Recipes for the Perfect Barbecue

Barbecue with friends is, for many, the best way to spend pleasant evenings outdoors. This combination of good food, joyful company and nature is a favorite form of relaxation and entertainment to many, so here are some useful tips how to best organize a spring “al fresco” feast.

Prepared by: Sara Krajina Jazvić

Small tips for the barbecue:

• Position the barbecue in relation to the wind, so that the smoke is blowing in the opposite direction of your guests.
• Do not turn the meat on the grill with the knife or fork because all the juices from the meat will trickle out. Use the intended barbecue grips instead.
• If you pierce sausages with a fork during grilling, all the fat will seep out so it will be less fatty, but they will also lose most of their flavour.
• Beef steak is the only meat that you can grill so that it remains a little pink in the middle, while for all the rest of the meat the rule is to grill it until well done due to the potential bacteria.
• The meat will be especially tasty if you smother it with mustard and let it stand in oil and spices. You can add to the marinade the sage leaves or mint, but remove them before putting the meat on the grill to prevent them from burning.

Grilled squid

Ingredients: 500 g of squid, 2 tbsp of chopped dill, 50 ml of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, salt, juice and grated lemon zest, 1 tbsp of lime juice, lime slices for decoration

Preparation: Clean, wash and dry the squid. Cut them lengthwise and remove the prongs. Mix olive oil, dill, crushed garlic, juice and grated lemon zest. Add lime juice and chopped squid. Add salt and stir, then  leave to marinate for about 3 hours. Then take the squids out of the marinade and barbecue them on a well-heated grill until tender and well browned. Garnish with slices of lime and serve with seasonal salad.

Skewered lamb

Ingredients: 800 g of lamb without bones, 150 ml of olive oil, juice and grated lemon zest, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp of chopped fresh mint, pepper, salt, vegetable seasoning

Preparation: Mix the olive oil with lemon juice, lemon rind, chopped garlic, mint, pepper and vegetable seasoning. Mix it all together in a blender. Pour the marinade over the diced lamb and leave covered to stand at a room temperature for about 2 hours. Stick 3-4 cubes of marinated lamb on each skewer. Brush the grill with oil and heat well, then barbecue the skewers on each side.