7 Perfect Australia Day BBQ Party Ideas

When you think of the quintessential Australian summer, what images spring to mind? People at the beach splashing around in the surf? Kids from the local neighbourhood playing cricket in the backyard? Sausages and steaks sizzling away on the BBQ on a balmy evening with family and friends? All of these and many more make up what is a wonderful time of the year in Australia. But what if you’ve volunteered or been asked to have a BBQ at your place? Already the pressure is on because everyone is a BBQ expert, right? Now imagine you’ve been asked to host on Australia Day, the day we all celebrate everything that’s great about being Australian. Now the pressure has been amplified 10 times, so you’d better get it right or you’ll never live it down! If you find yourself in this situation this year, do not fear – our team of expert chefs have come up with a list of seven perfect Australia Day BBQ party ideas to ensure your day will go down in folklore for all the right reasons.

Getting started…

Before we even get started on a list of BBQ party ideas that will rock your guests’ world, there are the basic elements of any BBQ that need to be done right, otherwise the bells and whistles will be a waste of time.

Drinks – It seems odd but when we think of having a BBQ we often wonder what we’re going to drink before considering what we’re going to eat! Beer, white wine, fruit punch spiked with your favourite clear spirit and non-alcoholic options such as juice and fizzy drinks are all very popular choices. It’s going to be hot, so no matter what you and your guests drink, make sure it stays cold. Your fridge is probably going to be full of food so fill tubs with ice and dot them around the venue. Try to keep them in the shade and whatever you do, don’t run out of ice!
Meat – Your choice in this department could make or break your party. It’s not a BBQ that’s been thrown at the last minute, so sausages and fried onion on a slice of bread with a splash of tomato sauce just won’t do. Of course offer BBQ staples like sausages and chops, but it’s Australia Day so take it up a notch. Cook up some steaks that have been swimming in a homemade marinade overnight, baby back ribs with a delicious smoky chipotle sauce, a grilled fish option for those watching their waistline or chicken wings with a soy honey glaze to get the party started!
Tables and chairs – It’s an Australia Day party and there will probably be quite a few people there. While it isn’t vital that everyone has a seat, it’s essential that all elderly guests have a seat and a space at the table to eat. Again: it’s going to be a long hot day, so it’s important people who need a rest have a place to do so.

Once you’ve got the nuts and bolts sorted it’s time to really think about how you can take your Australia Day party to the next level. How can you differentiate your BBQ from all those you’ve been to in the past? What original, sophisticated and outside-of-the-box BBQ party ideas can you come up with that will have your guests heading home thinking ‘wow’ instead of ‘what the…’?

What grill are you going to use?

It doesn’t matter how good your meat is, if the grill isn’t up to scratch then neither will the food. Modern grills are incredible cooking machines, with a wide range of options available leaving you with few excuses if your BBQ goes horribly wrong.

Charcoal grills – For ease of use, an authentic BBQ flavour and those classic grill marks running across your meat, it’s hard to go past a charcoal grill. However, they can be a pain to clean, take a while to heat up and maintaining the ideal heat can be difficult.
Gas grills – A common choice for the modern BBQ cook. A top quality gas BBQ offers the opportunity to cook on the grill, roast, braise, bake and fry. The temperature is immediate and consistent so you can be confident with your cooking and gas is cheap so fuel costs are kept low. You do miss out on the authentic BBQ taste that a charcoal grill offers but the quality of the finished product more than makes up for that.
Smokers – Want juicy, succulent meats cooked to perfection with that intense smoky BBQ flavour? Then you need a smoker for your Australia Day BBQ. They’re used for slow cooking, so you’ll have to be well prepared and patient but the payoff is extraordinary. They limit the kinds of meat dishes you can prepare and modern gas grills often offer this feature as well but they do cook some amazing meat!

You also need to think about the size of your BBQ. The last thing you want is to have some of your guests eating while the rest go hungry waiting for you to load up the grill again. Make sure your BBQ has a warming rack so you can keep the meat you’ve prepared warm while you cook enough for everyone to eat at the same time.

What’s your serving plan?

The most important question you need to ask before you even think about what meat and drink you should buy is “how many people are coming?”. This will determine everything else that comes after such as the type of meats you cook, the sides you offer and the timing of your preparation.
The day before can be spent making salads and marinating meats, freeing you up to concentrate on cooking the following day. A few hours before guests arrive is the time to whip up any homemade dips or guacamoles you have planned, then slice and plate fresh fruit an hour before go time.
Pre-heat your grill so that it’s the perfect temperature and time the cooking so everything is ready to be served at the same time. You’ll need a different strategy if you have a small grill. Instead of trying to cook a number of different meats at the same time and doing none of them justice, it might be a good idea to cook one type of meat at a time, nail it, then move on to the next. Rest your steaks for about 40% of the time it took you to cook them so the juices can soak back through the meat, making them moist and tender. Factor this into the order you cook the meats so they’re all cooked to perfection when you’re ready to serve.

It’s Australia Day remember, so use it to inspire your cooking!

We use herbs and spices in our cooking all the time but how often have we thought about using some of the native options that have been growing in Australia for thousands of years? Native Australian herbs and spices are increasing in popularity and if there’s ever been a good time to use them, it’s now! Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Mountain pepper – Add it to meat, eggs and vegetables at the beginning and end of the cooking cycle to add some zing to your food.
Forest Anise – Add to white meat, seafood, desserts, feta and cream cheese for an aniseed and lemon myrtle mix finish.
Lemon myrtle – Use with fish and chicken dishes for a lemon finish.
Pepperberries – A great pepper substitute, with a unique Aussie flavour.
Yakajirri and Akudjura – Bush tomatoes can be used in sauces and marinades.
Wattleseed – A nutty/chocolatey/coffee flavour great for desserts and baked foods.

No BBQ is complete without dessert

Just because you’re cooking on the BBQ doesn’t mean you should forget about dessert… au contraire. There are plenty of delicious desserts you can cook that will have your guests begging for the recipe. In fact, by finishing with a dessert successfully cooked on the BBQ, you’re guaranteed a resounding thumbs-up from your guests. We’ve searched the Internet and found six desserts that we believe will win the hearts and minds of your family and friends:

What will you be doing for Australia Day?

If you used these BBQ party ideas when planning your Australia Day celebrations and managed to pull the event off successfully, there’s no doubt those in attendance would be talking about it for years to come. In fact, people will be afraid to host an Australia Day BBQ from that moment on, terrified they won’t be able to live up to the expectation and standards you’ve set.

Alternatively, if planning, preparing and hosting an Australia Day BBQ at your place sounds like too much hard work, you could always come down to Lantern Club and let us look after you instead. Our Australia Day menu, available at MàZi Restaurant from January 25-31, pays homage to a selection of Australian foods and recipes that define our country. Enjoy amazing Kking prawns and yabbies; chunky meat pies, lamb cutlets and a lamb roast; and delicious desserts including Granny Smith apple pies, lamingtons and pavlova.
If you don’t fancy cooking an Australia Day feast at home, there really is no better place to eat than Lantern Club, Roselands. Book a table for family and friends, or if you’d like to come within 24 hours call us on (02) 8037 8200. If you’d like to make a booking for more than 10 people, do so on our Group Booking page. We look forward to treating you to a premium-grade authentic Australian culinary experience at Lantern Club.

© Lantern Club, Roselands