TAKING a leaf out of Jamie Oliver’s book, Manhattan barbecue king Adam Perry Lang will be challenging our outdoor cooking preconceptions with new campaign Beat My BBQ, run in association with Red Tractor (simplybeefandlamb.co.uk) this summer. Lang’s keen to get us cooking over hot coals and embracing the flame.

• Try this recipe from assured food standards organisation Red Tractor (redtractor.org.uk)

Serves four
4x175g lean flat-iron steaks
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the Date Infused Barbecue Sauce:
4tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4tbsp tomato ketchup
150ml good, hot vegetable stock
1tbsp runny honey
1tsp cayenne pepper
4 stoned dates, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon

METHOD

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and gently cook the onion and garlic for ten minutes.

Add the ketchup, stock, honey and cayenne pepper. Simmer for five to eight minutes until thickened.

Add the dates and simmer for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and seasoning, stir gently and set aside. Divide the sauce into two bowls. Place the flat iron steaks on a chopping board, season and brush on both sides with the contents of one bowl of sauce. Cook on a prepared barbecue or under a preheated moderate grill for three to four minutes on each side (medium rare) or 5-7 minutes on each side (for medium). Cover with foil and leave to rest for five to ten minutes.

Serve the steaks with the fresh sauce and accompaniments.