Summer is just around the corner, which means one thing here in the UK: it’s barbecue season. It’s time for good food, outdoor events, and plenty of opportunities or you to put your grill skills to the test.

What’s more, your customers will be looking for tasty barbecue options that they can bring to the table, which opens up a great avenue for you as a butcher to whip up a couple of fantastic barbecue staples. So, to help you out, here at Butchers Equipment Warehouse we’ve put together some recipes that you can use to create a couple of the most succulent barbecue dishes.

The classic beef burger

A barbecue staple. Globally known and respected, the humble beef burger has been a mainstay of fast food restaurants and American style diners for years, and it’s easy to see why. Simple, delicious, and iconic - plus, it’s really easy to make! For a great beef burger, all you need is some steak mince, onion, some seasoning (we’d recommend keeping it simple with salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powder.), a beaten egg to bind the ingredients together, and a drizzle of olive oil.

The method for cooking one of these juicy beauties is really simple:

  • First, heat up some olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion (finely chopped) and cook for 5 minutes until soft, then set it aside.
  • Next, combine the beef mince with the seasoning and the egg. Add the onions and mix well. Using your hands, shape into 4 patties.
  • Cook the burgers on a preheated barbecue or griddle for 5-6 minutes on each side depending on how well you want them cooked.

That’s all there is to it! From there, you just need to add them to a burger bun and dress them up with whatever salad and sauce you like!

Texas style barbecue brisket

A dish that’s extremely popular with our American cousins, our version of brisket usually consists of a bourguignon style stew, which is more of a winter warmer than a summertime stunner. We’re here to change that though, and introduce you to the joys of Texas style barbecue brisket. Admittedly, this is a recipe that takes a bit of time to prepare and cook, but it’s absolutely worth it. To start, you’ll need a few ingredients for the barbecue sauce and the rub:

For the barbecue sauce:

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 500 ml/ 18 fl oz tomato ketchup
  • 100 ml/ 3.5 fl oz Worcestershire sauce
  • 75 ml/ 2.5 fl oz lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp malt vinegar
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp crushed chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme

For the rub:

  • 2 tbsp each chilli powder and mustard powder
  • 1 tbsp each paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, ground black pepper, caster sugar
  • 1 bay leaf, crushed

And obviously you’ll need to get your hands on some beef brisket - about a 5kg / 11 lb piece, as well as 500 ml / 18 fl oz beef stock should do the trick. So, on to the method:

  • For the barbecue sauce, heat up the oil in a frying pan, then cook the onion and garlic for a few mins until soft. From there, add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the pan with a good pinch of salt and leave them to simmer for about 20 mins. If it’s a bit clumpy, use a hand blender to smooth it out a bit.
  • Next, pre-heat your oven to about 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Then, create your rub by mixing all the ingredients together with a pinch of salt, then rub it all over your beef until it’s evenly coated.
  • Afterwards, grab yourself a large roasting tin and mix the beef stock and ½ the barbecue sauce in to it. Add the brisket to the tin, cover it with a lid or tin-foil, then place it in the oven for 4-5 hrs until the meat is really tender.
  • To finish off, fire up your barbecue, lift the beef out of the roasting tin and place it on the barbecue to char. Cook for about 20 mins, turning it carefully with tongs, until lightly charred all over and heated through. Finally, lift it off onto a board and serve.

We guarantee that these tasty barbecue treats will be an absolute hit for your butcher shop. Tasty, cheap, and easy to make in bulk, you won’t be disappointed by the results. The same can also be said of our wide range of butchers equipment - for over 30 years, we’ve supplied tried and tested, five star rated brands to our clients. With our extensive range of butchers machinery, accessories, and knives, we know our butchers equipment inside out. Give us a call on 01254 427721 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have!