The BBQ season is fast approaching, and although it is a little late this year due to the weather conditions you sense it cannot keep evading us. We have had a few hot days this year, and a few bright and sunny days also, but sadly they have not coincided as yet! Rest assured though, probability dictates that the closer we get to the summer season the odds of those days coinciding increases by the day.
Using Wood not Charcoal
Personally, I like cooking on a BBQ using just wood, I have never got on with Charcoal and I feel the taste of wood smoke is far superior. You can experiment with different types of wood, as they will all give a different flavour to the meat. I use Oak, which is very plentiful on our family farm, this gives a medium smoky flavour. Of course, there are plenty of people who swear by charcoal and find its consistency easier to use than wood, or just simply prefer the flavour, so if you feel happier using it then don't let me stop you.
Wild Venison Burgers on a BBQ
The Wild Venison season has now come to an end. In the UK you cannot shoot Deer between 1st of May to the 1st of August. You could of course buy venison from a farm but at present, and have no intention of changing, we only source Wild Venison from Robert Hawker in the westcountry.
The burgers we sell are very thin, this makes them exceptionally easy to cook on a BBQ. A BBQ especially one that is not using charcoal, will cool very quickly which means the thinner the better, something too thick will simply burn on the outside and still be raw on the inside. These burgers can be done within five minutes. If you are using thicker burgers then you can simply cook them over a cooler part for a bit longer.
Cooking Venison Steak on a BBQ
Cooking venison steak on a BBQ is a little different from the Burgers as it will take longer, although as with a lot of venison due to it being incredibly lean it is ideal to cook it rare as opposed to anything above medium as it can very quickly end up tough.
Starting in the middle of the BBQ, which should be the hottest part, we quickly seal in the flavour by placing the steak down covered in olive oil. This will start a little fire going but will quickly burn off.
After the initial minute, the steak is moved to a slightly colder part of the BBQ and cooked three minutes a side. This should see a perfectly cooked venison rare steak.
Trying Venison on a BBQ this year is a must. Whilst you may not want to risk a good sunny day with a totally new product on the BBQ it can easily go alongside some rump steaks and pork sausages and be a little extra rather than the main event.
Whatever you do cook on the BBQ this year be sure to enjoy it and as I have said before, please don't lather it in condiments! Enjoy the flavour of the meat and use condiments sparingly!