Grilling up the perfect barbecue

The weather is perfect right now, and what better way to host than have a nice BARBECUE OUT IN THE OPEN? Here's the meat and more on the IDEAL grill drill

I love a good barbecue. Then again who does not? I dare you to raise a hand! Jokes aside, there is something extra special about well-seasoned meat and fish cooked slowly over hot charcoal and the smoky aroma that emanates in the cooking process. I also love barbecued vegetables as side dishes, such as corn or root vegetables brushed with good old, real butter (not those scary substitutes).
Throwing a good BBQ is a fine art. I often joke when I see the men at an outdoor BBQ gathering around the grill to get the fire going. Just how many men does it take to light a fire anyway? We women think ?it's really funny, because we practically light fires to cook all day, everyday, and if it took so many of us and so long, then everyone would remain hungry!
Anyway, even as we chuckle softly at the convening of men for the 'fire lighting ceremony', BBQs are a great way to entertain around food, without the hassle of having to arrange more formal settings.
The trick to delicious BBQ food is partially in the marinade. If you marinate your meats and fish overnight, you are halfway there. Here are some quick and easy marinades that will add lots of flavour and include only a few, simple and easily accessible ingredients.
 

6 yummy & easy marinades
I have not put in the portions of the ingredients below because it depends on the amounts being used, and since BBQs can range from intimate affairs for two to feeding the multitude, I will leave you to decide on the quantity of each ingredient, based on your needs and palate.
A good idea is to cook a small piece and do a taste test first. If you need to adjust anything in the marinade (like adding salt if it's lacking, or a little lemon juice if too salty), you can spot and correct it before cooking the entire batch.
I start my preparation a day before the event, so that my meat can absorb all of the marinade's delicious flavours and I have the most important ingredient ready. Veggies can also be chopped up the previous day, and skewers made as well. I usually serve bottled drinks to make things easier and use disposables for easy transportation if moving to another location for the barbecue.
Extra large Ziploc bags are convenient for storing meat, ?and if you're having a BBQ for a bigger group, blending the seasonings in a blender or food processor is a good idea. Pile the bags of meat into a cooler with ice on the bottom.
Lemon Marinade
Ingredients:
. Fresh lemon juice
. Salt
. Pepper
. Chili to taste
. A little sunflower oil
. Lemon slices for garnishing platter
**Great for fish and other seafood as well as chicken
Parsley Lemon Marinade
Ingredients:
. Chopped parsley
. Fresh lemon juice
. Salt
. Black pepper
. Chili to taste
. A little sunflower oil
. Fresh parley for garnishing platter
** Great with chicken, other poultry, potatoes and other root vegetables
Thyme Marinade
Ingredients:
. Fresh thyme leaves removed from sprig
. Garlic
. Fresh lemon juice
. Salt
. Black pepper
. Chili to taste
. Thyme sprigs for garnishing platter
**Great for chicken, beef, other red meat
Sweet & Sticky
Ingredients:
. Soy sauce
. Ketchup
. Brown sugar
. Salt
. Black pepper
. Ginger Beer
** Great for chicken, sausage and other meats; a favourite of children and adults alike
Asian Persuasion
Ingredients:
. Soy sauce
. Spring onions
. Crushed ginger
. Garlic
. Black pepper
. Dried chilli flakes
. Brown sugar
**Great for chicken
Lamb marinade
Ingredients:
. Rosemary
. Garlic
. Salt
. Black pepper
. A little olive oil
 
 

• Food and Dining