Last Updated on June 24, 2024
Swaledale Butchers native breed meat box makes BBQ prep easy
Having grown up in South Africa where the art of the barbecue – or braai as we call it – is close to a religion, I have learned a thing or two about perfect preparation over the years. All the more so, because as a female child, I helped in the kitchen where the meat was marinated and starters, sides and desserts were organised for hours in advance. Being a girl child, I was not inducted into the ritual that passed on from father to son, a relationship that bonded over wood and smoke as has probably been done since the discovery of fire. I hope that some things have changed since my childhood in this respect, perhaps more young women are now taught to light a fire and cook the meat. The meat, in my view, is an essential item needed for the perfect BBQ. I’ve eaten countless fish and chicken BBQs and in recent years many a vegetarian one too. But at the end of the day, for my money, a perfect BBQ is meat-based. This can be a single showstopper – like a leg of lamb – or a pick and mix of cuts like chops, steaks, ribs and sausage. Invited to review a BBQ meat box from Swaledale Butchers I was spoiled for choice. I’ve shared my own recipe for ribeye tagliata too – it’s an excellent way to present your steak so that everyone gets a bit of the most expensive stuff – though if you buy from a reputable supplier like Swaledale you may well be surprised at just how good a sausage or a burger can be!
Swaledale Butchers is based in Yorkshire and offers a wide selection of meat boxes to order online. All meat is delivered fresh, never frozen. Delivery was smooth and the meat arrived well chilled and ready for the fridge or freezer, divided into well-labelled packs, each enough to feed four people. I thought the native breed, BBQ meat box was excellent value at £78. I hosted two barbecues, serving 9 people in total, and there was a feast of food, with leftovers too. In the Swaledale BBQ meat box I found packs of free-range chicken breasts and drumsticks – all a very substantial size. Free-range, native-breed pork came in the form of loin chops and Yorkshire breakfast chipolatas. Beef – grass-fed, native breed and dry aged was represented by ribeye sharing steaks and Korean style BBQ short ribs. There was also a pair of very large steak burgers. Lastly, there was a pack of North African spiced lamb koftas, limestone pasture fed.
Once you have ordered your meat there are a few simple guidelines for the perfect BBQ that I always follow. Choose your main course centrepiece – meat, chicken, fish or vegetables. Mine, on this occasion, was the ribeye tagliata recipe that I’ve shared at the end of this post. It’s a stunning dish that always gets people talking. I find that people tend to eat more at a BBQ than a regular meal, perhaps the outdoors and the smell of smoke whets the appetite. I always cook more than I think my guests will get through. Luckily, there is nothing quite like cold leftover BBQ meat the following day.
Decide on what sides you want to offer – I particularly like sweet potatoes as they add a lovely flavour and can be baked in the oven or in the coals if you prefer, well wrapped in foil. These take care of themselves. As a child, we always had corn on the cob with a BBQ and nowadays I often pop a few corn cobs on the BBQ, having parboiled them first. You can serve these with salted butter, or make a nut or chilli butter or get fancy with a salsa. Other easy sides include wedges of baked butternut (this can also go onto the coals well wrapped in foil) and is divine with honey and miso butter, and a large green salad into which I strew griddled tender stem broccoli, pomegranate seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds and boiled edamame beans. It is an easy way to add lots of green leafy vegetables to the meal. A scattering of edible flowers if you can access these takes your salad to the next level. I dress the salad very simply with my best extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar but a garlicky vinaigrette with a good dollop of Dijon mustard will be lovely too.
I then work backwards and think about what starters to have. Sometimes I don’t have a formal starter at all, preferring a table of nibbles that guests can help themselves to. Labneh with a slick of good quality EVOO, a scattering of za’atar and a handful of Nocellara olives served with flatbreads or hunks of fresh sourdough is about as quick as it gets. Some baby carrots, lightly steamed, along with small Lebanese cucumbers and baby vine tomatoes won’t go amiss here. Asparagus spears lightly cooked and wrapped in slices of Parma ham is another favourite and takes a matter of minutes to prepare. You could whip up a batch of houmous – so much tastier than the shop-bought kind and so quick too. Decorate with olive oil, a teaspoon of smoked paprika and some whole chickpeas. Or a dip made from thick Greek yoghurt mixed with a spoon of rose harissa. The possibilities are endless. Lately, I have been barbecuing whole aubergines so that they attain a wonderful smoky flavour. You could mash up the flesh for a babaganoush or simply cut them in half once cooked and soft inside and dress them with a salsa or even a spoonful of thick tahini and some chopped tomatoes.
Getting a BBQ off to a good start is, like any form of entertaining, easiest with a bottle of bubbly. At a recent BBQ, we tasted a couple of bottles of Graham Beck Cap Classique – South African sparkling wine that is produced using the traditional Champenoise method. It is very good value, maintaining the quality without the price tag of champagne. If you do want to drink something French but don’t want to push the boat all the way out to champagne, excellent value can also be found in a French crémant. All you need with the bubbles is something salty – I’ve researched this and discovered it to be generally agreed upon. Although I try to avoid eating crisps, I have found that serving a good quality plain salted crisp or some salted nuts goes down very well while holding a flute in one hand.
With the starter course, I usually serve a well-chilled white wine. Since barbecuing takes me back to my roots, my preference is for South African wines. As my husband laid out the Swaledale meats on the BBQ, we tried a selection of whites with our starters. These included a wallet-friendly and very quaffable Kleine Zalze Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2022 as well as a delicious Journey’s End Haystack Chardonnay 2021. I’ve recently discovered Creation wines and the Reserve Chardonnay and Reserve Pinot Noir are marvellous for outdoor drinking in summer heat, where South Africans are fortunate to spend a lot of their time. With the main course meats, we tried another Kleine Zalze – Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 and a pricier, and oh-so-delicious, Journey’s End The Griffin Syrah 2016, which was a perfect pairing with the BBQ ribeye tagliata
As for dessert at a BBQ – think summer fruits. To my mind, a light fruit-based dessert is best to round off a BBQ rather than a warm pudding. I usually make a large pavlova – I bake it the night before and fill it just before serving with lemon curd, whipped cream and loads of summer berries. Growing up we always had watermelon; an alternative was not even negotiable. If you would like to try the watermelon option – it does make life easier than baking – buy a ripe watermelon and cut it in thick slices, serve cold and not at room temperature. It is also delicious paired with thin wedges of feta cheese. Another easy option is a large bowl of strawberries with a jug of cold single cream, a dessert that will always be well received.
If you really want to treat your guests, finish off with a cheeseboard. Everyone will groan about there being an excess of food when you bring it out but just watch the cheese disappear. As I said, appetites grow outdoors and nibbling on some lovely cheese with a fancy cracker and a few dates while opening one bottle of red too many is a wonderful way to round off a BBQ.
Now all you need to hope for is a sunny day. I have learnt not to mention the word ‘barbecue’ in advance lest I jinx the weather. Yet even in sunnier climes, the weather cannot always be relied upon. In South Africa we enjoyed long hot summers yet on any given day there might have been winds so wild one could not even open a window never mind light a fire outdoors. And perhaps this is why a BBQ is such a special event – not all the elements can be controlled, but when all the variables come together there are few better ways to entertain. Meanwhile, here’s a printable version of my showstopper recipe for Barbecued Ribeye Tagliata
Barbecued ribeye with rocket and cherry tomato
- 2 large ribeye steaks
- olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper
- 200 grams rocket leaves
- 250 grams ripe vine cherry tomatoes
- Good quality balsamic vinegar and Extra virgin olive oil
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Remove meat from fridge 30 minutes before cooking so it comes to room temperature.
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Rub meat with some olive oil and salt and pepper to season.
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When your barbecue is ready - if using coals then they should be medium hot -put the ribeye on the grill and BBQ for 12 - 15 minutes to get the meat to medium-rare.
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Remove to a warm plate and cover with loose foil while resting the meat for 5 -10 minutes.
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While the meat is resting - or before if you want to get ahead - strew a serving platter with rocket leaves and halved cherry tomatoes.
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Cut the steaks into thick slices and arrange on the bed of rocket leaves.
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Dress with your very best balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
Order your own BBQ box from Swaledale Butchers or if you prefer, you can mix and match to make up your own box – the minimum order is £40 and there’s free delivery for orders over £60. They always have monthly specials so if you are feeling adventurous, why not try something different?
Here’s a recipe for Pork Tenderloin Medallions in Mushroom Sauce that we made with our last selection of meat from Swaledale
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