From venison steaks to pheasant and whole trout, Weber UK’s Head Grill Master, Gyles Foster, shares his tips for bringing autumn flavours to the barbecue.
“Barbecuing doesn’t need to stop when summer ends. Autumn is a brilliant time to fire up the grill, and game offers plenty of opportunities to try something different. The key is matching the cut to the cooking method, controlling your heat and letting the ingredients shine.”
1. Give yourself two cooking zones
Set up your barbecue with a direct heat area for searing and an indirect area, away from the flames, for gentler cooking. This gives you control: build colour over the heat, then move the food across to finish cooking with the lid closed.
2. Match your venison cut to the cooking method
Venison steaks and loin are great for grilling, while shoulder and shank benefit from slow cooking. For steaks, pat the surface dry, brush lightly with oil and season before searing. For tougher cuts, try a covered casserole dish on the barbecue with stock, root vegetables and herbs.
3. Give lean game a little help
Venison and many game birds are lean, so a little added fat can help during cooking. Brush with oil, baste with herb butter or wrap pheasant breasts in streaky bacon. Keep an eye on the heat, as dripping fat can cause flare-ups.
4. Pair venison with bold autumn flavours
Try crushed juniper, rosemary, black pepper and orange zest. Serve with barbecued beetroot, mushrooms or a spoonful of blackberry sauce. Add sweet sauces towards the end of cooking, or serve alongside, to prevent the sugars burning.
5. Start with pheasant or partridge
For an approachable introduction to game birds, try pheasant breasts with garlic and thyme butter, or spatchcocked partridge with lemon and rosemary. Ask your butcher to prepare the birds, then cook over indirect heat with the lid closed.
6. Cook bird breasts and legs to suit each cut
Breasts and legs cook differently. For more control, ask your butcher to separate them. Slowly braise the legs in a covered barbecue-safe dish until tender, and cook the breasts separately. Shredded leg meat makes a fantastic filling for flatbreads with crunchy slaw.
7. Use a thermometer
Colour on the outside doesn’t tell you whether the centre is cooked. Check the thickest part with a clean temperature probe, avoiding bone. Game birds and minced game products, including venison burgers and sausages, should be cooked thoroughly: aim for a core temperature of 70°C held for two minutes, or an equivalent safe combination.
8. Add fish to your autumn barbecue menu
Whole trout is a great starting point. Fill the cavity with lemon, dill and parsley, lightly oil the skin and cook in a fish basket to make turning easier. For fillets, start skin-side down on a clean, preheated, lightly oiled grate and avoid moving them too soon. The flesh should become opaque and separate easily with a fork.
9. Treat smoke as a seasoning
A little wood smoke can complement game and fish beautifully. Start with a small amount of apple or cherry wood, following your barbecue’s instructions. Aim for a gentle smoky flavour that allows the meat or fish to remain the star.
10. Finish with a proper autumn feast
Rest venison steaks and game birds before carving, then serve with barbecue-roasted squash, charred cabbage or crispy potatoes. Finish with something bright, such as lemon, pickled blackberries or a sharp herb dressing, to balance the richer flavours.
“My favourite combinations? Venison with juniper and blackberry, pheasant with thyme butter and charred cabbage, or whole trout with lemon and dill. Keep it simple, take control of the heat and enjoy cooking outdoors.”
Give it a go: sticky hickory smoked partridge
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 × 300–400g partridges
Rub
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 8 tbsp best BBQ sauce
- 2 tbsp oil for brushing on the grill
Fritter
- 165g sweetcorn
- 1 spring onion, very finely chopped
- 1 free-range egg
- 15ml milk
- 35g plain flour
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slaw
- ¼ white cabbage
- 1 carrot
- ½ onion
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 2 tbsp mayo
Equipment
- Kebab set
- Sear grate
- Basting brush
- Weber Wood Chips
In the kitchen
Take the breast meat and legs of the partridge. Combine all the rub ingredients. In a large bowl coat the meat in the rub. Prepare the fritter batter. In a large bowl whisk the egg, milk, cayenne, salt and pepper Add the corn, flour and spring onion and whisk until well combined.
At the barbecue
Prepare the barbecue for direct heat, approx. 260°C. If using a 57cm charcoal barbecue you will need 1 chimney starter of lit Weber® briquettes.
Add one handful of woodchips direct to the coals and wait for the smoke to develop before adding meat to the grill. If using a Gas Barbecue, you will need to preheat you Smoker Box over a high direct heat for around 15 minuets or until smoke stars to develop.
Oil the Sear grate side of the GBS accessories. Add the partridge and let it grill and smoke for around 2-3 minutes before turning.
Cook for another 2-3 minuets them move to a safe indirect position on the outer edge of the cooking grate.
Baste the partridge with BBQ sauce on both sides with a generous amount of sauce.
Add oil to the griddle side of your accessory.
Dollop 4 spoon full of mixture to make four fritters. Quantity will make 6.
Cook fritter for 2 minutes. Scoop up with spatula add a little extra oil before turning cook for a further 2 minutes before removing
Tips
For some extra heat garnish this dish with sliced jalapeño chillies.
