Advice for getting the best from your Peart BBQ or Caribbean Cooker
This page has been kindly compiled by Tommy Parsons, a top London Chef who works for restaurants and private clients as well as running workshops for people who want to learn how to get the best from their Peart BBQ.
Now you’ve got your Peart BBQ it’s time to start having some fun. The Peart range of BBQs are not just more run of the mill barbecues, they provide far more control over heat than most barbecues and importantly will remain hot for hours if used correctly, allowing you to cook for a crowd well into the night.
To get the most out of your Peart BBQ you need to have things prepared in advance. First of all light the BBQ at least 1 ½ - 2 hours before you plan to start cooking. Load the charcoal tray, using the best quality charcoal you can find (great charcoal is available to buy on this site) and ensure that as the charcoal begins to burn it does so evenly. This may mean you need to shuffle the charcoal around a little.
As soon as you see that the charcoal is ignited and beginning to burn evenly then get your grills on. The more heat you can get into the grills themselves the better the cooking will be. Make sure though that the grills are really clean before putting them on, this will help to stop any food sticking to them. You can either wash the grills or giving them a really good scrub with a stiff wire brush usually does the trick.
Peart BBQs burn really hot, which is great for cooking but sometimes you may need to control the heat a little. You can do this by using the chimney and air flap (not on all models) which can be adjusted to increase or decrease the air flow through the cooker. This either results in a more vigorous heat or slows or slightly cools the barbecue down to suit what you’re cooking. It’s a good idea to experiment with this and get familiar with it as it is not only useful for cooking different things but can also be used to ‘delay’ things if your guests are late.
Try this – get the cooker burning well with the chimney and air flap wide open. When the coals are red hot but the flames have burnt out take a mental note of the way the coals look and run your hand over the grills (not too close!), feel the vigorous heat that is being generated. Now close everything down, shut the chimney off, close the air flap, shut the lid and go and drink a beer. Come back to the cooker a few minutes later and open just the lid, see how the coals look, they should not be such a bright burning red, put your hand over the grill and feel the heat, it will be hot but not the kind of fierce heat that it was before. Now open up the air flap and chimney a little a see how the coals begin the burn brighter, as they burn brighter you will also feel the heat rising. As oxygen re kindles the flame the heat rises. This is a extreme example but it will give you a feel for how this can be used when cooking. The heat you require will of course depend upon what you are actually cooking.
A lot of people when they have a barbecue only cook the meat on the grill and prepare all the other things in the kitchen. I think this is a shame and like to do all my cooking outside. Most of the time that’s where your guests are so why confine yourself to the kitchen. Take out a few suitable pans and get them on the grill. Remember that barbecue has got a lot of heat in it; it’s the same as putting a pan on the hob in the kitchen, so get your chopping board and a few utensils in the garden and leave the kitchen for another day.
The more you use the barbecue the more familiar you will become with it. Persevere and don’t’ be afraid to experiment, it’s the best and most versatile barbecue I have ever come across and I wouldn't want to cook outside on anything else.
Get the barbecue fired up, grab a beer and have a great evening.
Tommy Parsons
Chef.