To me, there’s nothing better than firing up the barbecue on a classic Otago summer’s day.
Not all barbecues are the same - some cook faster/slower than others - but these recipes should tick the boxes for people wanting to try something different.
If you are looking to buy a new one and not sure about what to get, talk to your local retailer and they will give you advice on what’s a good fit for you and your family. Remember, sometimes big isn’t always better.
If you are using a charcoal barbecue, I would invest in some infused wood chips to add different wood smokes to your food.
Serves 2
2 pork fillets
100g tandoori paste
100g unsweetened yoghurt
10g fresh mint
Cucumber salad
4 telegraph cucumbers
225ml water
200g sugar
18g salt
150ml rice vinegar
Method
Mix together the tandoori paste and yoghurt.
Finely chop mint and add to mixture.
Remove any silver skin from the pork fillet (this will help reduce any shrinkage).
Place pork fillet in tandoori mixture and marinade in fridge for up to 5 hours.
Heat water, sugar, rice vinegar and salt in a pot until it simmers, then turn off.
Lightly peel the skin off the cucumbers and discard.
Peel the rest of the cucumber into thin strips until you reach the seeds (discard the seeds).
Once liquid is cool, add cucumber and refrigerate until needed.
Remove pork from marinade and place on hot barbecue.
Turn after 3-5 minutes depending on filter size, the meat should be firm to touch and cooked through.
Remove and let rest.
Slice and serve with a side of the cucumber pickle salad
Note: Preheat the barbecue for best results (you can also use a pan and finish in the oven at 180degC).
Serves 4
4 pork chops
100g mustard
10g New York pepper
10ml olive oil
1 fennel bulb
1 lemon
Method
Mix mustard and pepper together with a touch of olive oil.
Once mixed, rub pork chops and evenly coat, place aside and let rest.
Cut fennel into 4 or 6 (depending on size), lightly oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place on hot barbecue and cook until just soft. Add juice of lemon before serving.
Place pork chops on barbecue and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes each side, depending on size of the chop.
Once cooked, it’s important to let the meat rest.
Serve with a side of the barbecue fennel bulb.
Note: Preheat the barbecue for best results (you can also use a pan and finish in the oven at 180degC).
Slow-roasted pork belly with celeriac remoulade
Serves 2
1 small pork belly about 500g
100g rock salt
20g peppercorns
80g mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijion mustard
1 lemon
1 small celeriac root
cracked black pepper
Method
Score pork belly skin and rub with rock salt and peppercorns.
Place in refrigerator for about 6 hours and then wash off salt mixture and pat dry.
Wrap in tin foil and place in hot barbecue and cook for about 4 hours.
Once pork is soft, fold foil back and cook for another hour or until pork becomes crispy.
Remove pork from barbecue and let rest.
Peel and grate celeriac.
Mix with mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve pork belly with a side of the celeriac remoulade.
Note: Preheat the barbecue for best results (you can also use a pan and finish in the oven at 170degC for about the same amount of cooking time. Increase the temperature to 190degC for the last hour to achieve delicious crispy skin).
Scotch fillet with potato and spring onion, shrimp salad
Serves 2
400g Scotch fillet
3 large peeled potatoes
1 spring onion
1 small red onion
30g mayonnaise
100g cooked shrimp
1 sprig rosemary
olive oil
Method
Cut potatoes into 1cm dice and cook in lightly-salted water until just soft.
Remove from heat and rinse under cold water until cooled.
Dice red onion and place in a bowl with cooked potato.
Finely slice spring onion into rounds and add to the mixture.
Place shrimp in a towel and squeeze out excess water, add shrimp to the potato mixture.
Fold in the mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.
Cut Scotch fillet into 2cm steaks and season with salt and pepper.
Add rosemary to oil and brush the steaks.
Place on hot barbecue and keep using rosemary oil through cooking.
Remove once cooked and let rest.
Serve with a side of the potato shrimp salad.
Note: Preheat the barbecue for best results. You can also use a pan.
