TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT BARBECUE: EMBERS, TYPES OF BARBECUE, ACCOMPANIMENTS...
In this post we explain you how to make a perfect barbecue, good coals, types of barbecues...
The accompaniments are very important because barbecues are sometimes heavy; they are usually made with meat, so a good salad or a good sangria or cold beers can be the perfect accompaniment.
For us the important thing is a good preparation of the embers, as well as choosing the best quality products for a spectacular barbecue, we will explain tips for you to get the perfect embers for the barbecue and you will find some of our exquisite barbecue products in our shop.
THE EMBERS
The first thing we should ask ourselves is whether we want wood or charcoal embers. The only difference is that charcoal becomes embers much more quickly because it comes from the wood, logically, and if the charcoal is of good quality, we don't need to use wood because it will do just fine. My advice in this case is that if you have wood, holm oak because it has much more calorific value, use wood, although it will take much longer to make.
How do we light the embers? Well, it is very easy, we have on the market some kindling tablets or flammable liquids to help us, which are very useful (used in the right measure), but if you have pine cones or dry branches it is much better, because if we put too many tablets then the embers will taste a lot of chemical and we don't want to spoil our barbecue.
How long does it take to form? Well, if it is charcoal, it will take about 45-55 minutes, but if it is wood, depending on the thickness and type of wood, it will take twice as long. We always have to wait until there is no flame and all the embers are formed and glowing. Here you can see how the embers were formed. A trick is to place your hand 10 centimetres from the grill and if after 7 seconds you notice that you are starting to burn, it is ready.
Put a few pieces of paper or a couple of charcoal tablets and charcoal on top, taking care not to extinguish the flame and choke it, and if you have some firewood, add it too. The more embers the better because the barbecue will last longer.
TYPES OF BARBECUE
MEAT BARBECUE
We can cook all kinds of meat on the barbecue but we always have to control the fat that is released because sometimes flames are formed and we can burn our meat. What the barbecue does is to remove a large part of the fat and when it burns on the barbecue it gives it that characteristic aroma when it burns.
The meat must always be at room temperature before cooking, so it should be taken out of the fridge an hour beforehand.
When cooking sausages, chorizo or black pudding, it is good to prick them so that they are cooked on the inside and can release fat.
The chicken or marinated meat skewers should be made of metal or, if we have wooden ones, wet them well before putting them on the embers to prevent them from burning. Try to make sure that the pieces are the same size so that they are cooked equally.
If we decide to barbecue a good entrecote or any piece of veal or pork, we must bear in mind that the barbecue is at a high temperature and that it is not like the grill, which we can regulate. Let's try not to grill entrecôte, sirloin steak, fillet steaks, etc... over 2 cm thick. If you have barbecues of different heights, you can buy the thickness you want because you can control the heat given by the embers.
FISH BARBECUE
It is becoming more and more fashionable because we are trying to take better care of ourselves and we know that fish has no fat at all. We can prepare anything from sea bass, sea bream, sardines or any type of seafood.
The griddle must be greased so that it does not stick and always at a high temperature. If you have a special grill for fish, a "sea bream grill" is perfect, otherwise the grill should be greased and ready.
Do not keep moving the fish all the time, that is to say, put it on one side and turn it over when it is ready because it is more delicate than a piece of meat and we can break the fish. We should always leave it with the scales on because this helps to protect the fish from the heat.
VEGETABLE BARBECUE
Vegetable barbecues are normally used as an accompaniment to meat or fish. We can barbecue any vegetable, as long as it is not too fatty in case it burns. From courgettes, aubergines, mushrooms, onions, peppers, wild mushrooms, etc...
You have to be very careful to control them because they can burn quickly. If you like roasted garlic it's wonderful, then add a drizzle of olive oil and it's spectacular.
BARBECUE SAUCES
An important part of barbecues because who doesn't like barbecue sauce? I strongly recommend that for barbecue meat you make or buy a good chimichurri sauce or barbecue sauce, although we can use any sauce that we like the most.