The May Day bank holiday weekend brought forth the onset of the barbecue season. If you hadn’t already done it, it was time to dust off the grate outdoors and fire up the coals. Burgers and bangers are classic barbecue foods. What else can you cook in the caveman (or woman!) style? 

Butterflied leg of lamb, using new season lamb, is a great barbecue food. Get your butcher to ‘butterfly’ the leg – by removing the bone and cutting the meat to open it out into a flatter piece. This will cook over the hot coals in less than an hour. Lamb cooked this way always appreciates a baste of some sort. Anything from classic rosemary and garlic with olive oil, to a spicy Indian style marinade, or Moroccan mix of cinnamon, cumin, ginger and chilli. Cook the lamb pink inside for best results. Serve it in slices with warm bread , pitta breads or rolls and salad.

Charcoal also loves steak. Best Irish ribeye makes a great barbecue grill. It has a generous marbling of fat to keep it moist. The coals should be white hot, without leaping flames which will just burn the surface of the meat. Cook till juice pricks the surface for pink meat, a little longer for well done. Great with jacket potatoes and salad and some Dijon mustard or Horseradish sauce.

Fre range chicken joiints ar also finger licking good!  It’s best to start these on the bone pieces in the oven, so the heat can penetrate. Finish them on the hot coals to add a smokey chargrilled taste. Brush the chicken with a mix of tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, spicy chilli sauce and honey to add a barbecue sauce flavour.