

4 Next-Level BBQ Recipes
Korean Short Ribs (Korea)
Korean galbi is prepared with flanken-style beef short ribs, meaning the rib is cut across and along the bone. This cut became popular among the Los Angeles Korean community and is often known locally in Korean markets and barbecue restaurants as ‘LA style’. The beef is cut into strips, and flavoured with a sweet and savoury soy-based marinade, then grilled and served with lettuce leaves and ssamjang (Korean BBQ sauce).
To make the BBQ sauce, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For the marinated beef, combine the garlic, onion, pear, and ginger in a food processor and blend for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar and blend again for 30 seconds. If the mixture seems too thick, add up to 4 tablespoons of water to loosen it up. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, then stir in the spring onions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. In a zip-top bag or large bowl, combine the beef and marinade. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 1-24 hours.
Preheat a grill to high heat for direct grilling. Place the beef on the grill and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning often. Using tongs, transfer the beef to a cutting board to rest for 2 minutes. Cut into bite-sized pieces, then transfer to a serving dish.
Serve with Korean BBQ sauce, lettuce, rice, garlic, and spring onions.
Curried Lamb Skewers (South Africa)
These curried lamb skewers from Cape Malay are called sosaties – which comes from the Afrikaans words sate and saus, meaning ‘skewered meat’ and ‘spicy sauce’ respectively. This dish, however, is less spicy, more sweet, smoky and succulent. The marinade usually includes apricot jam, curry powder and garlic – and the skewers interweave the meat with chunks of onions, peppers, apricots, prunes or mushrooms.
For the marinade, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 7 minutes, until it’s translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to mix. Set the marinade aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the lamb and the cooled marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Soak the apricots in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Thread the lamb onto skewers, alternating with the soaked apricots and onion. Brush with oil.
Cook the skewers for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are caramelised on the outside but still slightly pink in the middle. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot with tzatziki on the side, if desired.
Lamb Barbacoa (Mexico)
Traditional barbacoa, which likely originated in the Caribbean, was a method in which whole sheep were slow-cooked in pits covered with maguey leaves. (The indigenous word for this method, barbacoa, became ‘barbacoa’ and ultimately ‘barbecue’.) The sheep (and later cow, goat, lamb, or pork) was usually cooked in a bland stock, then shredded and mixed with seasonings. These days, barbacoa (either beef or lamb) is particularly popular in Mexico, where it is slow-cooked in a seasoned stock, using chipotle and adobo peppers. This recipe smokes a lamb shoulder before slow-cooking it in a rich chilli sauce to achieve the original dish’s smoky flavour and tender meat.
Preheat a smoker with oak or hickory wood to 120°C.
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the lamb. Massage the rub all over the lamb. Place the lamb in the smoker and smoke for 3 hours.
To make the sauce, toast the chillies in a casserole over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, turning frequently. Transfer the chillies to a small saucepan and cover with 475ml of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chillies are softened.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 7 minutes, or until softened. Add the oregano, cumin, and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the remaining 475ml of stock, the vinegar, and chipotles and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half. Transfer this mixture to a blender, then add the chillies and the soaking liquid. Purée until smooth and set aside.
Transfer the smoked lamb to casserole. Pour in the sauce, then add the bay leaves. Partially cover and place in the smoker or a 120°C/Gas Mark 1 oven. Cook for 2-3 hours, until the lamb is tender. Transfer the lamb to a plate and discard the bay leaves. Cook the sauce over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until reduced by half. Stir in lime juice.
Untie the lamb, then shred or cut the meat into small pieces. Add the lamb to the pan, then season to taste with salt.
Serve immediately with tortillas, onion, coriander, salsa and lime. Leftover barbacoa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Beer Bratwurst (United States)
‘Beer brats’, as they are known in Wisconsin, were first introduced in 1954 at a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game. Bratwurst or German sausages are boiled in beer, then grilled and served on a long, split roll with mustard, onions and sauerkraut. Beer brats are the epitome of celebratory BBQs where food is the centrepiece, and they continue to be a staple at American football tailgate parties.
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
In a large saucepan, combine the onions, garlic and sausages. Pour in enough beer to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through. Using tongs, transfer the sausages to a baking sheet and set aside.
Cook the onions and garlic in the beer for another 5-10 minute, until softened. Transfer the onions to a plate.
Meanwhile, grill the sausages for 5-10 minutes, until grill marks appear on all sides. Transfer them to a large plate.
Place a sausage in each roll, then top with mustard, sauerkraut and beer-cooked onions. Serve warm.
Barbecue: Smoked & Grilled Recipes from Across the Globe by Hugh Mangum with Shana Liebman is published by Phaidon.
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