Last week I was invited to a BBQ workshop hosted by BBQ guru Richard Holden.
The event was held at John Whaites kitchen in Wrightington which is a beautiful village in Wigan. The sun was shining bright making it absolute perfect weather for a BBQ.
The masterclass was bought to us by thermapen. Thermapen is the best device for accurately determining the temperature of food.
The metal prong is inserted into food products and the internal temperatures are then visible. It’s differs to other food thermometers and is more accurate.
At the BBQ event we were shown how to use the thermapen correctly. We got to prepare and BBQ our own food. Working in small groups we created chicken, steak and side salads.
Outside there was many different types of BBQs including kettle, gas and offset charcoal smokers. Up to now I have not really owned a BBQ or used one. The reason being is that I was previously scared too. However Richard showed me how to correctly light and use the BBQs. If using a cylinder bbq for instance, then it’s best to use a chimney device to light the charcoal correctly. No accelerants are needed on a BBQ as that’s when it starts getting dangerous.
The correct temperature for cooked chicken (internal) is 75 degrees (Celsius). It’s not about how long it’s been on for or how well done the outside looks, but it’s all about the temperature. Other meats vary in degrees once cooked.
Once cooked we were all able to enjoy our food, along with some bubbly. And what delicious food it was too; cooked to perfection, not too dry and no red bits. Richard also created a stunning meringue desert piece for us all.
I picked up a lot of good BBQ tips during the session and I now feel a bit more confident and am considering purchasing a small BBQ to use with my children during the Summer.
The thermapens can be purchased from many home ware stores and online. They seem a really fabulous and much needed device to keep BBQ food safe. They can of course be used on food cooked in ovens too and especially those Christmas turkeys.
