With summer not too long away, we know the most Australian thing we can do is to throw an Australian BBQ. We’ve put together a short list of etiquettes for guests and some useful tips for hosts organizing a BBQ.
Unspoken Australian BBQ Etiquettes
Bring something along
When invited to an Australian BBQ, always bring a dish along unless told otherwise.
Some hosts prefer that they take care of all the food and drinks. In that case, it is still a good idea to get something like a bottle of wine, chocolates or a thoughtful gift as a means to thank them for the invite.
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Bring Your Own Beer – BYOB
BBQ and beer come hand in hand here in Australia. It’s always a good idea to bring your own beer or beverage of choice even if you don’t plan to drink.
Chances are, you will be tempted to cracked a bottle of two after having a couple of tasty snags.
Thank your hosts
Unless your hosts are using a pellet smoker, chances are throwing a BBQ can be a lot of work. While you are busy socialising and chatting away, your host is probably by hot BBQ flipping steaks.
Always show your appreciation to your host and compliment them especially when the food is great.
Offer to help
Always volunteer to help out where you can but never tell the host how to cook. Had better steaks somewhere else? Maybe this is not the best time to say it out.
Cleaning up after a long BBQ is usually dreaded so offer to help where you can.
Dress informally
Australian BBQs are usually a relaxed social event. Unless there is a dress code, it’s perfectly appropriate to wear shorts and thongs to a barbie. Don’t be the guy who gets remembered for over-dressing for a BBQ.
Helpful Tips to throw an Australian BBQ
Choose the right BBQ
The most common type of BBQ in most Australian household is a gas BBQ. Unfortunately, you’ll be sacrificing a lot of flavour for convenience by using a gas barbie as it’s no different from a gas-powered hot plate.
A pellet smoker or pellet grill is the perfect choice as it imparts a subtle smokey flavour to whatever you cook on it similar to a traditional BBQ while having the same convenience as a gas BBQ.
Know when to turn the meat
It’s always a bit of a debate as to how often to turn the meat or whether to turn the meat at all. One school of thought is to turn it only once while the other is to turn it every 30 seconds.
By turning the meat fewer times, you’re allowing it to continuously stay in contact with the BBQ for longer which will help it develop a darker sear.
With that said, turning it ever 30 seconds will help the piece of meat cook more evenly.
Use a thermometer
If you are like most people and tend to either overcook or undercook your steak, we can’t stress how important it is to use a thermometer especially when BBQ-ing thicker cuts of meat.
You can remove the guesswork by using something like an instant-read thermometer which can quickly measure the internal temperature of the meat so you’ll know when it’s done.
Let your meat rest
Meats such as lamb, beef and pork which are staples of any Australian BBQ do require some time to rest before slicing into it.
This will allow the muscles which have tensed up during the searing process to loosen up and the juices in it to redistribute throughout the piece of meat.
If you see juices or blood oozing out as you slice into the piece of meat, chances are, it could do with a little more time resting.
Plan ahead
Always plan ahead of time on what to cook. Most typical Australian BBQ meats and seafood take a short time to cook on a BBQ while some low and slow recipes call for hours of smoking. If you’re smoking a brisket or ribs, you may even want to put it on your smoker the evening before your BBQ.
Don’t forget the sides
It’s easy to think that a BBQ is all about the meat. Salads, corn, pasta are all great sides that you can serve to your guests. If you don’t have anything in mind, just get your guests to bring a side each!
Wrap up
We believe that the most important part of a barbie is to spend quality time with friends and family. You shouldn’t have to babysit the food on your grill while everyone else is having fun.
Check out our range of pellet smokers which you can set and forget while you enjoy the time with your guests.