I’m no chef and by no means, know who to cook for food aficionados. But surely the man’s place is at the grill, right? Is there such thing as the ‘backseat griller’ – a fascinating skill I have with no practical expertise in the art of barbecuing.
How many times when your partner or when the lads are over for a friendly lunch or dinner, you are drawn outside ‘supervising’ the grill? With a beer in hand, sports on the mind, and bantering about the best marinade recipe they have made that should be bottled up and sold.
From our mates from Traeger, here are a couple of recipes to try out for any day (special occasion or not) and some great tools to make the magic happen.
Competition Style BBQ Pork Ribs
Get fired up for tailgating with these St. Louis-style ribs. This cut of ribs has more fat & bone, which makes them flavorful & inexpensive.
Prep Time: 25mins
Cook Time: 3 Hours
Effort: 3/5
Serves: 6
2 Rack St. Louis-style ribs
1/4 Cup Traeger Big Game Rub
1 Cup peach nectar
1 Cup Traeger Apricot BBQ Sauce
1. Wash ribs and pat dry. Pull the membrane off the back of the ribs.
2. When ready to cook, set Traeger temperature to 135°C (275F), and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes.
3. Apply a thin coat of Traeger Big Game Rub to the back of the ribs and all sides. Let rest 5 minutes. Turn ribs over, apply a heavy coat of Traeger Big Game Rub to the top and let rest or “sweat” for 15 minutes.
4. Place ribs bone side down directly on the grill grate and cook for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Check for doneness, the internal temperature should be 71°C (160°F) and the meat should be pulling away from the bones.
5. Remove ribs from the grill placing them meat side down on top of a piece of foil. Pour 1/2 cup peach nectar over ribs and wrap foil tightly around the ribs creating a packet.
6. Put ribs back on the grill, bone side up and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes or until tender, but not fall-off-the-bone.
7. Remove from the grill and sauce with the Traeger Apricot BBQ on the front and back of the ribs. Place the ribs back on the Traeger for 15 minutes to set the sauce.
8. Remove, let rest for 15 minutes, slice, and serve. Enjoy!
Smoked Cajun Chicken Wings
Cayenne pepper and Louisiana-style hot sauce grant out-of-this-world flavor and heat that’ll have you licking every last finger.
Prep Time: 5mins
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Effort: 3/5
Serves: 4
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon paprika
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
1/2 Teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 Teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 Teaspoon cumin
1/4 Teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
1.3kg chicken wings, flats, and drumettes separated
1/4 Cup butter
1/4 Cup TRUFF hot sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1. Rub: In a small bowl, mix together baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
2. Rinse chicken wings and pat dry with paper towels. Place wings in a large bowl and sprinkle on the rub, tossing to evenly coat.
3. Set a wire rack inside an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange wings in a single layer leaving a little space between each wing. Place baking sheet with wings in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight.
4. When ready to cook, set temperature to 82℉C (180℉) and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes.
5. Smoke wings for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, increase the grill temperature to 176℉C (350℉) and roast for 45 to 50 minutes.
7. While wings are on the grill, combine butter, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until combined.
8. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until the wings are done cooking.
9. Transfer wings to a large bowl. Add sauce and toss to thoroughly coat wings.
10. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately with carrot sticks, celery sticks, blue cheese, ranch or desired dipping sauces. Enjoy!
Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Mango Chutney
These wood-fired lamb cutlets have an Indian twist with sweet and spicy mango chutney.
Prep Time: 15mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Effort: 2/5
Serves: 4
6 Whole Lamb Chops, around 3/4 thick, frenched
1 Whole Mango, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 Clove garlic, chopped
1/2 Whole habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
3 Sprig cilantro/coriander, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Teaspoon salt
15 1/2 Teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoon mint, chopped
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon coarse salt
1. If you can’t purchase frenched lamb chops, using a sharp knife, cut and scrape the flesh and fat off the bone to make it a cutlet.
2. Add all chutney ingredients into a food processor and pulse about 15 times or until desired consistency; set aside. Chop mint and set aside.
3. When ready to cook, set grill temperature to High and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes.
4. While grill preheats, on a baking sheet drizzle lamb lollipops with olive oil. Coat both sides. Season both sides with salt and pepper and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Place the lamb pops directly on grill grate. Close lid and grill for 5 minutes. Flip over and grill for another 3 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers an internal temperature of 54℉C (130℉).
6.Remove from grill and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.
7. Spoon chutney over each lamb cutlet and sprinkle with fresh chopped mint. Enjoy!
Let’s get to the fun stuff, the tools needed for the ultimate feast.
Traeger Pro 575 Pellet Grill
The Pro Series grill makes it simple to achieve incredible wood-fired flavor. Set-It & Forget-It® ease and precise temperature control help you create unforgettable meals. You can even command your grill from anywhere. WiFIRE® technology lets you control your grill and monitor your cooks using the Traeger App or select smart home devices.
Traeger Tailgater and Ranger Pellet Grill
From game days to getaways, bring wood-fired flavor everywhere with our portable grills. Featuring a meat probe that lets you check on your food without lifting the lid, compact and portable designs, they’re primed for balconies, tailgates, and more.
Wiltshire Bar-B Mate
The burger-flipping, sausage-piercing, chop-cutting, self-standing, non-rusting spatula. This multi-purpose BBQ tool has a cutting edge and piecing prongs to get those sausages grilled to perfection.
Wiltshire Bar-B Tongs
Has extra long heat-resistant handles for maximum comfort and safety when handling food over the BBQ. Can be stored inside or outside as the stainless steel design is rust-resistant.
Luigi Bormioli Birrateque Wheat Beer Glass
Enjoying a refreshing cold wheat beer whilst sitting by the porch or garden with a friend is always a pleasure when you have the 780ml beer glass. Designed with a big space to allow your wheat beer to breathe and warm up to release bitter tastes.
Other gifts to consider
Champagne Carbon by Emperor Champagne
Famous for partnering with Formula 1® and Bugatti, Champagne Carbon is sold exclusively through Australia’s leading home of champagne, Emperor Champagne. With the perfect balance of flowers, spices, and brioche, dad is sure to love this bottle of premium bubbles.
Scapegrace Black Gin
A particularly intriguing expression from New Zealand’s Scapegrape – a black gin! It gets its dark hue from its botanicals, which include Aronia berry, butterfly pea, saffron, pineapple and sweet potato, among others. What’s more, the spirit changes colour when mixed with tonic water, becoming various shades of pink and blue.
Diplomatico Rum Reserva Exclusiva Rum & Tumbler Pack
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is an elegant and complex sipping rum, carefully crafted from the purest of sugar cane honey. It is delicately distilled in ancient copper pot stills and aged in small oak casks for up to twelve years.
Aberfeldy’s 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
One by one, The Last Great Malts of Scotland will leave their distillery gates. Full-bodied and golden yellow in colour, Aberfeldy 12 Year Old is patiently fermented for longer bringing its famous honeyed notes and making it super smooth. Aged for 12 Years and bottled at 40% ABV. A smooth dram of heather and honey.
Whisky Loot Top Shelf Australia Whisky Tasting Pack
Contains three of the finest Aussie drams around. Carefully selected by our team of spirits experts, this trio of exquisite single malts illustrates the unique qualities possessed by Australian whiskies to full effect.
Old and Rare Scottish Single Malt Whisky Tasting Pack
The Scottish climate is perfectly suited to the long aging of whisky, as this pack shows, with each of the single malts having slumbered peacefully in the cask for decades. The result? Drams of inimitable quality, full of flavour and depth of character.
MoeJoe Creations Spiced Rum Candle
If your dad is a lover of all things rum, this candle is for him. Presented in an opaque black glass candle jar, this candle smells just like rum with a hint of citrus and spices. Gorgeously smooth and a bit spicy.
