Barbecue without borders

No culinary tradition is more treasured in Australia than the barbecue. While there's always time for a sausage and grilled onions in white bread, we also love to amplify our outdoor cook-offs with grilled vegetable salads dressed with quality wine vinegar or our The Essential Ingredient Tahini, by soaking meats in rich marinades that become sticky glazes when cooked, and boosting our burgers with herby yoghurt sauces spiked with sumac or preserved lemon (or something similarly zingy).

A barbecue is, of course, about more than just food, but get the menu right and you'll be providing not only an enjoyable day out in the great outdoors (even if it's just your apartment balcony...), but a memorable culinary experience.

These are some of our favourite tips for turning your next backyard BBQ into an epic feast:

Choose a culinary theme to tie your menu together. We particularly love the rich traditions of Korean and Japanese barbecues, but the options are endless.

Don't forget the condiments! Tomato sauce and yellow mustard have their place, but doesn't that artisan pork sausage deserve quality Dijon mustard? And wouldn't a jalapeño and tequila relish be a better match for Chermoula-spiced lamb ribs?

Combine our gluten-free tamari, yuzu juice, toasted sesame oil, garlic and brown sugar and use it to marinade chicken thighs overnight before barbecuing them to sticky, salty, caramelised perfection.

Sick of dry, boring burgers? Combine 500g beef mince with 120g of our aromatic Thai red curry paste for a juicy burger with a kick.

Leave the mayo in the fridge! Dress al dente pasta, along with diced seasonal vegetables, with white wine vinegar and good extra virgin olive oil for a brighter, tastier pasta salad.

Char halved Brussels sprouts and spring onions on the grill then dress with sticky vincotto, black pepper and fresh mint.

Grill in-season vegetables and toss with al dente grains (like freekeh, black barley and farro) and a mix of tahini, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Replace the barbie with an outdoor paella burner and large paella pan, and feed your adoring guests a seafood and chicken-dotted Spanish rice masterpiece.

As with any other cooking experience, using the best ingredients is the key to creating something incredible.

Visit your nearest The Essential Ingredient store to find your culinary inspiration, or shop online for delivery to anywhere in Australia.