When barbecuing, don’t put everything on at once. Start with the foods that take longer to cook, such as chicken, pork, sausages, then steak, lamb and lastly fish. Most vegetables will take little time (leave the husk on corn and soak in water for 10 minutes first).
A barbecue should be a long affair, slowly savouring the delicacies as they come off the grill.
Steak - to everyone’s taste
Now, when it comes to cooking a steak to perfection, there is no recipe that can possibly predict the infinite variables. How warm was the meat when you started, how big, what fat content, personal preference … so knowing when to stop can be a bit of a dilemma.
The best method of judging doneness is by good old fashioned sight and a prod. A rough guide can be accomplished by comparing the touch of the meat, to that of the muscle under the thumb on the palm of your relaxed hand. The touch of this resembles the feel of bleu steak.
Now place your thumb and pointer finger together, this resembles rare. Thumb and middle finger, medium-rare. Touch your thumb and forefinger to resemble medium, and finally the pinky for well done.
Depending on its size, red meat will appreciate a resting period of 5-10 minutes. The high heat of the grill will leave your steak clenching, so give it the respect it deserves, a little moment to relax (snuggled up in a jacket of tinfoil to keep it warm will also help). This will help it contain its vital moisture.