Pork chops with green ezme and the dressing that saves every barbecue
I have a fancy barbecue installed at the bottom of my garden and, just like the pizza oven next to it, I really don’t use it often enough. It’s just that BBQs can slip into elaborate productions. You're meant to look relaxed, chatting about summer plans or whether anyone's watched anything good lately, all while your brain is running this constant calculation: has the chicken been over direct heat for six minutes or sixteen? Do those sausages need rotating? Are the courgettes getting proper attention, or slowly becoming very expensive charcoal?
Tongs in one hand, wine getting warm in the other, shuttling proteins around like a pyromaniac traffic controller. Meanwhile, guests lounge with cold drinks, occasionally wandering over to ask, "Smells amazing! How much longer?" I get stressed.
On the other hand… When I visit my restaurant ROVI, I get to watch the chefs work that massive grill with such enviable ease - confidently charring celeriac, beetroot, corn ribs, whole mushrooms, cucumbers, piatonne beans, Tropea onions. It's balletic, really. No stress, no frantic juggling, just technique and timing born from doing the same thing a thousand times.
When I finally light up the BBQ, my approach at home is straightforward - on a hot summer day, with friends round and a desire to minimise the hassle, I keep it to a brilliant salad or two that can be prepared entirely in advance, one showstopping main that doesn't need constant supervision, and maybe some charred seasonal vegetables on the side (aubergines, corn, courgettes, sweet onions).
The secret, I've realised, is treating the barbecue less like a performance and more like what it actually is: a tool for making delicious food outdoors.
Today I've got a ginger-spiked white balsamic dressing that transforms any pile of leaves, and pork chops with ezme that will become my go-to this summer.
Don't forget to use those dying embers (once you’ve finished cooking your mains) for something sweet: stone fruit, bananas, charred peaches served alongside cold cream or good vanilla ice cream. The grill's last gift before you call it a night.
If you're looking for more in-depth barbecue guidance, Waitrose has put together a really useful guide that covers all the fundamentals.
But the ultimate BBQ authority has to be Lap-fai Lee. Some of our test kitchen team spent a day at his Cantonese BBQ class at the London Barbecue School - which, if you're looking for a birthday present for someone who likes cooking with fire, is absolutely brilliant. They came back speaking in reverent tones about Proper Fire Management, maltose glazes and his char siu technique.
White balsamic and ginger dressing
People often forget that a simply dressed bowl of leaves can be the most refreshing thing on a barbecue spread. This dressing not only keeps beautifully (make it days ahead), but it transforms even basic supermarket leaves.
White balsamic is key here. It brings gentle, honeyed sweetness, perfect for taming ginger's bite while keeping everything bright. The consistency varies wildly between brands (Belazu's is thicker and more syrupy than Mazzetti's), so taste and adjust with maple syrup or sugar as needed. Toasted seeds or nuts (like hazelnuts) would also be delicious on top.
Pork chops with urfa butter, green ezme and yoghurt
