The winning secret Behind the BBQ is preparation – and the first step towards preparing for the BBQ season, is stocking your pantry with the bare BBQ essentials.
Your pantry should contain the foods and accompaniments you use most often. In this first article of Behind the BBQ, we share some simple but essential tips to ensure you have on-hand the basic vegies, meats, condiments and range of Herb, Spice & Seasonings to turn a spur-of-the-moment BBQ into a taste success.
Absolute Essentials
These ingredients should always be on hand, particularly throughout summer.
A light Olive or Vegetable Oil is essential for cleaning and preparing the BBQ plate or grill rack.
The good old onion – cook and serve them up with sausages, burgers, steaks and salads.
MASTERFOODS Tomato Sauce, an absolute must at every BBQ. See our section on sauces below.
If ingredients like lettuce, tomato, carrots aren’t already in your crisper this summer, your salads must be looking rather bare.
The Meat of the Menu
Who was to know they’d end up staying for lunch. You can’t have everything all the time but for a day-to-day BBQ, it just takes a couple of the essentials below to fill the hole. Luckily, you had in your freezer..
1kg tray of BBQ ready steak from your local supermarket.
A bag of ‘bake at home’ rolls that are soft and warm after only 10 minutes in the oven. Plus, a little butter and a sprinkle of MASTERFOODS Garlic Salt make them extra delicious.
Most Useful Utensils
A Pastry Brush for marinating and basting meats, or oiling the BBQ plate.
Keep a packet of Bamboo Skewers on hand because a kebab without a skewer just isn’t a kebab!
Metal tongs, BBQ forks and spatulas, so those eyebrows can stay where they are.
Herbs and Spices
The range of Herbs, Spices & Seasonings that can enhance your BBQ are as broad and varied as the recipes that put them into use. Here are a few key Herbs & Spices that can always be put to good use.
A versatile seasoning to go into your burger mix, like MASTERFOODS Mixed Herbs or MASTERFOODS All Purpose Seasoning. For something with a flavour kick, try MASTERFOODS Moroccan Blend instead.
Make sure your MASTERFOODS Salt and Pepper Grinders are refilled.
MASTERFOODS Thyme Leaves or Seafood Lemon Myrtle are great in marinades for shellfish and fish fillets.
MASTERFOODS Lemongrass & Chilli Blend, MASTERFOODS Tuscan Blend or MASTERFOODS Cajun Seasoning are all perfect dry rubs for steaks, kebabs or roast meats.
If using a kettle barbecue or indirect heat, a variety of roast blends could be useful, including MASTERFOODS Roast Chicken or Roast Lamb seasoning.
Marinades
When it comes to the BBQ, a MASTERFOODS Marinade really makes a meal. Ideally, you marinate your meats overnight but when it comes to a spur-of-the-moment BBQ, use the marinade to baste the meat as you cook.
MASTERFOODS Smokey BBQ adds a distinctive, smoked hickory flavour to all your meats, particularly ribs.
Marinate your meats, chicken and seafood with MASTERFOODS Chilli and Lime for a tangy, mild chilli flavour.
For a blend of sweetness, with a hint of garlic and the richness of Soy choose the balanced flavour of MASTERFOODS Honey, Garlic & Soy. Ideal with any meats, particularly Chicken.
Sauces, Mustards and Other Condiments
No BBQ would be complete without a solid selection of sauces, mustards and condiments. Varieties are nothing short of endless. Fortunately, we all know Dad needs his Barbecue Sauce and the kids won't eat anything without their Tomato Sauce and when it comes to experiencing new tastes, the ladies are keen as.. mustard?
MASTERFOODS Tomato Sauce is a traditional blend of tasty sun-ripened tomatoes and specially selected spices.
If you’re into full-flavoured relishes with real vegetables you can taste, the MASTERFOODS Café Style Relishes will give your hot dogs, steaks and burgers that something extra you’ve been waiting for.
Regardless of your palette – there are a wide variety of MASTEROODS sauces, from chilli (sweet and mild), to Worcestershire and Barbecue.
Mustards for ideal burgers, hot dogs and salad dressings. MASTERFOODS has a wide range of mustards, including a selection in mess free squeeze bottles.