What we're talking about

Ed on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bob, I am joining the frustrated listeners who find that dool.com.au does not exist. PLEASE, where is the site?Regards, ... more
Christine Campbell on Bob Hart's Roasted Chilli Corn Hi Bob,You mention chipotle mayoin some of your recipes but, search as I may, I can't find the recipe on the ... more
Robert on Ask Bob Hart a food question BobIs the DOOL for real?I can't find it anywhere online. Tried www.dool.com.auIt doesn't exist.Rob. more
Charles on Bob Hart answers your questions Hello Bob,Could you please let me know what days and times you do talk back on radioRegardsCharles more
Charles on Bob Hart answers your questions Hello Bob,I want to buy a gas Webber BBQ. Please advise what moders and features you recommend. Please advise also places I ... more
Lindy Arthur on Ask Bob Hart a food question Afternoon Mr. Hart,I keep hearing your ad on 3AW - Dool? skillet. And I google the www.dool.com.au but do not come up with ... more
David Bracken on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bobplease tell me where I can find the frypan you are advertising on AW. I can't find it on the net.Thanks DB more
susan on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bob, Can you give me your toasted cheese sandwich recipe? I missed half of it today when I received a phone call during ... more
Keith on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bob,i cant remember if it was last week or the week prior you talked about an amazing steak sauce recipe that had my ... more
Joy Farnan on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hello Bob.When having a roast, I put in a whole garlic with the veges, (as I had seen the experts do). Well, the garlic ... more
Anthea on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi BobYou mentioned a book from which you made Zucchini Fritter for you daughters vegetarian partner. Can you please tell me ... more
Colleen on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bob, the other day you mentioned a BBQ sauce for steak, various engredients. It did have butter in the recipe,possibly ... more
Colleen on Bob Hart's delicious recipes Last week you gave a steak sauce or gravy on the programe and I was driving. Could I please have it again as my husband ... more
Tanith on Bob Hart's delicious recipes Hi BobI heard you talk about Shabu Shabu sauce last week so went out and bought a bottle. Could yyou please post the steak ... more
Claude Z on Bob Hart's spicy Korean wings Hi Bob, i was listening to you last week when you mentioned a sauce recipe based on the Japenese Kupi sauce. While i was ... more
Jansen on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi I'm trying to find the steak sauce recipe you spoke of, but not sue what heading it would be under? Thx more
judy on Ask Bob Hart a food question Bob, was driving on the Hume Highway on 26/04/12 and heard your delicious steak sauce recipe with Asian ingredients. Could I ... more
Matt Brown on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bob,On Thursday 26 April, you gave out a recipe for the most amazing steak sauce... Could you please let us all know ... more
Peter Coutts on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bob.This week you gave a recipe for a perfect Steak Sauce.I cannot find it on this list.It was the Asian Style one.Can ... more
Lyn on Ask Bob Hart a food question Hi Bob, On Thursday you where talking about an Asian Sauce to have with steak??? cant find the recipe on your list? more

Bob Hart's Ultimate Barbecue

Posted by: Bob Hart | 14 February, 2012 - 11:21 AM

Listeners often ask about the ultimate barbecue - especially about what, precisely, it is. And chances are that no two barbecue enthusiasts would agree.

But yesterday, I came close - in the north-east of our state, near Milawa. The weather was perfect, and so was the barbecue.

First, we visited a butcher in Wangaratta. He had put aside a dry-aged side of locally grown, Milawa Organic Beef and was prepared to cut from it, for us, a baron of beef, or a standing rib from the fillet-end of the animal - about three ribs worth. It was a hugely impressive slab of meat.

We then took it back to the paddock in which it had been grown and cooked it, on a Weber kettle with plenty of hickory chunks and chips, on the banks of a pretty creek. It is a very special thing to do, and simple enough if you know your way around a Weber kettle: the result was extraordinary. I suggest you try it for yourself, at least once this summer. Now this is not an experience that can be duplicated on a gas barbecue. You can stand a roast on a trivet and cook it in a console-type gas barbecue or in a Weber Q, but perhaps not a roast as big as this, and not with hickory smoke swirling around it. So let me explain how it's done, and you can beg, borrow, but not steal a Weber kettle - I would suggest buying one, actually, even if you already have a gas barbecue, as they are not expensive, and you may fall in love with it. Prepare your kettle for indirect cooking with two full baskets of heat beads with a foil tray of water between them. Make sure you have your hickory soaking in water. And insure the meat is at room (or paddock) temperature. When the kettle is registering around 220C, add your hickory chips to the coals. Season the roast by lightly coating it with EV olive oil, and adding a rub of chopped, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper - nothing more. Then put the meat on the grill, and pour yourself a drink.

After about 15 minutes, reduce the air flow by adjusting top and bottom vents to reduce the temperature to around the 200 C mark, and roast the beef until the internal temperature reads around 45 C. Take the beef off, sit it on a trivet in a warm place and loosely tent with foil. Rest it for at least 20 minutes. Slice both sides of the beef off the bone, and carve them into slices.

I serve beef with fresh or bottled horseradish - not horseradish cream, but just the grated horseradish, such as the Heinz version if you can't find a fresh root - stirred through a good creme fraiche, such at the Yea brand, which is a ripper. And whatever veg you have chosen to cook alongside the beef, or on the hot grill while the meat is resting. And remember - this is the occasion to open the best bottle of wine you can afford, because you will have paid plenty for this joint of meat. Which will, of course, be worth every cent.

Blog comments

which butcher in wangaratta sold the milawa beef please?

SUE Sunday 19 February, 2012 - 5:12 PM
I've asked a question regarding the weber Q but don't know where to find the answer on your web page. Are the answers actually on this page, or are they answered in person on your show?Unfortunately I can't listen to your show often so may have missed where to purchase your book. with thanks Rob

robyn Wednesday 15 February, 2012 - 3:55 PM