30.05.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Fun Things, Did You Know?, Art of char grilling at 2:16 pm by admin
The third part of our art of char grilling series is all about the perfect ingredients to a triumphant BBQ.
The recipe for a successful BBQ is as follows:
Ingredients
Suitable BBQ accessories such as long-handled tongs, a fork, a spatula, a sharp knife, a basting brush, serving platters, a grill brush, good quality protective gloves for handling live coals, and Heat Beads® drip trays.
To help you light your BBQ, 1 part of each - a Heat Beads® BBQ Quickstart Chimney, long matches, and Heat Beads® Firelighters.
To learn how to light your BBQ using these three simple ingredients, click here.
1 part of wood chips
Due to the neutral flavour of Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes, professionals and enthusiasts alike usually use wood chips to provide their BBQ food with a distinct smokey flavour. Woodchips are available from Barbeques Galore and should be soaked in hot water for 15-20 minutes before being placed on top of your Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes, once they are fully ashed over and ready to cook.
1 part of drinks for the guests and chefs alike
Perhaps a cold beer or glass of wine to aid the chef, or as the cool weather closes in, perhaps even a steaming hot cup of soup!
1 part of guests ready to taste test your BBQ sensations (the lucky people!)
And finally, one 7kg bag of Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes, of course!
These are all the ingredients required for a successful BBQ, which will hopefully add to your BBQ skills acquired over this series. Stay tuned for our last part of this series, which is our top 10 weird and wonderful BBQ recipes.
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22.05.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:13 am by admin
Part two of our art of char grilling series is all about those fantastic BBQ tips from the experts in the industry that may just turn your next BBQ into the best you’ve ever had!
1. According to Steven Raichlen, storing your Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes in a metal can with a tight fitting lid prevents them from becoming damp.
2. If you can’t leave your Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes in your BBQ to cool (if you’re camping etc), they can be lifted with a metal spade into a galvanised iron can with a tight fitting lid to cool.
3. According to Vlado Gregurek of Vlado’s - one of Australia’s most renowned steak houses, instead of using a spray-on oil to grease your grill plate a piece of beef fat is perfect. This can be stored in the freezer and rubbed over the grill before you begin cooking for a more succulent, natural taste. Being Greek, Stavros from Stavros Tavern, suggests you can also use lamb fat, which is, ‘natural, cheap and available’.
4. Vlado also suggests after cleaning your grill with a steel brush, to continue cleaning with a clean cloth and warm water (with gloves on of course!).
5. When using wooden skewers for BBQing soaking in water first can minimise burning. They are best soaked overnight.
6. Allan Campion suggests that as well as being fantastic for everyday BBQing – if you have a lazy Sunday or a special event coming up – Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes are perfect for slow cooking. This allows interaction between the flavours of the food or your marinade/rub and the heat from Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes to create succulent meals that will literally melt in your mouth.
7. Keep portable metal BBQs under cover when not in use or they will rust. Cover brick BBQs to keep out rainwater and remove metal parts. A rubbish bin lid will do, but make sure it is securely anchored or it may blow away and cause damage. Scrape down and clean the grid frequently for best results.
8. French breads and vegetables to accompany meats can be wrapped in foil and heated on the side of the BBQ. Skewered vegetables are also easiest to eat outdoors. Also score the fat off chops and steaks to prevent curling.
9. To give a pleasant aroma to barbecued food, burn a few sprigs of fresh herbs in the briquettes while the food is cooking. Rosemary, marjoram or thyme are very aromatic.
10. According to Julian Wu, Asian-style BBQ expert and well-known BBQ grill-master, using two bricks to elevate skewered fish and seafood kebabs off the coals prevents the common problem of fish burning on, and sticking to the grill plates.
11. When cooking steak on a BBQ, seal it on both sides. Beads of juice on the uncooked side indicate that the meat is ready to turn. Do not turn the steak more than once; too frequent turnings result in dry, tough steak.. It is best not to cut into a steak to see if it is ready – it will lose its juice that way. Instead, press the surface of the steak with tongs. Rare steak is soft to the touch with the outside cooked and brown, and the inside red. Medium steak is firm to the touch, well browned on the outside and pink in the centre. Well-done steak is very firm to the touch, very well browned on the outside and evenly cooked through the centre, but not dry.
12. Honey or sugar in marinades are likely to burn if cooked on a high heat. It may be necessary to cook the meat on a lower heat immediately after sealing.
If you would like to view a short video on all the fantastic BBQ Tips from the Steven Raichlen BBQ, click here
Stay tuned for the third part in our series next week, on all the ingredients needed for a successful BBQ!
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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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