Balancing Flavors in Barbecue Marinades and Sauces
Whether grilling meat or vegetables, experts agree that the best barbecue accompaniments achieve a balance of acid, fat, salt, aromatics, and sweeteners.
What Constitutes the Best Barbecue Marinades and Sauces?
Josie, writing by email, asks about the best marinades and sauces for barbecue. Richard Turner, co-founder of a London butcher, emphasizes the quality of meat itself.
“Good, well-farmed meat needs none of that nonsense,” insists Richard Turner.
“I want to taste the meat and, if necessary, it should be tenderised by your chosen cooking technique.”
Despite his preference for unadorned meat, Turner acknowledges the essentials of a good marinade. He explains that all effective marinades share common elements.
“You need a tenderiser, so citrus juice, vinegar, yoghurt, buttermilk, wine or enzymes [pineapple, papaya],” he says.
“These acids work by breaking down the surface collagen and protein in the meat, which tenderises the exterior and lets other flavours penetrate more deeply, while enzymes break down connective tissue.”
Following the tenderiser, fat is essential, such as olive oil, coconut milk, or yoghurt, along with seasoning like sea salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, or miso.
“Salt penetrates deep into the meat, breaking down muscle fibres and drawing in liquids, so increasing both moisture and flavour.”
Additional ingredients include garlic, ginger, shallots, herbs, chilli, and sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or treacle.
Specific Marinade Recommendations
Melissa Thompson, author of Kitchen Basics, highlights the effectiveness of flavoured yoghurt for marinating vegetables, particularly cauliflower or broccoli.
“It creates a crusty layer,” says Thompson, who adds a pinch of smoked paprika, cumin and coriander seeds, black pepper, and salt.
Regarding chicken, Thompson notes its versatility.
“Chicken, meanwhile, ‘can pretty much take anything’, although, as a tamarind fan, Thompson often takes the sweet and tangy route: ‘Blend tamarind paste with shallot, garlic, spring onion, lemongrass, lime juice, ginger, soy, cider vinegar and brown sugar.’”
She also recommends seasoning blends such as Jamaican seven-spice or all-purpose seasoning, combined with ingredients like spring onion, garlic, red onion, thyme, ginger, chilli, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil.
Marinades and Sauces for Sausages
For sausages, Max Halley, author of Sausage, offers specific advice.
“What is quite frankly delicious is marmalade [smooth or coarse], runny honey, wholegrain and dijon mustard, white-wine vinegar and salt all boiled up, stirring all the while, until thick.”
He suggests brushing cooked sausages with this glaze and returning them to the barbecue briefly.
“Once your sausages are cooked, brush them with this glaze and pop them back on the barbie ‘for a second or two’.”
For sausages removed from their skins, Halley recommends a Mediterranean approach.
“Squish them until they look like a doner kebab, then add a bit of salmoriglio [a Sicilian mix of lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and dried oregano] and grill. And, just before they’re ready to come off, give them a final lick.”
Sauces for Barbecued Meat
While Turner prefers the natural taste of meat, he does not object to sauces accompanying barbecued meat.
He “doesn’t mind” a bit of sauce with his barbecued meat, be that ketchup (“it must be Heinz organic”) or HP’s classic woodsmoke BBQ sauce (“don’t look too closely at the ingredients, mind”).
For those interested in homemade options, Turner shares his recipe for chipotle ketchup.
Simmer 500g chipotle in adobo, 500g chopped tinned tomatoes, 125g chopped onions, 125g tinned apples, chopped, 125ml natural cider vinegar, 10g smoked sea salt and 10g hot smoked paprika for two hours, then pass through a vegetable mouli and return to the pan with 125g muscovado sugar. Cook, stirring, until thickened, then decant into a sterilised bottle.
“Once that’s cool, seal and refrigerate for a few days before using.”
Quick Sauce Ideas
Halley suggests a simple coronation sauce for instant flavor enhancement.
“If you’ve got lamby sausages, I love 50:50 yoghurt and mayo, plus loads of curry powder. Or strained yoghurt with peeled and grated cucumber and garlic – now, that is brilliant with anything.”
Contact
For culinary questions, readers are invited to email feast@the.com.
