Few people know their way around a grill quite like Richard Turner – chef, butcher, meat aficionado and co-founder of online butcher Turner & George. As the man behind Hawksmoor’s original meat programme and the mind behind some of the country’s best-loved barbecue menus, Turner’s credentials are seared into the UK’s carnivorous consciousness. So when he says gas barbecues are a waste of time, you listen.
This summer, Turner’s got fire on the brain – and he’s sharing his ultimate tips for BBQ season, from choosing the right grill to getting the most out of your butcher. Below, he offers up no-nonsense advice to help you turn out meat that’s juicy, smoky and full of flavour – without burning your eyebrows off or blowing the budget. After that, get stuck into five of his recipes, ranging from spicy pig kebabs to smoky ox cheek barbacoa.
Richard Turner’s 10 top BBQ tips
1. Get a charcoal BBQ – and make it count“Gas or electric BBQ is, in my opinion, a waste of time as you won’t be able to achieve that smoky flavour we’re all looking for with our BBQ dishes,” says Turner. Charcoal is essential for the real deal, and there are great options for all spaces and budgets. “There are quite a few options that are pretty impressive for how small they are, such as The Big Green Egg that provides that smoky flavour we’re all looking for with our BBQ’d food!”
Suppose you’ve got more space to play with. In that case, Turner recommends investing in a grill from Ox Grills: “It comes with a ‘Gridiron’ grill, the design of which maximises Maillard or colour on grilled food, which contributes to flavour, plus it’s shelving and it promises good heat retention, as this requires less charcoal.”
2. Buy your meat from a butcher (a good one)
“They know all the best cuts of meat and can advise on cooking times. Plus, you can ask questions on animal welfare and ensure it’s of good quality,” Turner says. And he’s got a clear rule of thumb: “If they don’t know simple answers such as what breed their meat is, how old the animal was at slaughter or how long it has been hung for, they’re not a good butcher and you should go elsewhere to find a better one!”
Turner & George offers nationwide delivery and is on hand to answer any questions, too.
3. Don’t sleep on cheaper cuts
“You don’t need to spend a fortune to eat well. Some of the most flavoursome parts of the animal are also the most affordable – cheek, tail, flank and skirt, for example,” says Turner. “Brisket is a BBQ classic, and cuts like onglet or bavette make an excellent alternative to sirloin.”
4. Know your burger science
“20% fat is the sweet spot when making your burgers!” Turner says. “Try to get the freshest possible meat for your burgers to ensure maximum juiciness.” Ideally, mince it yourself on the day, or ask your butcher to do it for you.
Let the patties come to room temperature before cooking – “remove the burger from the fridge at least 2 hours before cooking” – and make sure your grill or pan is smoking hot. “If the grill or pan is hot enough, it won’t stick. However, if you are using a flat pan, you could brush the burger with a little oil before putting it on.”
For smashburgers, he advises: “Place the beef burgers onto the smoking hot skillet and use a burger press or a spatula to smash them down until they’re about ¼ inch thick. Cook for two-three minutes on each side until the edges are crispy but there is still some moistness left. Make sure to not flip too soon, otherwise you won’t get the crispy edges.”
And always: “Rest on a warm plate for at least 10 minutes.”
5. Don’t overcrowd the grill
“Make sure to not overcrowd the grill – you need to leave plenty of space between each piece of meat so that oxygen can reach the charcoal,” says Turner.
6. Use a meat probe
“A meat probe is your best friend. Google the optimal temperature for your meat in question, and as long as you keep an eye on the internal temperature of the meat whilst it’s cooking, it will always come out perfectly.”
7. Mind your heat
“In terms of how hot the BBQ should be, you should be able to stand next to it without it being unbearably hot. If it is too hot to stand next to, leave it to cool a little bit before grilling anything.”
8. Keep the meat moving
For longer cooks or marinated meat, Turner suggests indirect heat or constant turning: “You are looking for an even golden colour with a few darker crispy flecks.”
9. Try something new
“Sausages and burgers are great, but keep exploring new recipes and meats to do on the BBQ. You can look on Turner & George’s website for inspo.”
10. Finish with something fresh
“Finish your BBQ with some light greens to cut through the heaviness of the meat. I like to go for lightly dressed salads and coleslaw.”
Philly cheese steaks
Ingredients:
1kg bavette steak
25g BBQ rub (such as Turner and George’s Great Cow Rub)
Oil
100g onions, sliced
100g green pepper, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped
200g American-style provolone cheese, sliced
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Hot dog rolls
Method:
1. First, liberally dust the bavette all over with the Great Cow Rub, massage in and leave on a tray covered with cling film for two hours.
2. When ready to cook, fire up the BBQ and bring the steak out to come up to room temperature.
3. Once the coals are white, place the whole bavette down onto the grill and sear for about 5 minutes on each side. You really want a fierce heat here and to grill the steak to rare, as you will be cooking it off further during the next stage. Once down, take off to rest and keep warm.
4. Place your pancha or wide pan over the heat and add a splash of oil followed by the onions, peppers and mushrooms, and cook, stirring for a few minutes until caramelised. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another 30 seconds, then push the mixture to one side.
5. Slice the bavette thinly against the grain and then add to the pan, pressing down with a spatula and then mix in with the vegetables, and cook for another 30 seconds.
6. Divide into portions and top the portions with the cheese and let it melt – you may need to repeat these steps a few times, depending on how much room you have.
7. Cut the rolls open and hollow out some of the soft white bread part from the inside. Place the top side of each roll down on top of a portion of meat and cheese.
8. When the cheese has melted, flip the piles back over, season with pepper, and serve immediately.
Spicy pig kebabs
Ingredients:
6 chorizo or spicy sausages (such as Turner and George’s Spicy Pigs)
9 new baby potatoes
3 red onions
100ml BBQ sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dried thyme
Method:
1. You will need to buy wooden skewers (unless you have flat metal ones) and will need to soak them in a bowl of water for an hour before commencing.
2. Next, place the new potatoes into a saucepan and cover with water. Place on the hob and bring to the boil and reduce to simmer for about 8 minutes, depending on size. Drain and leave to cool.
3. When ready to assemble, simply slice the sausages into three equal parts, slice the potatoes in two, and quarter up the red onions and thread the ingredients onto each skewer – you’ll roughly get two pieces of each per portion.
4. Pour the sauce into a bowl and add the honey and thyme to mix together.
5. Fire up the BBQ and when the coals are white, you are ready to grill.
6. These will cook quickly, so keep an eye on things and turn them regularly for the first five to 10 minutes. Once everything gets an even browning, start to brush and coat the kebabs with the BBQ sauce and grill for another five minutes.
7. Serve straight away.
Barbacoa
Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp Maldon Sea Salt flakes
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
Pinch of ground cloves
1 tsp dried oregano
1kg ox cheek
200ml beef gravy, shop-bought (such as Turner and George’s Beef Bones Gravy) or homemade
100ml Chipotle ketchup or BBQ sauce
100g beef dripping
Juice of 1 lime
To serve:
Tortillas
Guacamole
Salsa Mexicana
Method:
1. Mix the garlic, salt, spices and oregano together to make the rub. Coat the ox cheek with three-quarters of the rub, then cover and leave overnight in the fridge. Set the rest of the rub aside.
2. Preheat a barbecue or smoker accordingly to the manufacturer’s instructions. Smoke the ox cheeks at 110C for 4 hours, until an internal temperature of 90C is reached when the meat is tested with a meat thermometer, or until tender and yielding to the touch.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan, bring the beef bones gravy, chipotle ketchup, beef dripping and lime juice to the boil, then simmer until reduced by half.
4. Shred the ox cheek just before serving and mix with the reduced sauce, then season with the extra rub and serve with warmed tortillas, guacamole and salsa.
Peri peri sauce
Ingredients:
1 x 1kg free-range chicken (or lamb)
1 head of garlic, peeled and pureed
Peri peri chillies
1 lemon, for juicing
Extra virgin olive oil
A handful of Maldon sea salt
Method:
1. Reverse spatchcock the bird through the breast bone.
2. Press the chicken flat and dislocate the wing joints and the leg joints.
3. Flatten the bird, taking care to manoeuvre the wings away from the breast meat so they stand free of the bird.
4. Rub the whole bird with Maldon sea salt, crushed chillies and pureed garlic and refrigerate for two hours.
5. Allowing half an hour to cook, slow grill the bird skin side down until the skin is crispy and golden, turn the bird over and repeat for the inside of the bird.
6. Finish the skin side for five more minutes to crispen and chop the bird into eight pieces.
7. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Jerk marinade
Ingredients:
Free range chicken or pork
For the jerk brine:
1L apple juice
300ml lime juice
300ml soy sauce
100g dark Muscovado sugar
25g Scotch Bonnets, split
25g allspice berries, cracked
25g black peppercorns, cracked
5 cinnamon sticks, broken
5 nutmegs, cracked
1 bunch thyme
1kg ice
For the jerk marinade:
25g allspice berries, ground
25g black peppercorns, ground
5g cinnamon, ground
5g nutmeg, ground
1 bunch thyme, leaves chopped
2 bunches spring onions, chopped
20g scotch bonnet chilies, finely chopped
50g dark Muscovado sugar
100ml soy sauce
Zest and juice of 5 limes
Method:
1. Bring the brine ingredients up to the boil and remove from the heat, add ice and allow to cool.
2. When cool (and not before), place the meat in the brine and refrigerate for four hours.
3. To make the jerk marinade, crush the allspice, black peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, chillies and spring onions, mix with the remaining ingredients and reserve.
4. Light your grill and allow to burn down to a smoulder, remove the meat from the brine and grill indirectly or at a distance from the charcoal, taking care to keep them moving at all times. Occasional singes are fine but you are looking for an even golden colour with a few darker crispy flecks. This should take at least 15 minutes, probably longer depending on your grill temperature. When the meat is done, remove it from the grill and toss it in the jerk marinade. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
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