Out & About July 2017

arbecuing is a popular pastime in the

summer months and an easy and fun

way to get a few friends together.

The shops are full of grills, from portable

barbies for the beach to gigantic specimens

that need a big garden or deck and

feed hordes.

There is a plethora of add-ons too, like a

plancha, basically a metal slab you cook on

over the coals, or chimney starter kits which

are narrow and tall and start off your coals for

you, making them quicker to get to the right

heat (Tesco £4.80 is one of the cheaper ones)

and if you want to research barbecue tongs,

prepare to make plenty of time for it.

A big trend this year is smoking your food.

There are lots of fancy smokers available, all

pretty large. But you don’t need an expensive

smoker to do it.

We look at a few different

ways to get smokin’.

THE SOUTHERN COUNTRY 2-IN-1

CHARCOAL SMOKER

is designed for

serious low and slow cooking,

but also converts to a

portable picnic grill.

When used as

a smoker, the

chimney-like

design with a vented

lid and tight-fitting

doors creates a

constant flow of new

smoke, and integral

flavour channels

direct smoke for

maximum food

flavouring.

To use as a grill,

simply remove

the body and drop the lid to the base. The

reflector pan redirects heat to the cooking

surface for thorough and even cooking.

£89.99 from:

www.bbqandsmoke.co.uk

THE BIG EASY SMOKER, ROASTER AND

GRILL

does what it says on the tin – smokes,

roasts and grills.

Roast up to 11kg poultry

with no oil using the

cooking basket and

adjustable racks, which

are included. The Big

Easy includes four

rib hooks to roast

mouthwatering

barbecued ribs. The

removable porcelain

coated grate provides

easy cleaning when

you cook your

favourite

meat. £279

from B&Q.

If you don’t want to splash out or don’t have

the room outdoors, you can smoke food on a

normal barbecue. You will need a smoke box,

a box usually made of stainless steel with

holes in the top.

You place this below your barbecue grill and

the smoke rises through the lid’s holes and

infuses your steaks. Tesco, B&Q, Clas Ohlson,

Amazon and many other outlets sell them.

Always wait for the barbecue to smoke before

you place the food on the grill and remember if

you want to smoke low and long, always include

a water pan to keep the temperature down.

The best meats to smoke include chicken,

lamb and beef. The cuts for the best results

are generally beef brisket, pork shoulder, and

ribs.

Some meaty fish is good smoked and

mackerel is brilliant for smoking. Other foods

like plain old chillies are fabulous with a little

smoky hit.

And remember, white smoke is good, black

smoke is bad. If your fire lacks ventilation or

you place your food directly over the fire and

juices are burning it will give off black smoke

and will lead to a nasty taste.

THE KITCHENCRAFT HOME MADE BBQ

SMOKER SMOKE BOX

is easy to use and

works on both charcoal or gas barbecues.

Around £8.99 from Amazon.

Or try the

Blooma Smoker Box, £7 from B&Q

CHOOSEYOUR CHIPS

It’s not a mystery what kind of chips to buy, though

some serious barbecue/smoker types like to

convince you it is a bit of an art, like wine-blending

or cheese-making.

The first thing to consider is what kinds of wood to

use, based on how overpowering the smoke they

put out is.

For delicate foods like fish or poultry, go for birch

or fruit woods like apple, cherry and peach.

Maple, hickory, oak and, pecan work with pork, and

are good for beef and game, too.

Mesquite is the strongest of all the woods, but

always use carefully. Mesquite chips will add a

strong bacon-like taste to foods – Weber do a bag

at around £10 from different outlets.

If you are buying your wood chips from the high

street they will usually be labelled to show you

what they are good for, like Weber Pork Wood

Chips for ribs, pulled pork or pork chops. John

Lewis £4.99 a bag.

Apple Wood Barbecue Smoking Wood Chips from

Tesco, £3.50 are, as I said above, good for smoking

cheese (with a cold smoker not on a barbecue) or

grilling gammon or chicken. They can be used on

a charcoal barbecue, with or without lid; can also

be used on a gas barbecue.

You can even buy whiskey-soaked chips – Jack

Daniels Wood Chips, around £10 a bag from

different outlets, are made by the whisky soaking

itself into the wood of the barrel over many years.

Some of the whisky is left in the wood after the

process has finished and the liquid has been

bottled for sale.

These pieces of wood are

then broken down and

made into smoking chips.

It’s barbecue time and HILARY SCOTT has the best tips and the latest

trends in outdoor cooking. Don’t have time to fire up that grill? We look

at pubs and restaurants where you can eat barbecued food without the

work or making anyone’s eyes water