ARTICLE
How to throw the best Barbecue on the block this Father’s Day
July 28, 2023-5 min read
What makes a banging Father’s Day barbie? Perfectly grilled meat. Chilled bevvies. A relaxed vibe and feel-good tunes; perhaps some fun lawn games to play while waiting on the food. Plus a sworn oath to avoid those twin barbecue sins (running out of ice or gas!). Whether you crown dear old Dad master of ceremonies – or give him a break and take over the tongs yourself – we’ve scoped all the essential ingredients, best gift and recipe ideas, and barbecue and outdoor cooking appliances to make him the envy of the block this Father’s Day.
Check out our Father’s Day Hub for all your gift idea inspo!
Meat The Star Of The Show
Swap “been there, done that” beef burgers for some jazzier options. What about lamb and beetroot patties, grilled gourmet pizzas (a hot barbecue trend, we hear), or melt-in-your-mouth brisket? Pull out the stops and get saucy with marinades and ribs. Whatever you decide, the perfect Father’s Day barbecue algorithm is three meat choices. Or fish for compliments by swapping one of the meats for a platter of seared spicy tuna or salmon steaks.
Shop Must-Have Barbecues
The barbecue-lover’s barbie, the BeefEater 1600 Series Dark 5 Burner BBQ and Trolley has a powerful side burner to stir sauces or saute onions on, and a handy glass window to keep an eye on those baby back ribs.
A small yard – or no yard at all? Not a barbecue deal-breaker with the compact George Foreman Electric Fit Grill Medium. It can cook up a storm on your balcony with an electrical thermostat that grills burgers to perfection.
Feeding the troops is a cinch with the Weber Family Q 3100N+ LP Midnight Black natural gas barbecue. It cooks quickly and evenly with the lid down so you can barbecue batch after batch of Dad’s favourite meats.
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Bourbon Whiskey Cola Braised Pork Belly For Dad
Dad will go nuts for this aromatic pork-belly dish that’s slow-braised on the Weber Family Q natural gas barbecue in a sweet and savoury liquid, then grilled at the end for caramelisation and depth of flavour. Be sure to save that braising liquid. It’s incredible when reduced to a thick serving sauce to finish the dish.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Recipe by Laura Romeo for Weber Barbecues Australia and New Zealand
Ingredients:
1kg skin-on pork belly rashers (2cm thick)
1x 375mL can Bourbon Whiskey & Cola
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 star-anise pods
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Spring onion, finely sliced, to garnish
Method:
Prepare your barbecue for indirect cooking over medium heat (190°–230°C). Set up your appliance with a convection tray and a roasting trivet.
In a large frying pan, add the pork belly, Bourbon & Cola, garlic, kecap manis, fish sauce, star anise and chilli flakes. With a silicone spoon, incorporate the ingredients and ensure the pork belly is submerged.
Place the frying pan onto the trivet and cook over indirect medium heat for 2 hours, or until the pork belly has started to become tender.
Once the pork belly has cooked for 2 hours, remove the pork from the frying pan, leaving the juices behind. Using heatproof gloves, remove the convection tray and trivet from the barbecue. Prepare the barbecue for direct cooking over medium-high heat (210°–250°C).
Return the frying pan to the barbecue. Simmer the sauce in the frying pan over direct medium-high heat for 15 minutes or until thickened. Lightly coat the pork belly slices with olive oil and grill over direct medium-high heat for 2 minutes each side, or until grill marks appear.
Garnish the pork belly with spring onion, and finish with the reduced braising liquid.
A Toast To Dad On Father’s Day
Keep the party from running dry by whipping up a big batch of a dad-approved cocktail, such as an Old Fashioned or a Bloody Mary in your blender, stock the fridge with his favourite ale, and lean on your Sodastream for a refreshing virgin brew like a mock mojito to break up the booze.
Keep Drinks Cold!
Nothing kills a barbecue buzz faster than running out of ice and having to throw back tepid wine or beer. No chance of that with these trusty chillers:
Is Dad fond of a good drop? The Hisense 30 Bottle Wine Cellar has a stylish black finish and will keep all his favourite bottles chilled and ready to imbibe.
Keep that ice coming all afternoon with the Westinghouse 145L Chest Freezer. The hovering door design lets you scoop from your stash without propping up the lid.
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“"What makes a banging Father’s Day barbie? Perfectly grilled meat. Chilled bevvies. Plus a sworn oath to avoid those twin barbecue sins (running out of ice or gas!)."
”
Bring On The Entertainment
Put a smile on dad’s dial by making a playlist of old ‘Dad car jams’ from when you were kids. Unleash them on your portable Bluetooth speakers (use voice control to change tracks without interrupting tong-duty). Or if Dad’s a sports hound, set up a portable projector on your patio and let him watch the game while you eat “just this once”!
The Clean-Up Operation
Clean up your act by taking good care of your barbecue afterwards (you’ll be glad next time you use it). Invest in a good weatherproof cover, such as the Weber Premium Full Length Cover, and stockpile barbecue cleaning essentials, such as grill brushes, tough wipes and exterior sprays.
The Take-Home Gift
Ignore him when he says “I don’t need anything” and gift him a token of your love (no dodgy aprons please!).
Motivate him to up his daily step count with the Fitbit Versa 4 Black/Graphite: it tracks runs, walks, hikes and bike rides and will keep tabs on his heart rate too.
Get Dad home safely with the Navman MiVue150 Safety Dash Cam. It offers lane guidance at tricky intersections, live traffic updates and a dash camera to read incoming messages (and keep his hands on the wheel!).
The Homedics Cordless Shiatsu Massager will soothe away his pesky aches and pains, and pinpoint specific spots for ultimate relief.
You’ll find everything you need to treat Dad to an unbeatable barbecue this Father’s Day at The Good Guys. Visit us in-store or online to explore a huge range of barbecue and outdoor cooking appliances. And check out our other Father’s Day gift guides for more expert picks.
