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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07.03.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:05 pm by admin
Actively involved in supporting the community, Australian Char was publicly recognised when it was awarded the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce Corporate and Social Responsibility Award. Manufacturer of the famous Heat Beads® BBQ Briquettes, the company was also a finalist in the categories of Export, Employment, and Service Excellence.
A reputation for longevity, even temperature and endurance is synonymous with the Heat Beads® brand. These same qualities were reflected in the efforts of the Heat Beads® Hot Shoe Shufflers during the Oxfam Trailwalker event in March, 2007 when they trekked 100km in under 29 hours! Their stamina and dedication is evident in the timing alone.
Lee Gilmour, Managing Director of Australian Char, states that there is a culture of care embedded within the company’s core values. “ Our core values are an integral part of our business. They are fundamental to all we do, and our employees are committed to ensuring that all that happens on a day-to-day basis in the work environment is congruent with those values. They are reflected in the actions of our employees with regards to safety and consideration for others, and in the broader community through initiatives such as our support of the Oxfam Trailwalker and Triple R BBQ Day.”
Organising the team of four, enrolling the entire company in the vision of the Trailwalker event, raising $18,000 for the work of Oxfam, the company’s sponsorship of the Triple R BBQ Day over many years, and Managing Director, Lee Gilmour’s own personal endeavours to ‘Save the Turtles’ in the Northern Territory, were all good examples of the company’s commitment to social responsibility.
Congratulations to the Heat Beads® team on this fantastic achievement, which proves the company is a socially aware organisation that is moving forward to the future, with fine values in place!
The Corporate and Social Responsibility Award was sponsored by Sita Environmental Solutions for the 2007 year.
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29.02.08
Posted in BBQ recipes at 4:22 pm by admin
This week we have a particularly special blog written by a guest author, Phil Hartcher who has the enviable job of demonstrating BBQs for Weber Australia every Saturday for the 3 months leading up to Christmas.
While we were out grocery shopping last Sunday I asked “Her Indoors” or, more commonly known as “SWMBO” (She Who Must Be Obeyed) what she would like for dinner, thinking that I might burn a bit of meat on one of my 5 barbecues (doesn’t everybody own 5?). She said she wouldn’t mind some chicken but not Honey and Soy and Sichuan Pepper or grilled fillets like I do a lot of the time.
I also do a gourmet brined chicken that is extremely moist and flavoursome but wanted to add a touch of smokiness to it to give it a more distinct flavour. When we got home about midday after picking up a chicken from Safeway, I quickly made the brine mixture and put the chicken in it and then placed it in the fridge to soak for about 5 hours.
At about 4:30 I whipped the cover off my Weber® Performer and wheeled it out into the back yard. I filled my Heat Beads® Chimney Starter with Heat Beads® briquettes and placed it over a couple of lit Heat Beads® fire starters on the charcoal grate.
While I waited for the briquettes to ash over, I grabbed a small handful of hickory chips and soaked them in boiling water (if you use boiling water you only need to soak the wood for 15 – 20 minutes instead of the recommended 2 hours with cold water). While the wood chips were soaking I took the chicken out of the brine solution, drained it and patted it dry, then rubbed it all over with some canola oil.
I made a foil pouch for the wood chips I then drained the wood chips and placed them inside the pocket and sealed it, then poked the top about half a dozen times with a fork to put a series of holes, which would let out the smoke.
By this time the Heat Beads® briquettes were ashed over and we were good to go.
I poured half the briquettes in each charcoal basket; placed a drip pan with water between them, the foil pouch on top of the briquettes, the cooking grill in place and the chicken in the middle over the drip pan. I put the lid on and made sure that the top and bottom vents were completely open and left it to cook for 1.5 hours.
All I can say is that it was absolutely fantastic – the hickory smoke taste was distinctive without being overpowering, the chicken was extremely moist and retained the chicken flavour, there was a hint of garlic tones in the flesh and a crispy sweetness in the skin. On a scale of 1 –10, I would give it a 9.95 (nothing gets a 10).
The trick is not to use too much wood.
Here is the Brine Recipe.
You can use this and variations of this for many types of meat (lamb pictured above), pork chops are especially good done this way and grilled direct over Heat Beads® briquettes or charcoal.
Brine
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground garlic flakes
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 ½ litres water
Optional, use 1 teaspoon of Chinese five spice or other spices for a special flavour.
Soak the chicken; ensuring it is fully immersed, for about 5 hours in the fridge. Dry the chicken well and brush with oil.
Happy Char-grilling!
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22.02.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Events, Fun Things at 4:08 pm by admin
Have you ever dreamed of having your char-grilling skills perfected by lessons with a master so that you may be King or Queen at your next big BBQ? If you are going to be in the US in June this year, you may very well get that chance.
The US has long been considered one of the leaders in live coal cooking and American BBQ grill master, Steve Raichlen, runs BBQ cooking classes each year at his BBQ University. These are no ordinary cooking classes. Held for the 8th consecutive year by the master himself, Steven Raichlen, this year the location is the spectacular Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, in the heart of the Rockies.
As well as a new location, there is a brand new curriculum in 2008 that features recipes from Steven’s new American public television show, The Primal Grill. A brand new collection of grills will get your taste buds going, including a competition-size Texas-style smoker, a state of the art wood-burning grill, and the new line of Weber Summit grills with sear burners.
The classes run from June 1 to 4 and June 4-7, 2008 and are described by Steven as a ‘three-day extravaganza of smoke, fire, and food’ and his teaching style means that everyone gets to have a go on the grill.
So If you’re going to be in the States in June this year, why not sign up for the BBQ class of a lifetime? You can access Steven’s website here for more information.
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15.02.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Events, Competitions at 2:06 pm by admin
Ominous warnings from the weather bureau were prophetic, when world leading BBQ identity Steven Raichlen, joined thirty fellow char-grill enthusiasts for a unique tasting indulgence at the Gasworks Art Park in Albert Park last week. Not even a torrential downpour could mar the ten course Degustation Char Grill BBQ tasting organised on Steven’s behalf by the Heat Beads® Company.
Five of Melbourne’s best char-grillers whipped up a storm (no pun intended!) on the grill, professionals and backyard enthusiasts alike. Thanks and accolades to Stavros, renowned for his superb Greek char grilling Australian style and his famous Stavros Tavern in Albert Park; Julian Wu, who specialises in Asian fusion BBQ cuisine; John Ryan, a serious competitor in world championship BBQ competitions representing Australia; Kerry Tait, winner of the 2006 annual Triple R Best Char Grill recipe competition and Eve-Lynne Fairhall whose Beef Teriyaki wowed the judges in last year’s contest.
Despite the biting wind and rain and a very hasty retreat indoors to eat, the appreciation of good food, talented chefs and enhanced with a glass of Pizzini wine won the day, as we sampled our way through dish upon dish. The succulent dishes were cooked to perfection over the hot coals on a variety of barbecues supplied by Barbecues Galore and the sleek Viking Grill, the Big Green Egg and the Texan Smoker BBQ were given the thumbs up by our ‘char grillers’ extraordinaire!
Steven was given an outstanding introduction to Australian barbecuing culture and remarked that wherever you go in the world, a shared interest in barbecuing is a brilliant entree card, opening doors, and bringing together some fantastic people!
For your chance to have the recipes used to create the mouthwatering dishes on the day sent to you, subscribe to the Heat Beads® newsletter by clicking here.
