Swap sausages for Greek-style kebab skewers. If you have any leftovers, the meat and tzatziki are great for lunchbox salads.
Serves 4-8
For the kebabs
1kg boneless pork shoulder or neck, trimmed of sinew, cut into 2.5cm chunks
60ml olive oil
Zest of ½ an orange, finely grated
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
2 bay leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
A pinch of sea salt
For the tzatziki
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
2 garlic cloves
A generous pinch of salt
200g granny smith apples, finely grated
2 tbsp lemon juice
250g Greek yoghurt
A pinch of sugar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
To serve
8 pitta bread (the round variety, if you can get them)
A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small red onion, finely sliced
½ a white cabbage, finely sliced
½ a cucumber, finely sliced
4 vine tomatoes, finely sliced
Pickled peppers (optional)
1 If using wooden skewers, soak them in water to stop them burning. Place all of the kebab ingredients into a bowl, mix together, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have time.
2 To make the tzatziki, crush the fennel seeds, garlic and sea salt in a pestle and mortar. Transfer to a bowl, add the remaining ingredients, mix and refrigerate, allowing the flavours to infuse.
3 Preheat a barbecue or griddle pan on a high heat. Skewer the pork, leaving little gaps between the pieces so the meat cooks more evenly. Cook the skewers over a high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally until nicely charred and cooked all the way through, then set aside to rest. Grill the pitta breads for a minute on both sides.
4 Put a dollop of tzatziki and the meat from one skewer on each warmed pitta bread, top with your choice of salad, wrap and serve hot.
Barbecue squid with toasted rice dip
Squid is a brilliant healthy option for the grill, with this crunchy rice dip adding extra vibrancy and heat.
Serves 4
350g baby squid
½ tbsp vegetable oil
For the dip
50g rice
2 small garlic cloves
2 bird’s eye chillies, seeds in, roughly chopped
2 lime leaves, julienned
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp palm sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
1 To make the dip, heat a dry frying pan and toast the uncooked rice until golden all over. Grind to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar. Add the garlic and bash to a paste. Add the chillies and lime leaves then bash again. Finally add the lime juice, palm sugar and fish sauce, stir and taste. Stir in the coriander.
2 Toss the squid in oil and skewer them. Throw them on the hottest part of the barbecue. Grill for about 2 minutes, depending on the size of the squid you have.
Masala roasted paneer
This firm Indian curd cheese holds up well to lots of spices – serve with yoghurt and chapatis.
Serves 4
100g natural yoghurt, whisked
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1-2 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp garam masala
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp olive oil
A generous pinch of salt
250g paneer, cut into large skewer cubes
½ green pepper, roughly chopped
½ red pepper, roughly chopped
½ red onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
1 Preheat the barbecue. Combine everything in a blender, except the paneer, veg and fennel seeds. Drench the cheese in the resulting marinade and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
2 Thread the paneer and the veg on to skewers, dust with the ground fennel seeds and grill on a barbecue or on a hob on a griddle pan for 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the surface blisters into giraffe patches. You might need to drizzle a little more oil to prevent the paneer from sticking.
Cider-brined pork chop
The cider cure adds a lovely sweetness to the pork, balanced by the sour mustard salad. Definitely one for the meat lovers.
Serves 4
50g salt
1 litre sweet cider
4 pork chops, bone-in, thick cut
100g wholegrain mustard
50g light brown muscovado sugar
100ml cider vinegar
100ml water
10ml Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
25g unsalted butter
8 cornichons, julienned
Salt and black pepper
1 Whisk the salt into the cider until the salt has dissolved. Pour the brine into a large plastic tub, add the pork chops, seal and refrigerate for a few hours, or preferably overnight if possible.
2 In a small saucepan, combine the mustard with the light brown Muscovado sugar, cider vinegar, water, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened – about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
3 Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Grill over a high heat until the pork is nicely browned – about 5 minutes per side.
4 Reduce the heat to moderate or, if using a charcoal grill, move the coals to one side and transfer the pork chops so they’re opposite the coals. Continue to cook the chops until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chops registers 60C/140F – around 10 minutes. Let the chops rest for 10 more minutes.
5 Drizzle the warm mustard sauce over the julienned cornichons and serve with the chops.
Anticuchos
Ox heart is the traditional meat used here, but if you’re not feeling that brave, rump steak is just as delicious.
Serves 4
600g rump steak or ox heart, trimmed and cut into thin strips
For the marinade
½ yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
½ scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
125ml red wine vinegar
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt
For the chilli sauce
½ yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
½ scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and chopped
50g mayonnaise
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
A pinch of dried oregano
A pinch of salt
1 Put all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Refrigerate for several hours before using (this is best made a day in advance).
2 Put the meat into a non-reactive bowl and pour the marinade on top. Cover and chill for several hours, or overnight if possible. Remove the meat from the fridge and leave it to return to room temperature before cooking.
3 To make the chilli sauce, mix the ingredients in a small bowl until combined, then set aside until needed. Ensure the texture is thick and not too watery – it should make around 100ml.
4 Thread the meat on to metal or soaked bamboo skewers, reserving some of the marinade for basting.
5 Heat the barbecue. Cook the skewers, placing several on the grill at a time, for 2 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 2 minutes. Keep basting with the marinade until the meat has taken on a rich, caramel sheen. It should be slightly pink in the centre.
Zinger quail
Winning flavours given a posh twist with quail. Try serving with lime wedges, green leaves and a fruity couscous salad.
Serves 4
4 quail
4 lime wedges
For the marinade
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest and juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
1cm/½ inch grated ginger
1 tbsp chopped coriander, plus extra to serve
1 For the marinade, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, season, and mix well.
2 To spatchcock the quail, use a pair of scissors to cut down either side of the backbone and remove it. Then turn the quail over and press down to flatten. Alternatively, your butcher will be able to do this for you.
3 Lay the quail in a single layer in a shallow dish and pour over the marinade. Leave for at least one hour and up to 24 hours, turning halfway through.
4 When ready to cook, heat the barbecue and press the quail on to it, to ensuring that the meat comes into contact with the barbecue. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, basting with the marinade frequently, and then leave to rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped coriander, and serve with lime wedges and a green salad.
Ribs with chipotle miso barbecue sauce
This is a real show-off dish. It will take a bit of forward planning, but once the ribs are cooked the grilling is simple.
Serves 4
1kg beef short rib on the bone
For the stock
2 litres water
1 bunch spring onions
20g salt
100ml soy sauce
40g ginger, sliced
For the sauce
180ml mirin
180ml sake
250g sugar
500g white miso paste
600g chipotle puree (use canned chillies in adobo and blend)
200g honey
For the pickle
200g daikon, peeled and cut into 5mm thick rounds
20g salt
10ml water
100ml rice vinegar
60g sugar
1 For the pickle, season the daikon rounds with salt, then set aside for 30 minutes. Combine the water, vinegar and sugar in a pot. Bring to the boil, then cool to room temperature. Wash the daikon until it tastes only gently salted, then add it to the vinegar mix and chill until ready to serve.
2 Combine all the stock ingredients and bring to the boil. Add the short rib, cover with foil and transfer to an oven set at 100C/225F/gas mark ¼. Cook for about 4 hours, until tender enough to easily push a chopstick through. Cool to room temperature in the stock and reserve the liquid for glazing.
3 To make the sauce, combine the mirin, sake and sugar in a pot and heat till boiling. Add the miso paste and blend with a stick blender till there are no lumps. Cook this on a very low heat, stirring well, till you have a caramel colour. Remove from the heat and add the chipotle puree and honey.
4 Light the barbecue and coax it into a low flame. Gently reheat the beef in the cooking liquor, then remove and place on a tray.
5 Place the beef on the barbecue and grill on all sides to the meat and fat. Brush once with the sauce on all sides, then cook until the sauce is well caramelised on to the meat. Repeat this process 4 times. Remove from the grill and rest for 15 minutes. Slice, put on a plate with extra glaze and some of the pickled daikon, then serve with rice or in buns.
Grilled mascarpone peaches with salted bourbon caramel
We love the usual chocolate banana barbecue pudding, but this feels a bit more special. Leave out the bourbon if you like. You could try this recipe with apricots and plums, too. If you need more inspiration, there are plenty more family-friendly ideas on Meredith’s site.
Serves 4
For the sauce
200g caster sugar
60ml water
120ml double cream
25ml bourbon or whisky
½ tsp sea salt
For the peaches
250g mascarpone
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped/1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1-2 tsp flavourless oil
4 ripe peaches, halved and destoned
Sea salt (optional)
1 Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to a medium-high heat. To make the caramel sauce, put the sugar and water in a saucepan, then bring to a rapid simmer over a medium heat and swirl the mixture (don’t stir with a spoon) until the sugar is dissolved. Without stirring, let it simmer until the colour changes to light brown – about 5 minutes – then turn off the heat. Slowly stir in the cream until combined. Add the bourbon and salt, then stir until smooth. Set aside until needed.
2 Stir the vanilla into the mascarpone. Set aside until it’s needed.
3 Lightly brush the peaches with oil to prevent them from sticking. Place them cut-side down on the grill for 3-5 minutes, until the peaches are warmed and lightly scorched.
4 Fill the peaches with a large spoonful of the vanilla mascarpone and place on a serving platter or in individual bowls.
5 If the bourbon caramel sauce is too thick, reheat it slightly over a low heat until it returns to the right consistency. Spoon caramel over the peaches, sprinkle with sea salt, if using, and serve. Store any remaining sauce in the fridge for up to a week.
Jerk chicken
Always a winner. Serve with rice and peas, or just eat with your hands as soon as it’s cool enough.
Serves 6
12-16 pieces of chicken (a mixture of thighs (bone-in) and drumsticks (skin-on), deeply slashed a few times with a sharp knife
For the marinade
8 tsp allspice berries
5 tsp black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick, broken into shards
2 tsp coriander seeds
5 tsp thyme leaves
8 spring onions, roughly chopped, bulb discarded
1-2 scotch bonnet peppers, deseeded
8 garlic cloves, peeled
6 tsp sea salt
8 dried bay leaves, crushed
2 tsp grated nutmeg
½ thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp demerara sugar
3 tsp honey
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp rapeseed oil
1 In a dry frying pan, on a low heat, toast the allspice berries, peppercorns, cinnamon shards and coriander seeds, shaking the pan often, for a couple minutes until the aroma of the spices is released.
2 Pop the spices into a pestle and mortar and bash until broken down into a grainy powder (don’t worry about the cinnamon shards, the food processor will deal with those).
3 Place all the remaining marinade ingredients into the food processor and blitz until you have a fairly smooth paste.
4 Put the chicken pieces and the jerk marinade in a large freezer bag then tie it closed, pushing out all the air, but allowing enough room to move the chicken around. (You may need to divide the marinade and chicken between two bags, depending on its size). Massage the jerk marinade deep into the chicken slashes and leave to marinate overnight, in the fridge.
5 If you are barbecuing the chicken, add some wood chips to the coals (this will give you a more authentic flavour). When the barbecue is ready, brown the chicken pieces over the hottest part of the barbecue, then move the chicken to the edge of the grill, to the low, indirect heat. Pop the lid on and cook for about 30-40 minutes, turning occasionally, until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through.
Sesame and soy grilled veg
This sweet, sticky glaze chars well and complements the light, crunchy salad.
Serves 4
2 aubergines, thickly sliced into rounds
2 courgettes, thickly sliced into rounds
Toasted sesame seeds, to serve
For the dressing
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of half a lemon
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ red chilli, chopped
2cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
For the salad
1 carrot, julienned
2 spring onions, finely sliced lengthways
1 daikon or 5 pink radishes, thinly sliced
A large handful of sugar snaps, thinly sliced lengthways
½ cucumber, julienned
A small handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 Light the barbecue, then make the dressing. Put all the ingredients in a blender or bowl, then whizz until smooth and emulsified.
2 Brush the veg slices with the dressing on one side, then lay on the barbecue, around the cooler edges of the grill. Cook for 2 minutes until soft and charred, then brush the top side with more dressing and flip over. Brush more glaze over as they cook then, once soft, remove to a plate while you make the salad.
3 In a large bowl, combine all the veg, then toss through 2 tbsp of the dressing. Put to one side of a serving platter, then lay the veg on the other side, scatter with sesame seeds and drizzle with extra dressing, then serve.
