss with parsley and butter in a bowl to serve on your hotdogs or burgers.
Chimney lighting
To avoid waiting till sundown to tuck into your BBQ, get efficient and buy a chimney to light your charcoal. They are really quick and easy to use and massively reduce the set up time before you can start cooking, making them great for afternoon barbecues when you don't have time to start the prep in the morning.
Don't forget to glaze your meat
To avoid your food drying out remember to baste, glaze or mop with a tasty BBQ sauce. Also try adding a bowl of water into your BBQ oven if indirect grilling to keep your meat moist. For the perfect BBQ, James also recommends sourcing a selection of different barbecue foods and meats.
Make it smokey
Add a handful of wood chips to your BBQ for a woody aroma and deep smoke ring. Try using apple, oak, hickory and cherry shavings depending on what kind of flavours you like and what different kinds of foods you're having.
Use a temperature probe
If you're a fan of having all the BBQ tools and utensils - invest in a meat probe to keep an eye on the internal temperature of your food. They are really easy to use and help to understand what’s going on inside the BBQ and help you avoid any nasty food poisoning incidents.
Choosing the right charcoal
When it comes to lighting your barbecue, you'll want to find the right charcoal to burn. We'd recommend getting some sustainably sourced charcoal to cook over rather than imported briquettes. Ideally, you should look for Forestry Commission-approved charcoal as this won’t change the flavour of your food.