Grill Seeker

THERE’s no getting away from it, when it comes to most household jobs, men are pretty rubbish, and I am certainly no exception.

I can’t be trusted to do chores due to the fact that the task will either take too long or be sub-standard and would therefore need to be done ‘correctly’.

However, this isn’t the case when it comes to the male refuge of barbecuing. That’s when men come in to their own, take control and display their culinary skills.

Well, perhaps not, but standing over a naked flame, beer in one hand, tongs in the other while a dead animal lies before you is a summer pleasure considered a male domain.

Sadly, despite this, my feeble attempts at barbecuing over the years have more often than not ended in abject failure.

In my defence, this lack of success comes on the back of 10 cans of beer resulting in burgers and sausages that are cremated on the outside and raw in the middle.

At this stage I’m forced to retreat somewhat sheepishly away from any kind of food-based responsibility and am handed the easier task of filling everyone’s glasses, providing the guests haven’t left in disgust or been forced to make frequent visits to the lavatory.

However, that will no longer be the case I hope, as in readiness for National Barbecue Week, which is now upon us, I completed Weber’s Thrill of the Grill course, which teaches an array of cooking techniques and recipes.

It’s no wonder I failed so miserably in the past, as apparently it’s not simply a case of throwing a few meat-based items on the grill and letting nature take its course.

For example there is direct grilling (food is cooked directly under the flames) or indirect grilling, a technique where food is placed away from naked flames, and with the lid down heat rises and reflects off the hood therefore slowly grilling the food.

My barbecueing repertoire used to consist of a few burgers, sausages, and if I was feeling particularly adventurous, maybe some marinated chicken and ribs.

How wrong could I be! Weber have three informative courses available in their cooking school, teaching you more than 20 adventurous, yet simple recipes such as crispy duck, stacked ribs, Christmas dinner with all the trimmings (I kid you not) and even deserts.

Beer-can chicken was my favourite and so simple. The technique involves placing a whole chicken over a half full, punctured can of beer and leaving it upright to gently cook, making the meat succulently moist and crispy on the outside with a unique flavour.

For the die-hard barbecue kings there’s a course which shows you how to cook Christmas dinner with all the trimmings as well as Christmas pudding and other dishes you’d never think possible on a barbecue.

For me barbecuing is a summer refuge and part of its appeal is it’s a treat, as opposed to a regular activity, but then Weber, the Rolls Royce of the barbecue world, boast a jaw-dropping choice of grills ranging from under a modest £100 up to a staggering £3,000.

If you are fortunate enough or rich enough to own one of those then perhaps you could be forgiven for making the traditional kitchen oven redundant.

The Thrill of the Grill courses, costing £120, are informative, interesting and open your eyes up to a whole different world of barbecuing. They are incredibly popular (not surprisingly since you get to eat everything you cook and are plied with beverages all day).

* The Grill Academy’s Thrill of the Grill courses are located in Nuneham Courtenay and are £120 per person, running from 10am until 4pm. The courses have proved incredibly popular with barbecue enthusiasts across the country and last year were sold out, but to book log on to grillacademy.co.uk or call 01865 341 341.