Expert Tips For The Perfect Barbecue

I’m going to let you in a little secret, MOB: I am terrible at barbecuing. I can’t really start a fire, I have no idea how long anything takes to cook or smoke, and the best thing I that can grill in the great outdoors is a couple of charred bits of corn on the cob.

I’m the sort of person that’ll end up buying some chicken thighs, coating them in a marinade and then proceeding to burn them to shit on a small disposable grill while they’re still pretty much raw in the middle. Yep, I’m bad at barbecues and I’m in dire need of some advice and top barbecue tips from experts. Thankfully, I know a few of those very experts and I thought I might as well share their knowledge with you, the MOB. Not because I think you’re as shit at barbecuing as me but because there’s always more to learn when it comes to outdoor cookery and these experts – who have had more charcoal dinners than you’ve had hot dinners and run some the best barbecue joints in town– are really at the top of their game.

From the meat you use to the wood you use to cook it on, there are heaps of tips and tricks you can learn to take your BBQ game to the next level. Ever heard of the Minion Method? No, I hadn’t either until speaking to David Carter of Smokestak. But I’m going to pass Carter’s knowledge onto you along with wise words from the folks at Cue Point, BRAT, Berber and Q, and many, many more of the country's top barbecue experts. Happy grilling, gang.

“Marinating is a big part of BBQ – but you can take it too far, with overseasoning, brining and rubbing. There is nothing wrong with creating a dry rub and putting it onto the meat fish or veggies, straight onto the BBQ. We believe you do need to marinade white meat, but beef can just be cooked with a bit of herby salt and comes out just as moist and flavoursome. Lamb on the other hand, because it’s more gamey, really benefits from a good marinade.”

Mursal is the director of Cue Point.

“Sourcing your cooking fuel is equally as important as sourcing the ingredients you're cooking. I use a mix of wood and lumpwood charcoal depending on the desired cooking temperature and flavour I'm wanting to achieve. Birch is a great all-rounder in the wood department, it burns hot for a long time and has a sweeter flavour compared to more traditional woods like oak. Last year I started cooking with biodynamic grapevines (Grenache, Muscat, and Chenin) from the Loire Valley which imparts a green-vanilla flavour to the foods you're grilling or smoking - it's been a revelation in creating new flavours. For charcoal I like to use holmoak single-species hardwood that's naturally made, giving clean and pure heat without any chemical flavour. I buy all my cooking fuels from London Log Co, who have a great online shop.”

John is the co-founder and chef of AngloThai.

“In Britain, we're obsessed with hot and fast barbecue – which is essentially lighting a massive fire, putting tiny little bits of meat on it which then get burnt on the outside and stay raw in the middle. Stuff like sausages and burgers are, like, the worst possible things you can cook on a barbecue because burgers are going to stick like shit to a blanket and sausages are a lost cause as soon as their delicate skin breaks. Our top tip for a barbecue is to always to go for a bigger cut of meat like a whole picanha or a whole leg of lamb or a whole pork shoulder. Okay, it might take you longer to cook, but it's much more relaxed than the hot and fast technique that British people are used to. Take it slow and low and think about smoking meat as opposed to grilling it. Anybody that has a barbecue with a lid, you've automatically got a smoker and you can start to think about your barbecue more like an outdoor oven. Get a big piece of meat that would cook over maybe 4 or 5 hours – you want something with a big fat cap that will self-baste as the fat renders down. You can already have that in your barbecue before your friends arrive Get them to bring all the side dishes and then you can just start drinking!”

Shauna is the co-owner of Hang Fire Southern Kitchen.

"Our ultimate barbecue tip to take your barbecue to the next level is getting a good ratio of smokiness and crisp to your meat or veg that compliments your seasoning or marinade. Trust me, when you get the balance right your garden BBQ party will earn you a freebie from your stingy housemate down Columbia road market and an artisan coffee this Sunday.

Soak some wood or wood chips in water for 24 hours before – think of this as the wood marinade. When it’s time, spread your wood chips over your hot coals once they have completely turned white with no flame, we don’t want the wood/chips to catch alight. Keep a water bottle close by to jerk-style spray the BBQ when it gets a bit dry to keep moisture locked in and to keep the coal cooler in case a rogue flame appears. Throw the wood chips over the coals evenly then move your meat/veg when you have nearly cooked them all the way through over the coals to crisp up and add a cover or close the drum BBQ, not for too long, for a mild smokiness."

Daniel is the owner of Jerk Off BBQ.

"Burn your herbs. I discovered this technique accidentally whilst using a herb bundle to baste my meat on the BBQ and I’ve never looked back. My basting brush caught alight, releasing the most incredible aroma. Not wanting to waste all those herbs I chopped them up and dressed them with olive oil, red wine vinegar, heaps of minced garlic and a touch of mustard, it makes the most delicious charred salsa and has gone perfectly with each and every meat I’ve eaten it with so far."

Josh is the chef-owner of Berber & Q.

"My top tip – in fact, vital tip, it's almost the only thing you need to know about BBQ cooking – is to learn the difference between direct cooking (where you cook over the coals) and indirect cooking (where you cook to one side of the coals). By setting up your fire with the coals to one side, you create ‘temperature zones’ and then you, the cook, become in control of the heat rather than the fire being in charge and you have wriggle room to manoeuvre your food further from the fire if it's cooking too hot or too fast. In most cases, I think it better to cook food more gently a little further from the fire for a little longer rather than try and rush over direct heat and risk the dreaded burnt outside and raw in the middle scenario!"

Genevieve is the author of Foolproof BBQ and Charred, and owner of the Bristol Fire School. You can find her on Instagram at @GenevieveEats.

“It is really important to go slow and use low temperatures – I use the Minion Method, this allows you to cook for up to 18 hours by carefully controlling the air vents and creating a flavoursome smoke. By using indirect heat, you are able to let the meat cook gently, it will cook in its own time and the most important factor to take into consideration is the end result so have patience. Using fuel that provides flavour is just as important than the produce you are cooking with, I use kiln-dried English oak but beech, birch, chestnut and apple offer equally great results.”

David Carter is the head chef and owner of Smokestak.

"My top tip is to go big on flavour: charred and smoked foods can take it. Add extra punch to marinades, use a rub or make a glaze. Layering flavour during cooking also works well: try splitting a marinade in half and using some as a baste during grilling, or go old school and use a big brush of herbs, which will leave their flavours behind. I also like to add sprinkles of spices to my grilled meats and veg just before serving, to really seal the deal."

Helen Graves is the Editor of Pit magazine

"I think there's an assumption with barbecuing that you just pop it up and start cooking and there's that kind of feeling like it's easy but it requires a lot of planning, actually. You've got to get the fire on early and you've got to be very organised because you're dealing with live flame. With a gas hob or whatever you can turn it on and off, right? But I've seen people get it wrong in the sense that they just turn it on and think you can cook on it straight away but it actually requires a lot of forethought. You've got to respect that heat source. You can't just turn it off and on. I think people get it wrong in the sense of not planning enough. You need to get a fire on early."

Tomos Parry is the head chef of Brat.

"Rest your meat! It can be very tempting to get straight into your hunk of meat after however many hours of smoking but it needs that rest time and the longer the better. If your meat is too hot to touch, it's not ready! I enjoy smoking the whole pigs the most at From the Ashes. By doing this, you incorporate the fattier cuts, like the shoulders with the leaner cuts, such as the leg and loin, giving a perfect balance of smokey meat, fat and moisture."

Curtis is one of the co-owners and directors of From The Ashes BBQ. You can find them at the Two Tribes Campfire all summer.

"I always go for a hot side and a cool side. Whether that's keeping a pile of coals on one side of your coal barbecue, or turning down the gas on your outdoor grill, it makes sense. Having those options means that something that's cooking too quick can take a break, and you can also use the cool side for things like chicken that need cooking through. Also, ride the lid! Keep it closed to make your barbecue into an oven, open it up to release the heat buildup and raise the scorch for your steaks."

Struan is the COO and co-founder of Provenance Village Butcher.