There are several key home maintenance tasks you can complete to ensure your home stays comfortable and energy efficient over summer, and to safeguard against unforseen events.
Food & Wine
How to cook perfect barbecue sausages: temperature and techniques
Barbecuing is a serious business in Australia, with cooking the best sausages going hand in hand with staying safe when using a BBQ. Here are some expert tips on cooking the perfect snag.
Whether you’re firing up the barbecue for Grand Final day, spring racing, a summer holiday gathering or a casual weekend lunch, sausages are often the first thing people expect to see sizzling on the grill.
They may be a barbecue staple, but cooking a great snag takes more care than simply turning up the heat. The best barbecue sausages are golden and crisp on the outside, juicy through the middle and cooked safely all the way through.
Use this step-by-step guide to serve up barbecue favourites your guests will love.
More: How to design the ultimate outdoor kitchen and BBQ area
In this article
Start with barbecue safety
Before lighting the barbecue, check that it is clean, stable and safe to use. For gas barbecues, look for any signs of wear, damage, leaks or cracks in hoses and fittings. If something does not look right, do not use the barbecue until the issue has been fixed.
Remove old food debris and grease before cooking. Leftover fat can cause flare-ups, while burnt-on residue can affect flavour and make it harder to control heat.
And remember to always keep children at a safe distance from the barbecue, even after cooking has finished, as hot plates, grills and utensils can stay hot for some time.
More: Grill with confidence: a barbecue safety guide
Choose the right sausages
Quality matters, especially when the sausage is the main event. Look for fresh sausages with a good balance of meat, fat and seasoning. Sausages that are too lean can dry out quickly on the barbecue, while lower-quality sausages may release excess fat or split more easily.
Thin sausages can be a good option for children or quick sausage sizzles, while thicker sausages need more time over gentler heat so the centre cooks properly before the outside becomes too dark.
Should you prick sausages before barbecuing?
It is usually best not to prick sausages before cooking. Piercing the skin can let juices and fat escape, which can make sausages drier and increase the chance of flare-ups on the barbecue.
Instead, use medium heat and turn the sausages regularly with tongs. This helps the skins brown evenly while keeping moisture inside.
The end result will be better if you only cook a few sausages at a time. Image: Getty
How to cook sausages on a barbecue
- Preheat the barbecue to medium heat rather than high heat.
- Place sausages on the grill with enough space between each one so they cook evenly.
- Turn sausages every few minutes using tongs, not a fork.
- Move sausages away from direct flames if fat causes flare-ups.
- Cook until browned outside and cooked through in the centre.
- Rest the sausages briefly before serving so the juices settle.
Cooking time will depend on the size and type of sausage, as well as the barbecue temperature. As a general guide, thinner sausages may cook in around 10 minutes, while thicker sausages can take longer.
Common sausage cooking mistakes
- Using heat that is too high: this can burn the outside before the middle is cooked.
- Pricking the sausages: this can release moisture and make sausages dry.
- Overcrowding the barbecue: sausages need space so heat can circulate.
- Turning too often or too roughly: gentle, regular turning helps prevent tearing and uneven cooking.
- Serving too soon: resting sausages briefly can help keep them juicy.
Food safety for barbecue sausages
Keep raw sausages chilled until it is time to cook, and use separate plates and utensils for raw and cooked food. Do not place cooked sausages back on a plate that has held raw meat unless it has been properly washed.
If you are cooking for a crowd, avoid leaving cooked sausages sitting out for long periods, especially in warm weather. Serve them promptly or keep them at a safe temperature.
If your barbecue is plumbed in, have a licensed gasfitter inspect it annually before the summer entertaining season begins. Image: Getty
What to serve with barbecue sausages
These barbecue extras can help round out your sausage sizzle:
- Onions – slice them thickly and cook them low and slow in olive oil with salt and pepper.
- Bread – white bread is the classic choice for a sausage sizzle, but a crisp baguette or soft banh mi roll can also work well. Wholemeal bread is fine, while chewy sourdough can be harder to eat with a sausage.
- Sauce – tomato sauce and mustard are hard to beat, but you can also try tomato relish, plum sauce, sauerkraut, kimchi or mayonnaise.
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