There will be a change of guard over the next few days.
I know it's stereotyping but the man of the house and any of his mates staying over Christmas will feel a sense of duty to answer the call of their culinary underbelly and fire up the barbecue.
As a bloke, I find it fascinating to stand around the barbecue, beer in hand, listening to the lads' versions of cooking the best snarler, how they organise the rotation of food around the grill and which is the best model of barbecue - a heated discussion all on its own. From a slab of cast iron suspended over coals to the bells and whistles Weber, the art of barbecue is a subjective topic.
The Americans lay claim to being among the earliest to cook over wood or charcoal but the barbecue may well have been discovered in the West Indies. The Spanish explorers found these indigenous people preserving meats under the sun and, to prevent it attracting insects, hanging the meat on racks over small fires called barbacoa.
Which brings us to the next never-ending barbecue debate: which is better, charcoal or gas? A charcoal barbecue generally gets a better all-round, heated surface and more distinct flavour but is much more labour intensive to crank up.
The kettle-shaped Weber barbecue is the best wood or charcoal barbecue on the market as you can slow-cook tougher meat cuts and use it to smoke the day's fishing catch.
But I sit on the gas barbie owners' side of the fence. My Sunbeam is a pleasure to cook on, with a hanging rack above the elements for slow-cook meats, a thermometer for cabinet temperature and a wok element for stir-fries and heating sauces.
The secret to cooking inside the barbecue is to use cast iron skillets, on to which you can lob small cuts of meat, fish and shellfish, to maximise flavour but minimise grill clean-up.
You must also always pre-heat the barbecue so the outer surface of your food seals and retains its moisture. Add a little water during the cooking of onions to avoid burning, and remember when it comes to sausages, quality is everything. Buy a good quality sausage and they'll cook much better and be much tastier than the lesser brands.
Keep your barbecue surfaces clean, by wiping the grill with vegetable oil once you're done to avoid food sticking and burning the next time you fire it up. Have a dedicated oil pouring can and toss in some hardy fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary and bay. The aroma this will give off during cooking is sublime.
Never use chilled meat, bring it to room temperature first so that it cooks evenly, and once cooked, allow the meat to relax on a wire rack suspended over a tray. Oil the meat, not the grill, to avoid flare-ups and season the meat with dry rubs, like the one I've included here, to get the tongue tingling.
The lads' outdoor kitchen (+recipes)
Beer can chicken and smoky BBQ sauce. Photo / Ian Jones
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