When it comes to cooking in the great outdoors, nobody does it better than DJ BBQ or Christian Stevenson as his dad calls him. The award-winning presenter, author and social media star has a YouTube channel devoted to grilling, roasting, baking and smoking, and these are his top music-inspired tips to give flaming novices the skills to rule the grills

Before grilling your steak, make sure you take the meat out of the fridge for at least half an hour so it can get to room temperature. Its a muscle and needs to relax to be nice and tender and juicy.

Elbow grease and an acid work best.Get a wire brush, fire up some coals (its easier to clean when hot), rub half an onion or lemon on the grill, then work that brush. Keep your grill clean. A clean grill is an efficient grill.

In other words, dont cover the whole BBQ with coals. The easiest way to set up your grill is the half-and-half technique: charcoal on one side, no charcoal on the other. This way you can get a good colour (char) on your food over the direct heat. If things get out of hand and the heat/flames are too intense, you can move your food to the indirect heat. Plus, this a good way to insure that your meat is cooked all the way through.Putting the lid on your cooker turns your outdoor grill into an outdoor oven.Great for cooking chicken.

Never scrimp on the rubs and marinades. Make your own. The classic rub contains five main ingredients: sea salt, cracked pepper, onion granules, garlic granules and brown sugar. Then get adventurous by adding dry herbs such as oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne, chilli powder and/or paprika.

Always use two sets of tongs and two chopping boards: one for raw meat, one for cooked. Or just do lots of washing.

Never be scared to go bold with the smokiness. Ive been experimenting with the guys at Ardbeg to get my food as smoky as their whisky.I use seasoned fruit woods when grilling or smoking for a lovely flavour. You can also make fresh charcoal to add more flavour to your food by cooking the wood down and then grilling over the coals. My favourite woods to use are wild cherry, birch, orange, beech and sweet chestnut.

Keep the ash from building up at the bottom of your barbecue otherwise you will suffocate your fuel (unless youre cooking fish and you want to use the ash on the charcoal to get a nice medium heat).

Always add barbecue sauce near the end of the cook. Barbecue sauce contains sugar and when sugar hits heat it can burn easily.

I went wild with my salmon recipe with Ardbeg and used wood from one of their whisky caskets, nailed a beautiful fillet of salmon to it and smoked it in a fire pit. You can watch how to do it over on Ardbegs YouTube channel.

Ingredients

1 side of organic Scottish salmon, skin on and pin-bonedSalt and pepperLarge bunch thymeLarge bunch rosemaryLarge bunch parsleyLarge bunch chives

For the braised fennel2 bulbs fennel, sliced50g butterWaterSalt and pepper2 lemons

For the horseradish mayo5cm stick of horseradish4tbsp mayonnaise4 slices rye breadDrizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Special equipmentGround fire pit or barbecueDried natural wood for fuelCedar grilling plankNon-galvanised iron/steel nails, cleanedHammerLarge rocks/logs

Method

1

Light your fire pit with the wood and let it burn down to coals. Prepare some rocks or large logs to prop up your fish plank.

2

Layer up all your herbs onto the plank and lay over the fish, skin-side down. Carefully hammer the nails into the fish to secure it to the plank. Season well and prop up next to the fire. Manage the fire by moving the coals near the salmon and turning the plank as needed to achieve an even roast. Add more wood to the opposite end of the fire to burn down and make fresh coals. The fish will need about 25-30 minutes to cook through. You can check by using a fork to see if the thick end of the meat is going opaque and firm.

3

While the fish cooks, place a frying pan onto the coals and add in the butter. Once melted, add in the fennel slices and roast until caramelised on both sides. Season and add in enough water to cover. Cook the fennel down until the water has evaporated and the fennel is tender. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and keep warm.

4

Grate the horseradish into the mayonnaise and mix well.

5

Drizzle the oil over the bread slices and toast straight on the coals until golden, then set aside. Once the fish is cooked, flake off the flesh and serve with the toast alongside the braised fennel and horseradish mayonnaise.

Ingredients

1 trimmed beef filletSea salt flakesCracked black pepper200ml Ardbeg whiskyBunch thyme, pickedBunch rosemary, picked1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

For the coal-roasted mash4 carrots4 parsnips3 red onion1 large garlic bulb2 medium sweet potatoes50g butterSalt and pepper

Special equipmentPure wood charcoal. This recipe is not possible with briquettes or imported non-pure charcoal.

Method

1

Prepare your marinade by mixing the whisky, herbs and onion together in a tray.

2

Take your beef fillet and carefully slice the whole fillet into three strands with all three still being joined at the thick end. Plait the strands by bringing alternate strands into the middle until you get to the end. Tie the end with natural twine to secure the plait. Marinade your beef for 2 hours so the flavours can impart their way into the meat.

3

Prepare your coal bed by lighting a charcoal fire. Carefully place all the vegetables onto the coals. Roast the veg on the coals for up to 2 hours. Keep an eye out for when they become tender and remove as needed into a metal tray. Dont worry about burning them as this will be removed later. Once all the vegetables are removed, flatten out and push the coals together to make a tight coal bed and let the heat come back.

4

Remove the beef from the marinade and season liberally. Place the beef on the coals and leave to slowly roast. Manage the fire to make sure the beef cooks evenly. After 5-6 minutes, turn the beef onto another area of the coals, as the meat will have suffocated the coals where it has been sat. Roast the beef until rare and remove to rest.

5

Roughly remove all the heavy charring on the roasted veg and mash in a tray along with the butter. Season to taste. Slice the rested beef and serve with the coal-roasted mash.

IngredientsA 4-5kg pork shoulder, neck end with the rind removed and blade bone left in10 brioche rollsHalf a bottle of Ardbeg whisky

For the rub1tbsp sea salt flakes1tbsp cracked black pepper1tbsp ground coriander1tbsp ground cumin1tbsp paprika1tsp mustard powder1tsp chilli powder2tbsp light brown sugar

For the slaw small white cabbage, finely sliced1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced1 red chilli, sliced3tbsp mayonnaise2tbsp malt vinegar

Special equipmentFoil traySmokerDried wood for fuel

Method

1

Set up and heat your smoker with the dried wood to 150C. Youll need to start smoking your pork 18 hours before you want to eat.

2

Mix all the rub ingredients together and liberally rub over the prepared pork shoulder. Place in the smoker and reduce the smoker to 115C. Fill the foil tin with 100ml whisky and 100ml water and place the tin next to the pork in the smoker. Keep an eye on the liquid level, as it may need topping up with the same quantities midway through. While the pork smokes, flick over more of the half water and half whisky with your fingers to keep the crust moist.

3

To make the slaw, mix everything together in a bowl and set aside.

4

After 18 hours, carefully remove the cooked pork from the smoker and place in a roasting tray. Pull the pork into tender pieces, checking the seasoning once youre done. Toast your buns on the firebox and serve the smoked pork with the slaw and the toasted buns.

Ingredients50ml Ardbeg Ten Years Old15ml maple syrup (to taste)3 dashes orange bitters

For the garnishCrispy bacon stirrerTorched rosemaryOrange twist

Method

1

Measure out the listed quantities of each ingredient and add to your favourite cocktail glass.

2

Stir the mixture together and serve on block ice.

3

Lastly, add all of those delicious sweet and smoky garnish ingredients.

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Originally posted here:

The golden rules of how to BBQ like a pro - British GQ