There aren’t many better things to do on a hot day than crack out the Barbie, get some friends together and soak up the rays for as long as they last. But with entertaining a luxury for many, how can you host a barbecue without burning your budget?
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Fuel economy
You think about the energy you use driving your car and around the house, so a barbecue should be no different. But which is better value for money? Gas, or charcoal?
We tried to crunch the numbers. We found that gas barbecues require a bigger up-front investment, and gas refills can be tricky to get hold of, as well as quite pricey at around £30 a pop. But – since a canister gives you roughly 15 hours of cooking time, you shouldn’t have to top up too often. Charcoal barbecues, on the other hand, are cheaper to buy and cheaper to fuel. But if you’re an avid griller, you’ll need to refresh your coal supplies more often, which could make it just as expensive as cooking on gas. So – the verdict is, for the occasional British summer barbecue, charcoal is the more cost effective. Otherwise you may want to go for gas.
Easy-peasy
While using a gas barbecue is fairly straight forward, charcoal is a bit more complicated and it’s easy to be wasteful with the amount of charcoal you’re using. Most of the time you won’t need a whole bag of coal for a single grilling session. We recommend using a barbecue chimney – a funny looking metal mug-type contraption you can pick up from DIY stores or online – to measure out your charcoal and get it started. A full chimney should enable you to cover your grill with a good, even layer of charcoal that will be the perfect cooking temperature all your barbecue staples. If you want your barbecue hotter, simply double up, and you’ll still have enough coal leftover to grill again another day!
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More than meat
It’s hard to beat the unique taste of bangers, burgers and other meat grilled to perfection on a barbecue. When your feast has to come in on budget, though, buying mountains of meat could be the thing that sends it up in smoke.
Since everything tastes better on the Barbie, you can slash your meat costs by opting for cheaper cuts. Think chicken legs and thighs rather than breast, or pick up some skirt or flank steaks from a butcher’s counter for a tasty alternative to rump and sirloin. Fish can be a great choice, too – mackerel barbecues really well, and there’s a reason our Aussie friends like the phrase “throw a shrimp on the Barbie” – prawns and shrimp go brilliantly on skewers!
As well as meat and fish, there are plenty of other foods you can cook on the barbecue to top up your feast. Halloumi cheese is known for holding its shape well (and squeaking when you eat it), making it a prime barbecue target because it won’t melt all over your grill. Vegetables like peppers, aubergine and courgette are also delicious barbecued – grill them whole, or chop them up to make kebabs with some meat or cheese!
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Pad it out
Pad out a barbecue feast by making your own side dishes. Sure, you could buy potato salad and coleslaw, but you’ll pay more for the privilege of having someone else make it! Whip up your own cous cous from a packet mix, throw together a potato salad using baby potatoes, mayonnaise and herbs of your choice, or even make your own dips, like this houmous!
Don’t forget dessert
Once the main barbecue is done, instead of leaving your coals to go cold, take advantage of the embers by toasting marshmallows. You could even have a go at making the American classic, S’mores. Create your cookie sandwich and hold it over the grill with a pair of tongs until the marshmallows go all gooey!
Enjoy cracking out your barbecue this National Barbecue Week!
