FLOWER POT KITCHEN: BBQ FLAME GRILLED SIRLION

15 May 2013

BBQ FLAME GRILLED SIRLION

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE WAYS OF COOKING

My taste buds are in charge! and this is a really favourite treat, cooking a side of sirloin this way is all about the finished flavour and juiciness, the sirloin has to cook slow and low over hot coals, now this often has me and my husband both trying to light the BBQ as we both think we can do a better job than the other, whoever lights the BBQ perfect then gets the credit for the cooked

sirloin, because this style of cooking keeps all the juices preciously secured inside the sirloin and makes the outer gets all gnarled and charred up on the outside, which we all fight over as it adds so much crispy smokey BBQ flavour, this is something you cannot imitate with liquid smoke flavouring, however that is better than nothing. When your pit BBQ meat has a genuine smoke ring or charred BBQ pit bark you know dinner is going to be good.

COOKING TIMES

RARE

2kg on white coals cook turning regularly, every 5 minutes for approx 30 minutes, the only side that will send flames up all around the sirloin is the skin/fat side so I do not like to leave it to long on this side as it will really char and burn, but it is fun when it looks like you have set your whole dinner on fire.

RESTING TIME

Wrap the whole sirloin in tin foil and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.

MEDIUM RARE

2kg cook for 45minutes and rest for at least 10 minutes.

MEDIUM

2kg cook for 1hr and rest for 10 minutes

WELL DONE

2kg just leave it on there until it feels like it will bounce like a rubber ball when you prod it.

RARE

Rested for 15 minutes in tin foil which allowed all the juices to settle evenly.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.