BBQ bits

They say that the success of a dish is down to the chef; this is true to an extent, but never underestimate the importance of having the right culinary tools to pull off a barbeque meal that impresses your guests.
Of course, if you only ever fire up the barbeque to throw on some sausages, you can get away with the absolute minimum of tools – a cleaning brush and some turning tongs. If you want to expand your repertoire of meals beyond the sausage and steak variety, you’ll be pleased to know there are a range of accessories to make your outdoor cooking easier.Jenny Best of Bestway recommends starting off your barbeque tool collection with a basic set, which includes a fish slice/spatula, tongs and a fork. “These kits are great for beginner barbeque chefs, who will only need to add a cleaning brush to complete their collection. They are very popular (and well timed!) as Christmas gifts for dads – right when people are thinking of outdoor cooking for the summer holidays.”
Barbeque tool sets vary in size from the basic essentials to a wider array of useful gadgets. The bigger sets usually come in a handy aluminium case, with additional tools such as a basting brush for marinades.

 

Once you’re ready to make the shift up to advanced barbeque cuisine, Jenny says the tools get more exciting and your cooking can become a little more creative. She recommends one of the more convenient barbeque tools – a wire ‘basket’ – which comes in a range of sizes and can be used to encase a half chicken or vegetables; you can also get a fish-shaped one to house your catch of the day. Once food is sealed in the wire basket, it can be turned over all in one for easy grilling.

One of the most popular barbeque cooking accessories is the ‘beer can chicken roaster’, reveals Jenny: “You’re not limited by beer. You can use lemonade, orange juice or any manner of liquids. Simply pop it inside the chicken while you’re roasting to keep meat moist and tender and infuse with flavour,” she says. If you prefer a rotisserie-style cooking device, the Festiva BBQ Rotisserie Set costs just $60 and fits most 2 - 6 burner gas BBQs and can take up to 6kg of meat.

Another popular option for outdoor chefs is the pizza stone, which you can put on the barbeque grill and put the hood down to cook up an easy pizza. If you like to keep things simple, even novice chefs will likely appreciate a set of kebab skewers, which can be purchased in chrome for barbeque cooking. Kebeb skewers save you having to soak the bamboo skewers in water prior to use and also means they can be washed and re-used.

All outdoor chefs know that there is nothing more frustrating than guessing how well done your steak is once daylight has faded. On the other hand, a plate of under-cooked chicken is a sure-fire way to lose barbeque brownie points around the dinner table.

A useful accessory is a barbeque light, which can be conveniently attached to the side of your barbeque for safe and convenient outdoor grilling.

Once you’ve got your barbeque established, a range of appropriate barbeque accessories and tools will complement your culinary skills and increase the ease and style of your outdoor cooking.

Invest in a cover to keep it dry and reduce the risk of rust and reduce the wear and tear on your grill. The barbeque grates need to be cleaned thoroughly after each use.

After cooking, and while the grill is still warm, use a stiff wire brush to clean off remaining food particles. If you have a cast iron grate, brush on some oil with a paper towel to condition your grate after cleaning. If you have a charcoal grill, clean the grate and brush out the ashes and cooked on foods after each use, this will reduce excess smoke and other bad flavours.

Every now and then the underside of the grill will need a good scrub. A gas grill also needs to be cleaned with each use. If your gas BBQ has a ‘clean setting’ switch it on to preheat your grill to burn off any food that has fallen down into the grill, then clean the grates and brush off the sides and lid. Every now and again, lift out the cooking grate and clean off the barrier above the burners to remove cooked on grease and food particles.

There are a range of cleaning tools to make the job easier. A Mr Bar B Q Grill Brush is ideal for removing fat and grime quickly, while 30 Seconds BBQ Grill Cleaner is formulated to remove grease, animal and vegetable fats, burnt deposits, carbon and grime and is biodegradable and phosphate free. Selleys also sells the Ultimate BBQ Care Kit, which contains a 12 pack of BBQ wipes hot plate cleaner exterior cleaner and a cleaning/polishing cloth.

To avoid some of the mess associated with cooking altogether, consider a Hinton Hotplate Magic BBQ Hotplate Liner. The non-stick reusable liner is easy to clean and requires no oil when cooking and is perfect for use with sticky marinades. Because it’s portable, it’s a handy accessory to take with you when using a public BBQ or on your next camping trip.

When cleaning the barbeque, it’s important to leave some fat on the grill for a certain amount of protection to the barbeque surface. This will reduce rust and make cooking less likely to stick.