GET SET TO SIZZLE

BARBECUING HAS LOST NONE OF ITS FLAVOUR

The traditional Aussie barbecue remains a great way to entertain over the summer months, providing the opportunity to get out of the kitchen and share an easy meal with friends. 

When planning a barbie it seems there are four “S” essentials - sausages, steak, seafood and salads.

Some of the best local sausages are made by the Cimarosti Brothers - Steven, Phil and Gary – at their Colonel Light Gardens butchery. Their father Louis was a butcher in the West End of Adelaide about 40 years ago and his sons carry on the tradition.

The star snags include the signature West End original-style beef sausages which crop up on pub menus around town (the Prince Albert Hotel, Wright St, serves Cimarosti sausages with roasted vegetables, caramelised onion, gravy and tomato chutney).

Other sizzling favourites include award-winning continental Italian pork sausages, lamb and mint, pork and fennel, old English pork and the classic BBQ snag.

Steak may seem an easy option at first but there are plenty of pitfalls for novice barbecue cooks.

These can be solved with Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) cooking tips and techniques for achieving the best juicy steak.

To start, coat the meat in oil instead of adding oil to the barbecue grill or hotplate. Also, remember to post-season the steak rather than pre-salt.  Don’t use salt in a marinade or rub mixture and then leave the meat to stand for several hours before cooking or the salt will draw out the juices, making the meat tough. And the biggest tip of all - cook on one side until moisture appears and be sure to turn once only.

Fresh seafood is another winner on the barbie and Michael Angelakis of Angelakis Bros says firmer-fleshed fish varieties such as swordfish steaks, marlin steaks and kingfish portions, are ideal for barbecuing as they hold their shape and texture.

He also suggests Atlantic salmon skewers or prawn shaslicks which need a minimum of preparation, mackerel cutlets or one of the great Greek traditions - barbecued octopus tentacles cooked on a char grill.

Michael’s key tips for barbecuing seafood include making sure the hot plate is very clean before heating up and, if the  fish is sitting in a marinade, ensure it is well drained before cooking otherwise the portions can stew in the excess moisture while on the hot plate. 

If the gas bottle at home has run out or you don’t feel like cleaning the barbie, then head to The British Hotel at North Adelaide where you can get a great cut of meat and cook it yourself on the impressive central barbecue.

The hotel sources high quality meats ( from Austral Meats) such as scotch fillet, sirloin, aged rump, kangaroo, chicken breast, T-bone, pork rib-eye or lamb backstrap.

Owner Richard Spalvins says the DIY barbie option is popular for bucks nights and with sporting clubs but admits more people choose to let talented chefs Melissa Grant and Tom Fox cook it for them in the  kitchen.

Cimarosti Bros Colonel Light Meat and Smallgoods, Goodwood Rd, Daw Park

www.themainmeal.com.au

www.angelakis.com.au

The British Hotel, 58 Finniss St North Adelaide