Peter Andre’s Top 10 Plant-Based BBQ Tips

Just in time for the bank holiday, flexitarian Peter Andre shares his Top 10 Plant-Based BBQ tips cooking up a storm with Beyond Meat.

It is always such a treat to be cooked for, especially when Peter Andre happens to be your chef for the day! And let me tell you, he happens to cook a pretty mean burger, Aussie-style of course, and in keeping with his flexitarian lifestyle, 100% plant-based. Yum!

A few days ago, Peter Andre hosted the launch of the ‘BBQ Beyond’ campaign by Beyond Meat that aims to demonstrate how people can create, cook and host a BBQ using plant-based products. The campaign follows new research which reveals over half of people struggle to know what to BBQ for guests who don’t eat animal meat.

Peter Andre is a proud flexitarian who, with his family, tries to eat plant-based food at least three times a week. He was blown away by how good and realistic Beyond Meat’s range tastes and has come to endorse the brand.

We had a delicious lunch and learned how to throw the ultimate BBQ – from the best food and the best music to the ultimate styling tips.

Needless to say, Peter Andre was the perfect host, getting behind the grill to prepare his signature burger, complete with a juicy Beyond Meat patty, caramelised onions, beetroot, plant-based mayonnaise and cheese plus optional pineapple. So delicious! You can find the recipe here.

Beyond Meat has a delicious range of tasty plant-based meat to help your BBQ Go Beyond™ this year, including its famous Beyond Burger that is designed to look, cook and taste like beef, as well as Beyond Sausage, Beyond Mince – great for making fabulous koftas for the BBQ – and Beyond Meatballs. All Beyond Meat products are made of high-quality, plant-based ingredients and enable you to Eat What You Love™, without having to compromise on taste or sustainability. 

Peter Andre’s ‘Grill Drill’ Top 10 Tips

1.           Grill Gear – Give your barbecue a clean and position it safely three feet from any walls or fencing. Wear heat-resistant barbecue mitts and have a spatula and tongs to hand. Wear a barbecue apron too, as it will protect you from heat and spattering. Consider a more eco-friendly, gas BBQ which offers convenient temperature control and easy clean-up. A charcoal BBQ, however, gets that rich, smoky flavour. A food thermometer will come in handy too.

2.           Working the BBQ – Always pre-heat your barbecue first to the desired cooking temperature and cook with the lid down so smoke circulates, infuses and enhances the plant-based meat, which will be juicier, cook even faster and save both time and fuel. A 50/50 cooking method uses a combination of direct heat on one side and indirect cooking on the other helping to achieve a nice sear on your plant-based meat in direct heat before slowly turning golden on the other side.

3.           Plant-based protein: Choose a quality plant-based protein for your setup to unlock the best flavours. Thanks to their versatility, Beyond Meat sears and chars up nicely on the grill:

–             Beyond Burger is best grilled over an open flame for approximately 3 mins per side at medium-high heat. Cook the patty to an internal temp of 74°C (165F). If you like a little char on your burger, cook it for slightly longer.

–             The 100g Beyond Sausage, packed with 17g protein, cooks great on a low to medium heat gas grill. Keep turning as it cooks. It will take approximately 9-11 minutes to reach 74°C (165F). After that, place it in a hot dog roll & top with your favourite condiments. Must-tries include piccalilli, mustard, grilled onions, and jalapenos.

–             Beyond Mince performs greatly seasoned and wrapped onto a long soaked wooden or stainless steel skewer for the grill. Medium heat – seared 1-2 mins per side depending on thickness (internal temp will always need to be 74°C (165F)). Serve with tabouleh, vegan garlic feta, fresh tomatoes & cucumber to please your guests.

4.           Spice up your dish: Add dry rubs and/or marinate your plant-based protein. Top tip: Marinate after you cook it. Simply soak the plant-based meat in a sauce after it’s been grilled, then reheat it on the grill just before serving.

5.           Turn up the tunes: The #BBQBeyondSquad’s Top BBQ Tunes include Summer Time – DJ Jazzy Jeff, Rockaway Beach – The Ramones, Mysterious Girl – Peter Andre, Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the waves, Rock Lobster  B 52s, Here Comes The Sun – The Beatles, Hot in Here – Nelly, Heat Wave – Martha and the Vandellas, Junior Andre – Slide, Bank Holiday – Blur.

6.           Serve and layer: Use about 3-4 various plinths for your larger serving plates to heighten your display. A plinth can be anything from a metal wire storage box to a wooden crate or even a sturdy gift box – this should create a clustered platform like display and will act as a base to build your gorgeous BBQ table around. Always add finishing touches such as bud vases with single stem flowers or eucalyptus – so simple, yet so effective!

7.           Bring in elements of surprise: Mix & match glasses, use interesting ornaments or even display half sliced fruit and veg as decor to make your table more visually appealing – this will add a pop of colour and texture to your table and won’t cost a lot.

8.           Get creative: If you haven’t got cloth napkins then why not make your own by cutting 40cm x 40 cm squares out of old fabric and folding them into knots –  don’t be worried about the frayed edges, they always add character. Haven’t got any cool objects? Then why not paint funky coloured patterns onto white candlesticks. You can easily find a lot of inspiration and quick DIY tutorials online.

9.           Mix and Match: Remember, “you eat with your eyes first” so don’t be afraid to mix and match colours, textures and tones (just like you do with your food) – there is no right or wrong way when creating your summer BBQ table – but remember it should just be 2 things, 1. fun yet relaxed and 2. accessible to your guests.

10.         Go foraging: If you don’t fancy the 4 am trip to the flower market or would rather not spend a small fortune on florals, you can always take a walk around your garden or local park and pick some lovely greenery there.

For expert tips AND recipes from the #BBQBeyond Squad on how to create the ultimate BBQ party visit their blog or browse their BBQ recipes.