“British BBQ in general terms has no identity”, states Anthony Murphy in the introduction to his new cook book The Beefy Boys Great British BBQ. It’s hard to argue against this, with Murphy saying that British BBQ has broadly fallen into the trap of just copying what other cultures and countries do - whether that be the fast and hot grilling of steaks and shrimp Aussie style, or the more considered low-n-slow approach of Southern American pit masters to name but two styles.
Yet Murphy - one of quartet who make up burger brand The Beefy Boys - also acknowledges that “as a nation, we have become obsessed with BBQ” despite a paucity of suitable weather, and that Britain has a rich history of cooking over fire that has been lost to the ages. This book, he says, takes that forgotten culture and reinterprets it for the modern age.
With this mission statement laid out, The Beefy Boys Great British BBQ dedicates much of its pages to just that - identifying recipes that you might not traditionally associate with BBQ food (BBQ fish and chips with char tartare sauce being one such example) - although sections on transatlantic BBQ and multicultural BBQ do bring it back into more familiar territory. Very British recipes include ones for bone marrow mash cottage pie; a fire pit pasty; saddle of pork with smoked apple butter; rib of beef; and even a grilled prawn cocktail.
Thus, while this book is not your classic BBQ tome, it doesn’t stray too far from how many people cook, applying BBQ techniques to British dishes that might otherwise be prepared in the oven or on the stove. Rather than introduce readers to new flavours and styles, Murphy deftly shows that BBQ techniques can be embraced for anything from a traditional Sunday roast (whether that be sirloin of beef on the rotisserie, spit-roasted chicken, or Lancashire lamb with hot potatoes) to a roast ham and even a full English breakfast.
Those wanting recipes for the British BBQ staple the burger can get their fix, with a couple of options included, although The Beefy Boys’ debut cook book is significantly more comprehensive in this regard.
Murphy’s vision of a more thoughtful, creative way of cooking British food on the BBQ is unlikely to ever replace the almost universal practice on these shores of throwing some hastily bought supermarket burger and sausages onto a too-hot grill and watching them cremate, but as a manifesto for change it is well worth a read.
Book review: The Beefy Boys Great British BBQ
Number of pages: 222
Must try recipe: Fire pit pasty
Publisher and price: Quadrille, £20