BBQ from A to Z Timeline and Planning

Step 1: How to plan the perfect BBQ, from shopping lists to timelines and recipe ideas

If planning a BBQ has you breaking out in a cold sweat, we’re here to help. Here’s our timeline that helps you know exactly when to do what. If you are unsure about when to bring the meat to room temperature or when to prep the salads, this timeline provides all the answers. 

Download a printable version here

The ingredients

Passionate epicureans know: the most important thing is the ingredients. This also applies to what goes onto the grill. Take your time, put a menu together and be sure to double check your store cupboards before you write your shopping list.

Meat

Larger cuts of meat are generally recommended for the grill; they cook through just right while still staying nice and juicy. When you buy them, make sure they have a good color and fine marbling, and ask your butcher about storage and aging – they are essential to quality and taste. For our guide, we’ll focus on rib eye steak and spare ribs as our meat dishes. There are different views on which spare ribs are best for the grill. Lamb? Beef? Veal? These are all good alternatives, but we decided to go for the original: pork.

Our shopping list for two:

  • 1.5 kg rib eye steak, bone-in (côte de boeuf)
  • AND/OR 1.5 kg spare ribs

Fish

A fresh fish has clear eyes and shiny skin with an intact mucus layer. It doesn’t smell and when you press and release its flesh with a finger, the dent quickly flattens out again. Whole fish and fillets are suitable for grilling: firm-fleshed species such as gilthead bream, trout, salmon and sea bass taste great, even when prepared in the simplest way.

Our shopping list for two:

  • 2 whole sea bass, 400g each

Vegetables

Do you experiment with ingredients when you’re grilling vegetables, like cauliflower with a fresh tomato salsa, or radicchio with honey? Or artichokes, tofu or grilled baby lettuce salad? There’s no trick to it – just use your imagination! We recommend grilling vegetables in a packet made with aluminum foil. This is the perfect way to cook chopped vegetables, whose juices will form a delicious gravy whilst cooking. After grilling, we’ll add some fresh herbs and aged mountain cheese for flavor.

Our shopping list for two:

  • 1 romano pepper
  • 1 small eggplant
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 small zucchini
  • garlic
  • mixed herbs
  • mature mountain cheese

To dress the vegetables, you need a bit of olive oil and rock salt. In terms of herbs we recommend things like parsley, chervil, dill and basil.

Find a printable version of our shopping list here:

Marinades

Marinades are an important part of your planning and pre-prep, since they add flavor to your dishes. Meat can be marinated the night before so that the flavors can be well absorbed. Add the marinade to your veggies just before grilling. The base of a marinade is good olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Everything else is a matter of taste. If you are unfamiliar with juggling ingredients in the kitchen, try a slow approach. Choose just a few ingredients; too many different flavors can quickly clash with each other. Play around with ideas and see what you like. If you want to save a bit of time, avoid marinades and just season your food before grilling it.

Garlic Herb Marinade for Rib Eye Steak:

Ingredients:
Garlic, wholegrain mustard, olive oil, cane sugar, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and lavender flowers

Preparation:
Peel and finely chop the garlic, wash and finely chop the herbs, add the remaining ingredients and season with some freshly ground pepper before marinating your steaks.

Chili Marinade For Spare Ribs:

Ingredients:
Olive oil, thyme, fresh chilis, sea salt and coarse pepper, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:
Cut the chilis lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut into very thin strips. Remove the thyme leaves from the stalks. Add the chili, thyme, sea salt and pepper to the olive oil, mix well and brush the spare ribs with the marinade. Just before grilling, mix the maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce, to make a glaze which will then be brushed on to the spare ribs.

Lime-Chili Marinade For Fish

Ingredients:
Lime juice and zest, kaffir lime leaves, cane sugar, wholegrain mustard, thyme, chili, pink pepper

Preparation:
Zest the lime into fine strips, squeeze the lime and mix the juice well with the zest. Finely chop the kaffir lime leaves and the thyme. Remove the seeds from the chilies and cut into very fine strips, add the remaining ingredients, mix and let stand briefly. Add some fleur de sel before covering the fish with the marinade.

Orange-Turmeric Marinade For Vegetables

No additional marinade is needed for our vegetable packet recipe, because the juices from the oil and vegetables themselves will cook down into a tasty juice. But for other dishes, we recommend this fruity and exotic marinade for all kinds of vegetables – it is ideal for grilled fennel, for example.

Ingredients:
Oranges, fresh turmeric, parsley, olive oil and pepper

Preparation:
Juice and zest the oranges, peel and finely grate the turmeric. Wash and finely chop the parsley. Put all ingredients into a small bowl. Add olive oil and season with pepper. For more sweetness, blend in some honey and add a pinch of fleur de sel for balance. Pour the marinade over the vegetables before grilling.

Salads, Sides and Garnishes

Side salads or sauces can make or break a meal, but it doesn’t have to be complicated to succeed. Butter leaf lettuce with a simple oil and vinegar marinade or colorful salads with small fruit pearls – pretty much anything goes. A splash of citrus here and there, fresh herbs, flower blossom syrups or even edible blossoms provide deliciously stylish surprises. Unusual toppings or sauces can help take your grilled meat or fish to the next level.

Arugula Salad with Mango Cubes

Ingredients:
Olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, fresh ginger, pepper, sesame seeds, arugula leaves and a mango

Preparation:
Roast sesame seeds in a pan without fat. Finely grate the ginger. Blend olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey and pepper until creamy and add the ginger. Let stand for a while. Wash the arugula, dab with kitchen paper and place in a salad bowl. Peel the mango, remove the core and cut the flesh into small cubes. Mix with the arugula, add the dressing and toss well. Garnish with the roasted sesame seeds before serving. Pairs well with meat dishes.

Timing:
Prepare the salad one hour before grilling: just before serving, whisk the dressing again and add it to the salad; garnish with the sesame seeds.

Jalapeños Stuffed with Pear and Blue Cheese

Ingredients:
Jalapeños, blue cheese, cream cheese, pear, salt, pepper

Preparation:
Halve the jalapeños lengthwise and carefully remove the seeds and membranes. Peel a quarter of the pear and cut into fine cubes. Crumble 2/3 of the blue cheese and mix with 1/3 cream cheese. Add the pear cubes and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill the jalapeños with the cream cheese. Grill over indirect heat for about 15 minutes. Pairs well with meat of all kinds.

Timing:
Can be prepared in advance and added to the grill 15 minutes before meal time.

Lime Zest and Roasted Fennel Seed Garnish

Ingredients:
Limes, fennel seeds, fresh chili to taste

Preparation:
Zest the lime. Dry roast the fennel seeds in a pan, toss from time to time and reduce the heat as soon as the aroma of the seeds is released. Cut the chilies into wafer-thin strips and sauté briefly in the pan with a little olive oil. Ideal as a garnish for fish.

Timing:
Prepare the zest, chilis and fennel seeds just before serving. Garnish the fish with them after grilling.

Yoghurt Sauce

Ingredients:
Greek yoghurt, sour cream, cream cheese, radish, radish greens, lemon

Preparation:
Cut the radishes into fine cubes or slice them into wafer-thin slices and chop the greens very finely. Blend the yoghurt with the sour cream and cream cheese. Add the radishes and greens and stir well. Season to taste with a dash of lemon. Ideal as a sauce for grilled vegetables.

If you want a fruity component, replace the radishes with pomegranate seeds or wafer-thin pear flakes. Fava beans, chia seeds or sunflower seeds provide crunch. Add the seeds and kernels just before serving.

Timing:
Can be prepared well in advance and stored in the refrigerator until serving.

Find a printable version of our shopping list here:

  • Swiss Classic Carving Set, 2 pieces
  • Swiss Classic Carving Set, 2 pieces

Swiss Classic Carving Set, 2 pieces

black
PLN 259.00 PLN 
  • Swiss Classic Gourmet Steak Knife
  • Swiss Classic Gourmet Steak Knife
  • Swiss Classic Gourmet Steak Knife
  • Swiss Classic Gourmet Steak Knife
  • Swiss Classic Gourmet Steak Knife

Swiss Classic Gourmet Steak Knife

black
PLN 35.00 PLN 
  • FieldForce Sport Chrono
  • FieldForce Sport Chrono
  • FieldForce Sport Chrono
  • FieldForce Sport Chrono
  • FieldForce Sport Chrono
  • FieldForce Sport GMT
  • FieldForce Sport Chrono

FieldForce Sport Chrono

Black, 42 mm
PLN 2,290.00 PLN