We were sent the Garlic, Hickory and Garlic BBQ sauces and had chance to test the Hickory one this weekend.

Opies BBQ Sauces

You can also use these sauces as a marinade, which is what we did, on some salmon fillets. We left if to marinate for around 6 hours and it really did the job.

What jumped out immediately is that, unlike many top brands, it did not have that synthetic/oily texture or taste, it really did taste natural and it really did taste like it was home made (rather than the glam jar that it came in).

It wasn’t too sweet and sickly either (again, unlike many BBQ sauces) and is, by far, the best tasting BBQ sauce that we have tried.

I had never tried anything “hickory” before either, played with the smoking chips, but never the sauce so it was exciting to try something new.

We cannot wait to try the wider range and massive thanks to Opies for sending these out to us.

Available in Booths, Ocado and other quality stores, retailing at around £2.29

Tried this sauce? Got your own BBQ sauce recipe? Why not let us know below in the comments section

One of the most commonly wrong ideas about BBQ’ing is that it is expensive to get going. Let’s face it, we are in yet another recession so money is tight and people need to realise that getting going in BBQ’ing need not be expensive.

In fact, we think you can invest in all the BBQ equipment you need, meat and charcoal for around £25.00!

Not only does BBQ’ing feed the family, but it is also a great social and entertainment occasion.

So, here is the starter guide:

Affordable Landmann Family BBQ

This Landmann 41cm BBQ costs just £13.62 and can fit enough food on to feed 6 (unless they are American ).

Stainless Steel BBQ Tools

In addition, we think a set of tongues and a BBQ fork are also essential and this stainless steel set is just £7.99.

On top of these two you can get your charcoal for as little as £1.99 (not sure if it is very ethically sourced) and a pack of bangers to christen your grill for a couple of quid from your local butcher for a couple of quid max.

If you are looking for a start up, or beginner BBQ set, look no further than the above!

Get any Starter BBQ ideas or comments? Why not post them below?

The Australians may be known for their slightly chequered criminal history but there is no doubting that they are at the forefront of the BBQ industry.

We should not only thank them for their introduction of Fosters beer, but more so for the great phrase, “Let’s chuck another shrimp on the barbie”.

And this is the quick bbq recipe we have tried recently and that I wanted to share.

Oriental Prawn Skewers for 4 – Ingredients

1.5kg of prawns, heads removed, tails still on

Marinade

Handful of chopped coriander
100ml veg oil
2tbsp lemon-grass
1tbsp grated ginger
4 spring onions, chopped
1tsp garam masala
1 tbsp sherry or rice wine
50ml lemon juice
2 tbsp chilli oil
Load of wooden skewers, soaked in a bowl of water for a few hours
Some wedges of lemon

Step by Step BBQ Recipe Guide:
- Place all of the ingredients for the marinade and a pinch of salt and pepper into a food processor and whizz around until smooth.
- Place the mixture into a glass or metal bowl and add your headless (but tail still on) prawns and make sure they are all coated
- Leave to marinate for at least two hours (in a fridge!)
- Push the prawns onto the skewers and top the end with one of the lemon wedges.
- Place onto a hot BBQ (or use a basket) for 3 mins per side (make sure they don’t burn)
- Serve by using a knife or fork to push the prawns off the skewer onto a nice wild salad

Best served with an ice cold, preferably Australian, beer!

Like this recipe? Want to share your thoughts or your own BBQ tips, why not add a comment below.

As you would expect from such a high profile and high quality store the prices are on the OMFG side but, the quality, well, it is something else.

The staff were really clued up about their full range of BBQ products from Ranges and Charcoal grills through to Firepits and accessories.

In addition to the fantastic service and products, the Harrods outdoor living section had a range of seats, benches and parasols that we also truly awesome. My favourite was a wicker based garden set complete with an “igloo” swing that had a mattress base and cushions. A snip at just £32k!

I grabbed this quick film of the BBQ section before going off to look at the food-courts that were, once again, truly out of this world.

We got this recipe and idea from a friend who came to stay, who raved about how great the apple tasted when combined with the beef burger and the cheese.

I considered it a fairly odd combination, obviously more suited to pork, but it turns out to be a quick, quirky and amazingly good tasting BBQ recipe.

We always try and find simple but fun BBQ recipes that we can share, because, as we all know, BBQ’s are more of a visual and social event nowadays (rather than the hunter gatherer days of the past).

If you want a reminder on how to make Brilliant Burgers, have a look at this older post where we run through a step by step guide to making amazing bbq burgers.

Once you have the burgers ready to go, peel and core a few Bramley Cooking Apples, cut each apple into four chunky slices, brush with melted butter and finally, give a good coating of castor sugar.

Place them on your BBQ rack or in a basket and cook for 1.5mins per side.

Time the apples to finish when your burgers are grilled, add a slice of cheese to the burger, whack it in a bun with the apple and off you go.

Burger relish is also a must for this recipe, just for that extra kick. You will never go to a fast food restaurant again

Tried this recipe? Want to share a BBQ recipe? Post in the comments section below!

Nothing to glam, nothing you can retire on, just a little something that we love and are keen to share. Newmans Own Sticky Barbecue Sauce! That’s right, a 250g jar of one of our favourite BBQ marinades.

Newmans Own BBQ Recipe

All you have to do to stand a chance of winning the sauce is to Follow us on Twitter and tweet us with your personal favourite BBQ recipe (including the hashtag #iLoveMyBBQ).

We are www.Twitter.com/iLoveMyBBQ on Twitter.

Whilst we are on about BBQ Heaven, thought we would delve into the stats and look to see which BBQ recipes that we have written about over the years have been the most popular.

Two stand out winners.

1. Beer Can up The Bum Chicken

A great BBQ recipe that does not only taste brilliant but is also a great conversational topic for any BBQ

2. Coca Cola Steaks

Probably the quickest and simplest BBQ recipe that we have but… it is always popular and tastes amazing.

We are being sent a “smoker” kit… no, not one of them NHS jobbies, a smoker kit that you put on the BBQ.

Smoking Salmon on BBQ

You soak your wood chips in water for a short period of time, place them in your smoker tin and then place them on the coals. You add your salmon fillets to the tin and hey presto you are done.

Apparently, on a medium heat, 20 minutes later, your salmon is done.

We will probably try smoking some asparagus too, just too see what happens

Sounds great and I cannot wait to give the new kit a try. Will do a write up next week.

Last year was a bit of write off for us, we had in the early summer and that dramatically reduced our volume of BBQ’s. The downside is obviously the reduction in the amount of grill-sessions that we got on, the upside is that the Twins, Oz and Sefi, are really awesome.

Anyway, this year, we are back on it. Been a bit of a shuffle around in the BBQ arena as well. Regular readers of this blog will know of the blood, sweat and tears that went into creating the BBQ area we have used for the last five years, well, with the increase in children came a safety assessment from senior management (Jilly and I) and we have had to abandon that are and move to a new part of the garden.

We now base our BBQ’s on the top decking that we built two years after moving in… yes, the BBQ sits on a stone platform to prevent any rogue coals issues.

The other great news is that our neighbours small-holding has really taken off in the last year or so and this means we have had a steady flow of fresh meat, mainly pork, getting slammed on the grill… On the look out for great pork BBQ recipes if anyone has any.

Finally, big thanks, as ever, to everyone who has contributed and helped with this blog over the last few years and sorry for the slowdown in posts, hoping this turns around in 2012!

Best Portable BBQ

With the Royal Wedding and the rise in music festivals and places where you can take a BBQ we thought it was about time we updated our Best Portable BBQ’s Blog Post so here goes.

We have had a play on all 5 of these and really like them. If I had to choose though, I would probably go for the versatility of the Weber portable kettle BBQ or the very nice looking tripod BBQ from Landman.

1. Weber – Smokey Joe Original Portable BBQ £44.99 – Amazon

A nice looking, super versatile BBQ from the BBQ masters at Weber. With it being a kettle BBQ you can do far more on it than the usual open top BBQ’s. It won’t pack as flat as some of the other portable BBQ’s but you get better back for your buck with this one than many of the others. Oh yeah, it also comes in silver, what more could you want?

2. Large Portable Bucket BBQ – £9.99 Amazon

Portable Bucket BBQ

We all loved this retro and funky looking portable BBQ. The wooden handle is a nice touch meant that you can move it easily and not have to wait for it to fully cool down. Not the biggest portable BBQ out there but possibly the cutes and it feels incredibly sturdy.

3. Hotspot Notebook Portable BBQ – £21.99 Amazon

This was quite a controversial BBQ that we promoted in 2009 and then had a flood of complaints because the metal warped after heating and it would not go flat again. The new design is much better and we had not problems whatsoever with it. One of the most portable BBQ’s about… very impressive.

4. Portable Barrel BBQ – £19.99 Amazon

Another portable BBQ that we really love. It looks brilliant and the two barrels means that you can have a hot grill and a medium heat grill. Ultra portable and very stylish, you will look the star of the party if you rock up with one of these.

Oh yeah, we also love that this one is on offer at Amazon at the minute, reduced from £35.99 to £19.99.

Tripod Portable BBQ

5. Landmann Tripod Charcoal BBQ £25.99 Amazon

Possibly the best looking portable BBQ out there and it will certainly get people chatting to you on the campsite, beach or park. Looks like an olden days cowboy BBQ but it built to high modern standards.

No doubt about it, this is one of the iLoveMyBBQ.com teams fave BBQ’s.

So, there you have it, our Top 5 Portable BBQ’s. We have a popped a few more in the below carousel that shows a the ones we love and recommend.

Top 5 Best Gas BBQ's

We are getting more and more questions about which BBQ’s are the best, gas or BBQ, which is a whole new post in its own right but I thought it was about time we reviewed our Top 5 Best Gas BBQ’s as the last one we did was 2009! Wow, how time flies.

As I frequently say, we are massive fans of charcoal BBQ’s but I can see why so many people favour gas BBQ’s. If you have a big family, use BBQ’s multiple times per week and need your food grilling fast, then BBQ’s are probably best for you and your family.

That being said, we have twins on the way and I don’t think this will make us switch to gas, but never say never!

Moving on, based on our experience and having had  a play with many gas BBQ’s, here are our Top 5 Best Gas BBQ’s for 2011.

1. Weber Q220 Black line Gas BBQ & Stand (Amazon £289.00)

One of the new 2011 range of Gas BBQ’s from Weber. Why does it get the number one spot, well, it has everything! The Q220 Black Line BBQ from Amazon has a huge 206 inch grill, cast iron lid and cooking grill and is possibly the nicest looking gas BBQ currently on the market. At £289.00 it is for the serious griller or those who want a BBQ that will last them for life. If you have a large family to grill for, this is the gas bbq for you.

2. Outback Omega 250 (Amazon £144.00)

A great entry level BBQ for gas fans but it is also built to last thanks to it carrying the well resepected Outback branding. The cooking area is 50×36 cm and it even has a side burner. A real bargain in the gas bbq world.

3. Australia 200 Series 3 Burner Roaster Gas BBQ (Amazon £249.99)

I picked this one for a couple of reasons. One, I had a go on an Australia Gas BBQ as part of a testing day and found it to be one of the easiest to get going (in terms of fiddling about) and secondly, it specifically has tools for roasting joints.

A 64 x 49 cm grill space is also a bonus as are the three burners.

4. BillyOh Gas BBQ Tasman 300 (Amazon £63.90)

A nice, affordable and cheap entry level gas BBQ from BillyOh. This gas BBQ does the job, has two burners and I picked it because it comes with the kit.

It comes with regulator and cover and as I say, is a nice affordable piece of kit.

5. Outback Excell 300 Gas BBQ (Amazon £149.99)

Another new season BBQ and this one is from Outback who make great gas BBQ’s. A 50 x 38 cm grill means that this is not the largest gas bbq on offer but in my eyes it is the prettiest.

Don’t be worried about the eye catching modern design though, it is still a very powerful gas bbq and will do brilliant for the average sized family.

6. Weber Summit S670 Gas Stainless Steel BBQ (Amazon £2849.99)

Ok, so this one was more of a giggle but… if you have won the lottery and have watched MTV Cribs, this is the Gas BBQ for you!

So, there you have it, our Top 5 Best Gas BBQ’s… And here they all are (below) in one easy to see widget (courtesy of Amazon).