The secret of a good barbecue is in the sauce, which should be applied generously as the meat cooks. It can also be used as a condiment. Its main function is to flavour and baste the meat or vegetables as they cook.

Barbecue sauce is a thick concoction usually consisting of a base of garlic, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, vinegar, and assorted condiments. The ingredients in each recipe are often closely guarded secrets and vary from place to place. Some like their sauce hot and spicy, some prefer it sweeter while others enjoy a smoky flavour.

A barbecue sauce is basically thick, smoky, and made from tomatoes. Some have strong flavours and frequently overpower the taste of grilled and smoked meats.

A barbecue sauce can be made of almost anything. Fruit-based sauces are easy to make and add a sweet, fruity flavour that enhance the flavours of meats. Use them sparingly during grilling and apply a good coat right before you remove what you are cooking from the grill.

Tips for barbecuing:

Always rub the grill with oil before cooking to prevent sticking.

Use tongs or a spatula to turn the meat. Never pierce the meat with a fork as the juices can be lost.

Baste meat throughout barbecuing with the marinade, if sugar content is minimal. Otherwise, baste in the last quarter of barbecuing time, as sugar content causes charring, thus drying out the meat.

Bring meat to room temperature before barbecuing, but the time should not exceed one hour..

Never add salt until meat is cooked, as it draws out moisture, resulting in dry meat.

Marinades tenderise meat, keep it moist during cooking, and enhance flavour. Meat can be marinated for two hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Vegetables are often used to play the part of a side dish in most meals, but at a barbecue, they can be the main dish. When grilled, vegetables have a smoky sweet flavour and almost any kind of vegetable is great for grilling. Complete the meal by serving it with pasta, rice or on some hot garlic bread.

basic barbecue sauce

Ingredients: 1 large onion, sliced very thin; 1 cup ketchup; 1 tsp chilli powder; 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce; 1 cup water; 4 tbs vinegar; 2 tsp salt; 2 tbs brown sugar; 2 tsp dry mustard

Method: Combine all of these ingredients and allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes.