With Autumn now upon us and the temperatures beginning to cool down, now is the time to start thinking about Winter.
We are lucky in Queensland, not to experience the really cold temperatures and to have a climate that is outdoor ready, year around.
The weather is certainly dryer during the winter months compared to the summer months with the added bonus of fewer flies, mosquitoes and midges to contend with.
It can be tempting to lay out in the sun by your swimming pool or in your yard and warm up your bones with some winter sun. Remember that the UV Rays are still really high in Queensland and sunburn is a very real possibility, so you still need to remember the Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide!!
- Slip on a shirt
- Slop on some sunscreen (50+)
- Slap on a hat
- Seek some shelter
- Slide on your sunglasses
The cooler weather can also make outdoor entertaining that little more difficult. People don’t BBQ as often during Winter as the nights have a chilly nip in them. If they do, the cook is often left outside by the BBQ as the guests gather inside.
You can change this scenario. If you have an insulated patio, you can easily hook up a heater or use a patio heater to warm up the area so that everyone can be outside socializing. This will keep the cook happy as well!
It doesn’t matter what your eating preferences are, there is nothing better than the smell of onions cooking on a BBQ! Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.
Everyone has their favourite recipes or those handed down from generation to generation.
Whether it be meat, veggies, smoked, slow cooked, quickly cooked, roasted, it doesn’t matter, we all know what makes our taste buds tingle.
My favourite of all time is Lamb. I love this meat in all forms, but roasted on the BBQ is probably my most favourite. Not only does it taste great, but gives you a couple of hours to entertain your guests in your outdoor living area and enjoy your favourite beverage, whilst your dinner is cooking.
I have added a recipe for you to enjoy.
BBQ Boneless Leg of Lamb
Preparation: 2hours, Cook: 2hours, Ready in:4hours (Takes a while, but definitely worth the wait)
Ingredients
Serves: 8
1 cup olive oil
½ cup vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 leg of lamb, boned & flattened (Your butcher can do this for you)
BBQ Sauce
½ cup water
½ cup lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
2 ½ cups tomato puree
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons tabasco sauce (remove or reduce if required)
1 teaspoon red chilli, finely chopped (remove or reduce if required)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Mix together 1 cup of vegetable oil, ½ cups of vinegar, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Add the trimmed lamb leg, coat with the marinade and leave marinating at room temperature for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, stir together the water, lemon juice, 3/4 cup of vegetable oil, tomato puree, onion, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, hot sauce, chilli, 2 cloves minced garlic, mustard powder and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes until the onions have softened and the sauce has thickened.
Preheat the barbecue for medium-low heat, and lightly oil grate.
Remove lamb from marinade, and shake off excess. Discard remaining marinade. Cook 1½ to 2 hours, turning and basting frequently with the hot barbeque sauce.
Throw together a salad of your choosing or roast some veggies and enjoy.
If there are any leftovers (which I doubt), you can use the next day and make some Lamb Wraps for lunch.
