15.05.08
Posted in Discussion, Did You Know?, Art of char grilling at 4:15 pm by admin
This week is the first of a four part series of blogs on the art of char grilling. We will begin with an adaption from the eNewsletter of the master himself – Steven Raichlen, on grilling safety. You will all hopefully learn a lot more about char grilling over the next four weeks so that you may put your new skills to the test with Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes!
We all know that when literally playing with fire, there are significant safety hazards. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, from 2004-05 exposure to fire/heat caused 5% (for males) and 7% (for females) of all injuries requiring hospital treatment. When you next pull out your BBQ or kettle for use you should follow these simple safety tips to make sure you have a successful and safe BBQ experience!
Here are our top 10 BBQ safety tips:
1. Most importantly: Burning BBQ fuel inside can give off carbon monoxide which has no odour and can kill you. NEVER burn BBQ Briquettes inside homes, vehicles or tents.
2. When returning to your BBQ after a long period of neglect; check it over for problems and clean it thoroughly including cleaning out all the old ash (make sure you don’t forget about the ash catcher) and making sure the grill plates are clean. Most importantly, if there’s rust forming on the grill walls, we’re afraid it’s time to wave goodbye to your beloved BBQ (keep your BBQ in a dry place such as a garage to avoid rust occurring).
3. Vlado Gregurek, owner of Vlado’s, suggests that an steel brush should be used to clean off all fat that may remain on the grill before lighting, as this can lead to excess smoke and even fire.
4. Place a heavy sheet of metal underneath your BBQ to catch grease splatters or as protection against sparks.
5. Coarse salt is useful for putting out a grease fire. However, if there is a real danger of the fire spreading, call 000 immediately for emergency assistance.
6. When using a Heat Beads® BBQ Quickstart Chimney or lighting Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes, remember to always use gloves and wear enclosed shoes for your protection. To learn how to light your BBQ using a Heat Beads® BBQ Quickstart Chimney, click here. 
7. Keep your grilling as an activity conducted out in the open – enclosed verandas, overhanging trees or nearby shrubbery can all be fire hazards.
8. Leave 30% of the grill free of coals to allow for a ‘safety zone’, as Steven puts it, for your BBQ delights to rest in case of flare ups.
9. Never leave your BBQ unattended as this poses a fire risk and safety risks for children, or just those who have had a bit too much to drink at the family BBQ.
10. And finally, when the BBQ is over, close all the vents and leave the Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes to cool completely before removing. Never attempt to extinguish the Briquettes with water as this will only lead to dangerous amounts of smoke.
Once removed into a fireproof container (e.g. a galvanised metal rubbish tin with a tightly fitting lid), wait until the next day to dispose of the ash as live coals can last longer than 12 hours.
Now you have many of the tools to thoroughly enjoy a BBQ safely with family and friends! Stay tuned for our top 10 BBQ tips, next week!
To learn more about this important issue directly from the master himself, you can access Steven’s May eNewsletter by clicking here.
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08.05.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Events, Did You Know? at 10:34 am by admin
Coming up! Heat Beads® will be represented at Steven Raichlen’s BBQ University (June 1 to 4 and June 4 -7) in Colorado Springs, by Lee Gilmour, Managing Director of Australian Char, who will spend two days with the famous grill master, learning the secret art of char grilling, the American way.
What’s more, Steven was so smitten with Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes that he will be cooking over Australia’s best solid BBQ fuel during the weekend, and demonstrating all its delectable abilities.
Lee has already promised to throw a BBQ soon after his return to wow us all with his newly found char-grilling prowess.
Since his visit to Australia in early February, Heat Beads® has made a great friend in Steven Raichlen. If you wish to find out more, click here
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02.05.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:27 pm by admin
Terrific Winter Warmers to be won! Have you all received our eNewsletter this month and participated in our annual Heat Beads® BBQ Lovers Survey? If not, you can become a subscriber by clicking here and be in the draw to win one of ten Winter Warmer packs of the latest DVD’s and CD’s.
Get cosy warm while you watch four of the latest blockbuster movies on DVD - Atonement, Southland Tales, American Gangster and Golden Age, and four of the latest CDs from popular artists such as Brian McFadden, Vanessa Amorosi, Mika and Rihanna!
To be in the running, subscribe to our newsletter and complete our quick Heat Beads® BBQ Lovers Survey click here. When you complete the survey, you will automatically enter the draw. Winners will be notified by email by 10th May 2008.
* Remember: you must be a subscriber to our eNewsletter to be in the draw
Information collated to date shows that 51.5% of respondents are BBQ’ing more than this time last year, and 59.3% are using Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes for more than just heating up the barbeque in summer! It seems they are a popular choice to warm cool winter nights, in braziers and fire pits.
Join the fun, warm up for winter, and help us provide you with a better BBQ experience!
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24.04.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Events, Fun Things at 4:56 pm by admin
There will be thousands of BBQ’s fired up across the country this weekend. What could be better after an early start at the dawn service or watching the Anzac Parade on TV?
Our Anzac Day weekend kicked off a day early, with a feast of succulent BBQ delights cooked on an innovative little unit we discovered recently. Called the Little Wombat, this compact portable char grill - which also doubles as a cosy fire pit - worked a treat. It also stood the test of time! As with any product we mention, we need to know how it performs. So to make sure it could pass the Heat Beads® quality test we fired it up with Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes at 8AM this morning, and have kept it stocked all day. It is now 4PM, we’ve gone through four bags of Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes (just to make sure Little Wombat could go the distance), the food was cooked to perfection, the briquettes are still glowing, and the whole adventure seemed rather effortless with fantastic, succulent shaslicks as our reward!
In its most compact form, the Little Wombat is only 51cmW x 22.5cmH x 36cmD, making it perfect for those 4W’ding weekends with the boys, a ‘grey nomad’ six month wander across the outback, or a family BBQ in the hills or park. Just pack your Heat Beads® inside the unit, throw the Little Wombat in the boot and take off for the great outdoors – or perhaps just to your friend’s inner city courtyard?! Doubling as an outdoor heater Little Wombat appears to be another great way to enjoy Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes all year round!
Hope you can pick up a bag of Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes today on your way home and enjoy the Anzac Day weekend surrounded by family and friends.
Find out more about the Little Wombat by clicking here
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18.04.08
Posted in BBQ recipes, Did You Know? at 1:45 pm by admin
Think BBQing is purely a man’s domain? Think again. 67% of respondents to our 2007 Heat Beads® BBQ Lovers Survey were female. More and more women are not just stuck in the kitchen making the salads but lighting up the Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes and getting involved in all the action!
And here’s living proof, Kerry Tait, winner of the 2006 Triple R BBQ Competition. She is an extremely enthusiastic BBQer throughout the year and enjoys experimenting with great new succulent recipes that turn traditional BBQ on its head. Kerry’s recipe for ‘Treat BBQ Like a Wok (Tempeh & Vegetable Stir Fry)’ was one of the fantastic, innovative dishes that wowed the attendees at the Steven Raichlen Degustation BBQ in February. The recipe is listed below along with her winning recipe for Lamb I am BBQ Back Straps that scored her a victory in the 2006 Triple R BBQ Competition.
Treat BBQ Like a Wok (Tempeh & Vegetable Stir Fry)
Great for vegeterians and gluten intolerant. You need a nice, heavy BBQ plate which you can heat up and then back the temperature off. Have a clean, dedicated plate for this one - no bits of old sausage should make it into this meal!
Ingredients
Slice up and marinate good quality Indonesian tempeh for a few hours in:
finely grated fresh ginger
tamari or good quality light soy
fresh red Asian chilli (optional)
sesame oil
Experiment with the marinade proportions. The tempeh should be coated but not drowning. Go easy with the sesame oil.
Chop mouth sized pieces of any combination of seasonal vegetables from the following list putting together contrasting colours:
zucchini (courgette)
asparagus
green beans - especially snake beans for the nutty flavour
yellow beans
red and green capsicum
yellow baby squash
snow peas
broccoli
Method:
Soak or par boil some noodles in hot water. Vietnamese rice vermicelli is good, so are Japanese udon if you’re after a more wintery feel. Or, grab some fresh ones if you’re near an Asian grocery.
Have some fresh mung bean sprouts ready to go to add last
Chop and set aside some fresh coriander for garnish.
Have some chopped roasted peanuts set aside for garnish.
Ok, here we go.
Fire up the BBQ and oil very lightly with sunflower oil or peanut oil. No canola, it’s evil.
Stir fry the tempeh and put to a cooler part of the plate. Reserve the marinade.
Stir fry the veg. Add in the noodles and join tempeh, noodles and veg together, final stir fry on the BBQ plate. Cook the veg fast. Add a little reserved marinade or tiny bit of water to cook quicker/steam on the plate, up to you.
Add in the bean sprouts at the last minute, one stir through.
Plate up. Garnish with coriander and dried peanuts.
Lamb I Am BBQ Backstraps
Method:
Take 1kg of trimmed lamb back straps from any Halal butcher on Sydney Road (but I love Wahlid’s the best).
Cut into generous serve size portions.
Get it amongst this marinade for any amount of time from one hour to one night:
The Marinade:
Couple of tablespoons of light soy sauce; Couple of teaspoons of whole cumin seeds or freshly ground cumin; Crushed garlic - 3-6 big cloves, it’s up to you, but lamb can take it believe me; 2-3 tablespoons of good quality olive oil; freshly ground black pepper.
Char grill quickly on high heat to seal in that lamb flavour. Give the scrappy end bits to those who like it ‘well done’ and serve with fresh Turkish bread, salad and dips. And BEER.
So what are you waiting for ladies? Grab those tongs, move the men aside and start lighting up your grill with Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes this weekend!
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11.04.08
Posted in Uncategorized, BBQ recipes, Events at 1:39 pm by admin
John Ryan and his family will soon be off to hit the huge BBQ circuit, in where else but Kansas City, US of A of course! Although John will be working in IT part-time, his main passion will be learning to be a certified judge for the Kansas City Barbeque Sanctioned Events Circuit. If you wish to aspire to Master Judge level, like John, the certified judging course takes about a year. The training is currently only provided by the Kansas City Barbeque Society in which participants take an oath to uphold the principles of BBQ, and is taken very seriously indeed:
‘I do solemnly swear to objectively and subjectively evaluate each Barbeque meat that is presented to my eyes, my nose, my hands and my palate. I accept my duty to be an Official KCBS Certified Judge, so that truth, justice, excellence in Barbeque and the American Way of Life may be strengthened and preserved forever.’
-The Kansas City Barbeque Society Website
Last Saturday was the perfect time for some of John’s friends, and passionate char grill aficionado’s, to come together. A perfect reason to gather around the Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes warmed Kettle, and enjoy some great taste sensations with that distinct, succulent flavour, in a fitting farewell to John.
Albeit, the occasion was bitter sweet, the day was a great success with three wonderful dishes satisfying all, including a special new recipe from Julian Wu - Leg of Goat with a fragrant chilli marinade. Below is the recipe so that you can test out this new sensation for yourselves:
Roast Goat with a Fragrant Chilli Marinade
Ingredients:
A leg of goat
Marinade:½ tspn preserved tofu in chilli oil (available at Asian Grocery Stores)
2-3 tbls of the Chilli Oil the tofu is preserved in
2-3 tbls basic BBQ rub (see below)
1-2 Szechuan peppercorns (also available at Asian Grocery Stores)
Blend these ingredients into a paste and brush onto Goat leg, leave overnight to marinate.
Basic BBQ Rub:
Equal quantities of salt, pepper (white and black) garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
Method:
When the Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes have ashed over, add some hickory wood chips, that have been soaking in boiling water for about 15-20 minutes.
Rest a Heat Beads® BBQ Tray inside the BBQ, with a little water inside. Lay the leg of goat across the BBQ, and close the lid. Leave the goat to roast within its own succulent juices for about 1.5 to 2 hours (depending on the size of the leg). About 2-3 times during the cooking process, baste the leg with the marinade.
This recipe will work equally as well with Lamb, if you find goat is a hard find.
Julian also recommends the same base recipe with a marinade that contains equal quantities of:
Garlic paste, lemon juice, good quality olive oil and mustard.
Although we are incredibly sad to see one of the most passionate char grillers in Australian BBQ’ing leave us, we wish John and his family all the best in Kansas City!
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03.04.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Events at 3:38 pm by admin
It is an ill wind that blows no good… or so they say! After a false start to this year’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show when gale force winds lasted five hours and forced closure on the first day, it was business as usual on day two at the Royal Exhibition Buildings and Carlton Gardens in Melbourne.
From today until Sunday April 6 Heat Beads® BBQ briquettes will be keeping the hoards happy with delicious, mouth watering char grill recipes from Stavros Tavern. I had the Lamb Souvlaki, which really did just melt in my mouth. Meet the man with the moustache and the biggest smile in town, at Stavros Tavern Catering beside the entrance to the Exhibition Buildings. Just follow your nose - yum…does it smell good - and look for the Heat Beads® barriers.
It is no secret to us that Heat Beads® solid BBQ fuel is the best around and we are so pleased that so many of our wonderful subscribers feel the same way! Here’s what one of the three runner-up entrants in the Steve Raichlen Book Competition had to say:
That char taste is hard to replicate,
But with Heat Bead Briquettes I can create!
A BBQ that all envy and cheer,
Everyone’s welcome - but don’t forget the Beer!!
Peta Booker
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27.03.08
Posted in Competitions at 12:17 pm by admin
The response to our Steven Raichlen Book Competition was searing. Thank you to all those passionate, apron clad, tong wielding folk who took the time to tell us why they love to BBQ with Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes.
This was our winning entry:
Couldn’t stand the heat…
So I exited the kitchen,
Fired up the Heat Beads,
And char-grilled the chicken,
I barbecued eggplant,
lamb and peppers.
Smokey, succulent!
Briquettes make food better. J Collins
We’ve known it’s true for some time that more people were getting out of the frying pan & into the fire. Your enthusiastic response proves that barbecuing over live coals is really a serious lifestyle choice for so many of you and Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes are fuelling the fire beautifully.
If you are inspired get your own BBQ groove on - fire up the Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes and check out our BBQ recipes for chicken, eggplant, lamb and pepper and a whole host of other taste bud tantalising goodness.
We have runner up prizes for P. Booker, D. Aitchison, L. Bree, and V. Hawkins. Thanks again and congratulations to you all - we’ll be posting many of our entries on the Sizzle blog and Heat Beads® website in the coming weeks.
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20.03.08
Posted in Uncategorized, BBQ recipes at 4:33 pm by admin
In case you blinked after Christmas, Easter’s already here. It’s another great time to gather with family and friends around a Heat Beads BBQ® Briquettes fuelled barbecue.
A great recipe idea for Good Friday, for the traditionalist in all of us, is Stavros’ (Stavros of Stavros Tavern in Albert Park) very special calamari recipe from the Steve Raichlen Degustation BBQ. This makes a fantastic entrée or a delicious main meal when served with a salad or roasted potato!
Char-Grilled Calamari Steaks With A Beetroot Skordalia
Marinate calamari steaks in a touch of good quality olive oil, lemon juice and with a hint of garlic and dill. Leave to sit for around half an hour.
Char-grill the steaks on a hot grill, fuelled by Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes, until tender. Stavros recommends serving with a beetroot skordalia (a garlic and potato dip). However, if you are no master chef like the man himself, a beetroot dip from your local supermarket would be a welcome addition to the meal!
Wishing you all a very Happy Easter and we hope that you enjoy this dish as much as we did and while you’re here – why not leave a comment with details of your Heat Beads® escapades over the break.
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14.03.08
Posted in Uncategorized, General Discussion, Competitions at 2:40 pm by admin
Have you ever been deep in thought in the midst of smoke rising from your Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes barbecue and fantasised about becoming a professional griller?
The US professional circuit kicks off in Kansas City this weekend (March 14-15) with the North Kansas City Missouri State BBQ Championship. The state championships work on a system of points allocation, for the winners of the 15 to 20 events that may take place across the season. First place in just 3 or 4 of these events could secure you the position of state champion!
John Ryan, recent ‘griller extraordinaire’ at the Heat Beads® Degustation BBQ for Steven Raichlen, is a serious backyard BBQ chef. He travels the world, and particularly the US, entering BBQ world championships. John is moving to the US later in the year and hopes to be able to explore more of the renowned professional US BBQ circuit.
Drawing on his years of experience cooking on Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes he hopes to tackle both the backyard and professional circuits, of course the ultimate being the Kansas City – The American Royal BBQ Contest, held in the first weekend of October. This is the largest contest of its type in the world and John describes it as, ‘really good fun’, having participated in the event before.
This festival is held over two days, with most contestants wishing to pursue the title of Kansas City BBQ Legend. This delectable event also involves a sauce competition and entertainment for all those who flock to Kansas City.
The Southern states in the US thrive on a barbecue culture, the pinnacle of which is Kansas City, Missouri. It is famous across the world for its unique barbecue style that involves char-grilling and wood smoking (mainly hickory wood chips) to infuse flavour into the food. According to the Kansas City Tourism Website today there are over 100 barbecue establishments in the Kansas City area, each boasting its personal house specialty from ribs, to pork, ham, sausages and even fish.
So if you’re sitting at your computer, still fantasising about being a Kansas City BBQ Legend, your dream may come true! Happy Grilling!
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