Embrace the flame

By Sarah O'Meara.

You wonder if Jamie Oliver expected America to punch back quite so hard when he "hit Hollywood" with his latest food revolution TV series.

Perhaps so, as the young visionary has sent a replacement to keep us on our cooking toes while he's fighting the American fast food establishment.

No, not Michelle Obama, who's just touched down - although her food campaigning credentials would make her the perfect substitute. It's his newest friend and business partner, the Manhattan barbecue king Adam Perry Lang, 36, who's signed up to improve British barbecue cooking.

Taking a leaf out of Oliver's book, this summer he'll be challenging our outdoor cooking preconceptions with new campaign Beat My BBQ, run in association with Red Tractor (www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk).

He and Oliver joined forces a couple of years back after hitting it off over a plate of pork at Perry Lang's Manhattan rib shack, and opened London-based Barbecoa restaurant in 2010. But, says the baby-faced Perry Lang, he's "not here to be patronising".

"Every country is different," he adds earnestly, seeming surprisingly shy for a man who works with fire. "Every place has their own barbecue traditions."

Perhaps he's concerned he'll suffer the same backlash Oliver's currently facing Stateside if he starts lecturing us on how to sear our sausages.

Yet we definitely do have something to learn from our American cousins. In the States, flame-cooked food is a bloody, competitive business. Succulent baby back ribs, pulled-pork rolls and 'burnt ends' (brisket off-cuts) line the picnic table accompanied by sauces made from closely-guarded family recipes.

In comparison, Brits are often quicker to embrace the gas-fuelled barbie, 10-pack of burgers and shop-bought coleslaw.

Perry Lang's keen to get us cooking over hot coals and embracing the flame.

"Don't fear it. That's what I tell new chefs, first and foremost, because when they see it, they get nervous," he says.

"Flame happens. You have to work with it, as opposed to dominating it."

In the US, barbecuing is a rather more intense sport. Virtually every state holds a barbecue competition each year, and techniques range from baking and braising to smoking, grilling and slow cooking.

"The barbecue is probably one of the few cuisines that America can really call its own, but it changes wherever you go. In the southern states, BBQ means cooking low and slow with less direct heat, in the north east it means more direct grilling over an intense heat," he says.

Controversially, in Perry Lang's experience, women make the better barbecuers.

"Often when I get new male chefs, they'll think they've got it and immediately start poking the fire and pushing it around.

"Women listen a little more at the start and typically get it a lot quicker. They're more open and expressive."

The main difference between cooking on a open flame and using an oven, says Perry Lang, is dealing with variables.

"Cooking with live fire is a little unruly. When you set an oven to 220F, it's 220F. Here you have to work for it.

"The cooking also starts way before most people in most kitchens. We have to build the fire, keep it going and regulate the heat.

"But the advantage is flavour. It's also more engaging for people when they cook with a fire, as opposed to turning on an oven."

His passion for cooking and great tasting food is infectious. Much like his business partner's.

"I'm interested in what people can bring to the table. That's what we do. We just get excited about food."

He talks about Oliver's involvement as though the "we" is second nature. While the pukka chef doesn't help out on a daily basis, Perry Lang says the pair are still close.

"He might be a big character, but when I'm with him, he's my friend. If he's travelling he'll send me pictures of food he's found. You don't always have such a good business relationship with someone."

So, as a friend, is he worried Oliver's currently bitten off more than he can chew?

"He's really not having as tough a time as the media portrays," he says, jumping to Oliver's defence. "He's actually been hugely successfully, and made tremendous waves there.

"The people that need to love him, love him and the people that don't appreciate him, well they would never have liked him anyway."

Clearly, Perry Lang's one of the former.

Perry Lang's Barbecue Tips :: Try cooking something different to wow your guests. Anything from rumps and sirloins to newer cuts like the flat-iron steak (shoulder). Or slow roast a beef brisket or breast of lamb, then finish it off on the BBQ before carving it up to share.

:: Make sure you're getting good quality meat. Look out for the Red Tractor logo.

:: For delicious beef and lamb barbecues, a great tip is to season and marinate. The boys will love a beer marinade, mixed together with Worcestershire sauce and mustard.

:: Preparation is key. Don't be tempted to start cooking too soon, it's a sure-fire way to end in disaster. Make sure your BBQ is glowing red and the charcoal has a layer of white ash before you start, otherwise your food could end up burnt on the outside but raw in the middle.

:: Get competitive: this year it's all about being the best. Check out www.facebook.com/simplybeefandlamb and challenge your mates to go one better.

:: Avoid BBQ disasters and tweet the team of experts at @BBQ_SOS any time throughout June.

:: Build flavours and re-season as you grill. Baste ingredients with flavour-enhanced butter, oil and marinades and apply with a bundle of herbs. Also re-season as you cook since grill bars on the BBQ tend to pull off spices and seasonings.

:: Season as you slice. This will maximise the flavour experience, making everything taste 3D. And you're done!

:: Don't move your meat around too much on the grill. Let the protein set.