With summer starting to draw to a close, there may only be a few opportunities left to fire up your barbecue and cook some delicious PGI Welsh Lamb and PGI Welsh Beef outdoors.
To help tickle your taste buds we’ve travelled across the globe to track down some of the most notable barbecue traditions in the world. Check them out below then head to our recipes page for great Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef barbecue recipes by checking the ‘BBQ’ filter box.
Argentina
The Asado tradition comes from the gauchos (or cowboys) of the 19th century and is now devoured by people across South America, but particularly in the Patagonia region of Argentina. The meat is usually cooked on an open fire or grill, where a whole lamb is cooked slowly on a cross above coal over a number of hours, and is served with spice and herb condiments like chimichurri. Our very own Lambassador Chris Roberts is renowned for using this method of cooking whole PGI Welsh Lamb as it creates such a tender meat with subtle, smoky flavour.
South Africa
Short for braaivels, braai is a tradition amongst the Afrikaans speaking community but is cherished across the rainbow nation. The heart of any social gathering, this barbecue even has its own Braai Day, which is a celebration of South Africa’s rich cultural heritage. Cooked over wood lumps or charcoal, the braais typically consists of an array of meats including traditional spiced and skewered lamb, known as sosatie, and boererwors, a traditional South African sausage that usually contains beef.
Australia
Lovingly referred to by Aussies as the ‘barbie,’ this Australian staple usually includes lamb chops, steak and snags (aka sausages). It’s such a staple that free to use gas or electric barbecues are a common site in city parks, and plenty of people choose to fire up the barbie on Christmas Day rather than serving a traditional roast dinner.
Korea
The popularity of Korean barbecue hasn’t fully hit Wales yet, but it might just fit perfectly with our cold, wet winters as it’s usually cooked indoors! The Korean barbecue is a social event for many restaurants-goers, as guests grill their own meat and dip it in different sauces in the middle of the table. Bulgogi, or ‘fire meat’, consists of thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame and spring onions and is served alongside vegetables and herbs.
India
Cooked in the famous tandoor, a bell-shaped clay oven, this barbecue is world-renowned and gives some Indian dishes their distinct taste. The tandoor dates back over 5,000 years and the way it is used for barbecue hasn’t changed much during that time. The charcoal or wood fire can reach temperature of over 900°F and the marinated meat (usually chicken or lamb) is cooked on skewers directly over the fire; the fat dripping on the coal smokes the meat, and gives it its unique flavour.
Turkey
The kebab shop is now a staple part of many of our high streets, but its origins involve some smoke and charcoal and kebab is an integral part of Middle Eastern cuisine. Turkey’s version, shish, is a common dish on a Turkish barbecue, where chunks of lamb or chicken are diced and grilled on a skewer. Other dishes cooked on a Turkish barbecue include kofte (minced meat kebab) and sucuk, a traditional Turkish sausage.
Brazil
Similar to Argentina’s Asado, the Churrasco started its life with the cowboys of Brazil. This barbecue method is famed for creating mountains upon mountains of meat by cooking beef on large skewers which are then plated up at the table. Perhaps more than any other barbecue, the Churrasco is all about quantity – so hungry bellies are definitely required before embarking on this hearty Brazillian barbecue feast!
USA
Arguably the kings of smoking food, the United States has four major styles of cooking over fire; with North Carolina and Memphis representing the oldest styles and Kansas City and Texas often using more beef in their methods. American barbecue tends to follow different rules to other nations, with the popular low and slow cooking technique. By gently cooking the meats over a long period of time, American barbecues create perfectly succulent and mouth-watering dishes that commonly include brisket, ribs or shoulder alongside the familiar burgers and sausages.