Sizzling barbecue meat with charred edges and smoky glaze

Dad's BBQ Marinade

From Dad · "the grill master" · Christmas Day tradition

Christmas 2003 (the year he finally wrote it down)

Prep time 10 minutes
Marinate overnight
Serves family Christmas

For twenty years, Dad stood at the barbecue on Christmas Day with a look of absolute authority and a stubby in his left hand. Nobody was allowed within two metres of the grill. "It's a feeling thing," he'd say when anyone asked for the recipe. "You can't write down a feeling."

Mum eventually staged an intervention. She stood in the kitchen doorway with a notepad and refused to bring out the potato salad until he dictated. What followed was twenty minutes of "a splash of this" and "a good glug of that" while Mum translated into actual measurements.

The secret ingredient — Vegemite — was revealed with the gravity of a state secret. He says it's the umami. We say it's the theatre.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup soy sauce (the good stuff, not the cheap one)
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 heaped teaspoon Vegemite (THE secret ingredient)
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato sauce (the squeezy bottle kind)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Generous crack of black pepper
  • A splash of beer (whatever's open — "it's for the meat, not you")
"He says it's a secret but he tells literally everyone." — Mum

Method

  1. 1
    Dissolve the Vegemite in a splash of warm water. This is the step Dad tried to hide for two decades.
  2. 2
    Combine everything in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the Vegemite is properly mixed through.
  3. 3
    Taste it. It should be salty, sweet, and deeply savoury. If it needs more of anything, it needs more Vegemite. (Dad's opinion.)
  4. 4
    Pour over your meat of choice — this works on everything from chicken thighs to lamb chops to thick-cut steaks.
  5. 5
    Cover and refrigerate overnight. "Minimum eight hours," says Dad. "Twelve is better. Twenty-four if you've got the patience."
  6. 6
    Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Let it come to room temperature.
  7. 7
    Barbecue over medium-high heat. Don't move it around too much. "Let the fire do the work."
  8. 8
    Baste with leftover marinade during the first half of cooking only (food safety, Dad).
  9. 9
    Rest the meat for at least 5 minutes before cutting. This is the hardest part.
  10. 10
    Serve with cold beer, warm bread, and whatever salad Mum made.
"The trick is Vegemite. Don't look at me like that, just try it." — Dad
"Best consumed standing up, next to the barbie, with a beer in hand." — Dad

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