The Men and Women behind UK BBQ – Marcus Bawdon of Country Wood Smoke Fame

In addition to running multiple websites, which include food blogging, fantastic photography, reviews on BBQ Equipment and a U Tube Channel. Marcus produces UKBBQMag and runs BBQ courses.

1. What got you into BBQ’ng?
I’d recently started eating meat and had just moved to the countryside, I was cooking burgers and sausages for ever larger social gatherings, but realised I was missing out on a lot because I was stuck to the grill. I started researching other ways of cooking such as whole pigs on rotisseries, wood fired ovens and low’n’slow American style BBQ, I soon realised I was hooked.

2. How many BBQ’s do you have at home and what is your favourite method of cooking?
I have around 40, and 8 wood fired ovens, I’m very fortunate to work with a number of brands and do a lot of reviews, photography and videos with them. I can’t really pick a favourite I love all forms of outdoor cooking.

3. What is your favourite piece of BBQ equipment? This can be a BBQ or an accessory and we want to know why.
I couldn’t be without a thermapen, not just for temps but for knowing by feel how meat is cooking and when the tougher cuts are ready.

4. What was the best BBQ food you have ever eaten?
I remember a grilled seafood platter and a cold bottle of white and watching the sun go down over the sea in Queensland very fondly.

5. Tell us about your worst BBQ disaster?
Back when I tried my hand at BBQ catering, stood in a sodden field, with thousands of pounds worth of sausages and meat at a supposed big event, where everyone stayed away due to a bad weather forecast.

6. Name a dish you have never cooked but would love to try?
A whole cow cooked slowly near a fire.

7. Who is the person you would most like to cook with?
Francis Mallmann

8. What is your favourite song to cook to?
A bit of dirty Blues, no song in particular.

9. Best toppings for a BBQ burger?
Amercian cheese, good bacon, gherkin and chilli jam

10. What’s your favourite non-BBQ food guilty pleasure?
Caramel crème pots

For more top tips visit his web site @ http://countrywoodsmoke.com/

Follow Marcus on social media
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/CountryWoodSmoke/
You Tube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/CountryWoodSmoke
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/devonwoodsmoke#
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/countrywoodsmoke/

American Hot Dogs

American Hot Dogs

  • Prep Time5 min
  • Cook Time20 min
  • Total Time25 min
  • Yield4 Servings

Ingredients

For the hot dogs

  • 4 Sausages
  • 4 Hot Dog Rolls
  • Left over Chilli (from the OTT Chilli recipe)
  • Grated cheese
  • American Mustard
  • Ketchup

For the Beer Onions

  • 2 Small onions sliced into half moons
  • 2tbls olive oil
  • 200mls of beer

Method

1

Set your bbq up for the canyon method, i.e coals on one side and none on the other which creates a cool zone to control flare.

2

Grill you sausages until they reach an internal temp of 160F or 72C and are golden brown.

3

Heat your chilli in a pot while the sausages are cooking

4

To make the beer onions heat the oil in a frying pan and soften the onions slightly, add a little beer and simmer until it evaporates (similar to making a risotto) repeat until all the beer is used up and the onions are soft and sweet.

5

Slice the Hot Dog rolls add your sausages and load with your toppings of choice, drizzle with ketchup and American mustard.

Recipe from Chillin N Grillin NI.
Check us out on Facebook: Chillin N Grillin NI or Twitter @grillin_ni or Instagram @alanchristine

American hot dog

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DJ BBQ Tomato Pie

DJ BBQ Tomato Pie

  • Prep Time15 min
  • Cook Time30 min
  • Total Time45 min
  • Yield2-4 Servings

Ingredients

  • Knob of butter
  • 150g (5½oz) mature Cheddar cheese, grated (shredded)
  • 1 onion, grated (shredded)
  • 100g (3½oz/½ cup) mayonnaise
  • Glug of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 10 slices of day-old white bread (use a sourdough for next-level deliciousness), crusts removed, cut or ripped into cubes
  • 6–8 ripe tomatoes, ends removed, sliced
  • 1 spring onion (scallion), sliced
  • 1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
  • Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1

You’ll need a medium ovenproof dish. I use a round cast-iron pan that’s got a bit of depth to it. Grease the dish or pan with the butter and make sure you hit the sides so the pie doesn’t stick to the pan.

2

Chuck the cheese, onion and mayonnaise into a large bowl. Add a glug of Worcestershire sauce, the oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper. Take your magic spoon wand and conjure up greatness (mix well).

3

Cover the base of the pan with half of the bread cubes. You only want one layer, as there’s another to go.

4

Next, cover the bread with a layer of sliced tomatoes (saving your best looking slices for later), slightly overlapping.

5

Season with salt and pepper. Then throw on another layer of bread.

6

It’s cheesy time! Using a spatula, cover the bread with half the cheese mix.

7

Now use your school art skills to make a perfect layer of your best tomato slices overlapping gorgeously on top of the cheese mix. Then slather the rest of the cheese mix on top of the tomatoes

8

Finally, make it rain with spring onion and red chilli slices, and crack a bit more pepper on top.

9

Make sure your bbq is at around 190°C (375°F). Place the pie over the heat canyon on the indirect heat. (Heat canyon is with the coals banked at either side)

10

Place the lid on and cook for 25–30 minutes – the lid will help it turn golden on top

Extracted from Fire Food: The Ultimate BBQ Cookbook by DJ BBQ (Quadrille, £15) Photography © David Loftus

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Tomato Pie

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Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

  • Prep Time10 min
  • Cook Time20 min
  • Total Time30 min
  • Yield2 Servings
  • Cuisine
    • American
  • Course
  • Cooking Method
    • On a plancha or griddle pan

Ingredients

  • Small onion sliced into half moons
  • Half a green pepper
  • 100 gms mushrooms
  • 2tbls olive oil
  • 1 tsp of your favourite seasoning or salt and pepper
  • 250gms steak (this can be left over from a roast)
  • A handful of grated cheese
  • ciabatta rolls

Method

1

Light about a half a chimney of charcoal and when lit place on one half of the bbq with no charcoal on the other side, this will allow you to have a cool and  hot zone. Place the plancha on top and allow to heat

2

Put the oil on the plancha and fry the onions until softened, add the peppers and fry those too, if it gets to hot a little water will help stop them burning

3

Add the mushrooms and cook until softened as well.

4

Fry the steak separately sprinkling the seasoning over, then mix the steak in with the vegetables.

5

Top the mixture with the cheese and cover with a lid or cloche to help the cheese melt. You can add jalapenos at this stage if you like your food spicy.

6

Toast the ciabatta while the cheese is melting.

7

Load your steak, vegetables and cheese mixture into the ciabatta and enjoy.

Recipe from Chillin N Grillin NI.
Check us out on Facebook: Chillin N Grillin NI or Twitter @grillin_ni or Instagram @alanchristine

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

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Dirty Steak

Dirty Steak

  • Prep Time20 min
  • Cook Time15 min
  • Total Time35 min
  • Yield2 Servings

Ingredients

For the Steak

  • 12oz Bone-in ribeye

For the Dirty Baste

  • 1 stalk Fresh Rosemary taken of the stalk
  • 2 stalks fresh Thyme taken off the stalk
  • Bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • I Anchovy fillet
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

Method

1

Blitz all the ingredients for the Dirty Baste together

2

You will need your grill loaded with red hot, quality lumpwood charcoal. Please do not use instant light or briquettes or lava rocks

3

Give the coals a blast of air to remove excess ash and ensure they are red hot. Place your steak directly on the coals, do not press or move, just leave it alone for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes flip the steaks, baste generously on the cooked side and cook for another 3 minutes. This will give you a rare dirty steak. If you want to ensure the steak is cooked how you like, use a digital thermometer probe.

4

Once cooked tent with foil (not tightly wrapped) and leave for 5-10 minutes, this allows the steak to rest and makes it more tender. Slice and serve drizzled with more of the dirty baste

Recipe from Marcus Bowden of Country Wood Smoke

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Dirty Steak

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Genevieve Taylor Berbere Beef and Green Pepper Kebabs

Genevieve Taylor Berbere Beef and Green Pepper Kebabs

  • Cook Time30 min
  • Yield4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Kebabs

  • MAKES 8 KEBABS
  • Ingredients
  • 700g (1lb 9oz) skirt steak, cut into 2cm (¾in) cubes
  • 2 green peppers, cut into 2cm (¾in) pieces

For the Spice Mix

  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 1–2 tsp ground chilli flakes, to taste
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • ½ tsp allspice berries
  • ½ tsp cloves
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg

For the Spice Paste

  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée

Method

Preparing the Kebabs

1

Tip the coriander seeds into a small dry frying pan and set over a medium heat to toast for just a minute or so.

2

As soon as you smell the aromas wafting up from the pan, transfer the seeds to a spice mill. Add the fenugreek, cardamom, chilli flakes, peppercorns, allspice and cloves and grind to a powder. Add the paprika, ginger and nutmeg and mix until combined.

3

Put the spice powder into a bowl and stir in the garlic, oil and tomato purée to make a thick paste.

4

Toss the meat with the spice paste until it is thoroughly coated – your hands may be the easiest tools for the job here, as the paste is thick.
Cover with cling film and chill for a good few hours to marinate, ideally overnight.

5

When you are ready to cook, thread the meat and peppers on to the skewers

6

Set up a charcoal chimney starter 3/4 full with lumpwood charcoal, and start it going with a sheet of lit crumpled newspaper underneath (or use parrafin-free fire lighters). Wait 10-15 minutes until the BBQ is fired up to a hot grilling temperature of about 280-300c with a deep bed of glowing embers.

7

Grill the kebabs directly for about 15-20 minutes, the grill should be hot 280–300°C (535–570°F). Turn the kebabs frequently until the meat is dark and crisp and the peppers are soft.

The Ultimate Wood-Fired Oven Cookbook by Genevieve Taylor (Quadrille, £15) Photography ©Jason Ingram

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Berbere Beef and Pepper Kebabs

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Jackie Weight Stuffed Double Pork Chop

Jackie Weight Stuffed Double Pork Chop

  • Prep Time15 min
  • Yield2 Servings
  • Cuisine
    • Mediterranean
  • Course
  • Cooking Method
    • Indirect & Direct

Ingredients

  • 1 x 2 bone Pork Loin ‘Tomapork’ Chop
  • 100g Chestnut Mushrooms
  • ½ a leek (white part only)
  • 50g Smoked Streaky Bacon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 tablespoons JW Chicken Rub (or rub of your choice)

Method

Method

1

Finely chop the mushrooms, leek and bacon and fry until cooked through and most of the moisture has evaporated.

2

Add the salt, pepper and fennel seeds, mix through. Leave mixture to chill.

3

Using a sharp knife, make a pocket in the pork loin chop from the bone side (between the bones), be careful not to go through or make holes.

4

Push the chilled filling into the pocket in the pork chop and using some butchers twine tie the bones together, wrapping around the bottom ends of the bones to seal the pocket. Score the fat in a crisscross pattern.

5

Sprinkle the outside of the meat on all sides, with JW Chicken Rub, or a rub of your choice.

6

Cook over indirect heat (Coals to one side) at 225F until the pork internal temperature measures 60C (ensure you probe the pork meat, not the filling).

Jackie Weight was the first and to date only non-American to win the coveted overall Grand Champion Title at the Jack Daniels Invitational BBQ Competition (2004) in Lynchburg, Tennessee

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Stuffed Tomapork Chop

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