We all love a traditional BBQ, but there are times when chicken drumsticks and frozen burgers just aren’t going to cut it. Perhaps you’re organising a birthday barbeque or catering for a special event such as a festival. Outside cooking doesn’t have to be boring, and you can even match your menus to your event theme. One of the most popular ideas is to bring some international flavours into your barbeque recipes. With that in mind, here are some of the best BBQ ideas from around the world.
Middle Eastern Delights
Middle Eastern cooking is growing in popularity thanks to its vibrant colours, warming spices and smoky notes. This makes it perfect for BBQ cooking, adding flavour that packs a punch when it comes to impressing your guests. Middle Eastern flavours go great with chicken dishes, including Chermoula chicken which is a North African recipe that uses a marinade made with ingredients such as coriander, cumin and paprika. Or why not try Za’atar chicken kebabs which use a Middle Eastern seasoning made with thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and a few other herbs and spices depending on your tastes.
Mediterranean Bliss
Most people love Italian food, so why not add some of these notoriously fresh flavours into your BBQ cooking? From Mediterranean vegetables as a side dish to cold meat starters, there are plenty of ways to add an Italian twist to every part of your feast. One of our favourite ideas is to use Italian herbs to season your BBQ meats, using as a rub with some of the finest virgin olive oil you can lay your hands on. Perfection!
The American Dream
American BBQs are all about ‘low and slow’ cooking. As you can probably guess, this means the food is cooked at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time. This works great for large cuts, ensuring the result is incredibly tender meat which falls straight off the bone. Picture whole hogs, cooked slowly over smoke and fire for the perfect pulled pork dishes or starting your BBQ with mouth-watering ribs that will be snapped up in minutes.
Asado Style
An Argentine Asado is a technique which slow cooks meat over fire and wood, giving a smoky and crisp exterior that’s succulent and tender on the inside. This is a great way to roast lambs whole, slow cooking for 8 hours over the grill. If you can find a specialist caterer who can cook in this way, it can become the focal point for your BBQ, igniting all the senses.
Mexican Twists
If you’re organising a Summer BBQ with a party vibe, Mexican dishes are a great way to spice things ups and add some more colour into your menus. These flavours go really well with tender pork wraps. You could even set up a taco bar where meats such as pork and lamb can combine with various different salsas and Mexican crema to create dishes which will knock your socks off.
Looking for a BBQ caterer?
Here at With Fire, we specialise in event catering using the art of smoke and fire, including themed BBQs which create truly special events. We work across a wide area, including Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. To discuss your event menu ideas, get in touch by calling 07825 533440.