Pep up your pork, make fish fantastic and add verve to your veg. Rubs, glazes and marinades are great ways to make grilled foods taste awesome. Check out our pocket guide to the three amigos and add some extra flavour to your BBQ.
There’s the rub…
A rub is a dry mixtures of flavours that it literally rubbed in. Delicious over most cuts of meat, a rub needs to stick to the food – it doesn’t work particularly effectively with vegetables and fruit – so try tofu and tempeh for vegetarian BBQ options.
Whatever you add it to, let it sit for about 30 minutes for optimum flavour.
Anything goes: herbs and spices; minced garlic. Add a little oil or water and use as a wet rub.
Glazed over
A glaze is a thick sauce you brush on to your food while it’s grilling. Popular glazes include barbeque, honey or fruit sauces, and glazes are often sweet and spicy. Glazes work best over thicker cuts of food, so chops, ribs, or cubes of tofu or vegetables.
Make your own glaze with a fruit jam whisked into a small amount of oil and water – you’re aiming for a consistency a little thicker than tomato ketchup. Add seasonings like brown sugar, dried herbs or a little chilli or cayenne pepper. Apple, pineapple, honey, fig and plum all make delicious glazes, but don’t be afraid to experiment with favours. Try melting a little butter into your glaze for a new taste dimension. Apply liberally throughout cooking.
Will you marinade me?
Marinades are thin and water-based with just a little oil, and are absorbed into the food to infuse it with flavour. They’re usually a similar consistency to a light salad dressing like vinaigrette, and food is left in it for several hours to soak up the flavours. It’s perfect for food that benefits from a little pre-grill softening, so cheaper cuts of meat work well, as do jumbo portabella mushrooms or sliced eggplant. More delicate foods such as salmon or tuna only need to marinade for about 30 minutes.
The main flavour of marinades comes from seasonings, herbs and spices which are added to oil base. Finely diced garlic or onions and a drizzle of soy sauce will add depth to the flavours.
Shake before sizzling to remove any excess.
For advice on your BBQ salad read: how to keep your salad fresh, for longer.
