WHAT is a British summer without rolling out the barbecue? Nick Mosley talks to top chefs as to how you can grill outdoors like a pro.

We Brits love a barbecue – a few beers, a grill full of meat, some sunshine and a group of friends and family in the garden is pretty much a perfect afternoon.

But how do you make your barbecue party both tasty and safe?

“When cooking meat, barbecue really enhances the smokey flavour,” said Tom Stephens, head chef at award-winning restaurant 64 Degrees in Meeting House Lane, Brighton.

“It’s actually the juices of the meat that drip on to the heat and then smoke it that add the extra flavour that you might not get from smoking using just wood chips.”

The barbecue trend over the last few years has very much revolved around the famous Big Green Egg – a ceramic charcoal grill that is loved by Michelin chefs, food aficionados and barbecue fans across the globe.

Mike Palmer, of Lucky Khao in St James’s Street, Brighton, said: “We serve Northern Thai barbecue and we use different barbecue kit to achieve different flavours.

“For flavour and texture we smoke beef brisket, short rib, sausage and pork shoulder over oak on our huge Green Egg for up to 20 hours.

“What helps us a lot is a gadget called a FlameBoss, essentially a fan that clips on to the bottom of the Green Egg which means you can set and control the temperature through your phone, meaning you can actually go to bed.”

Chef-consultant Simon Mckenzie recommends a meat thermometer to ensure the meat on your barbecue is sufficiently cooked on the inside.

He said: “You can pick up a basic meat thermometer for as little as £6 from Amazon.

“It will give you peace of mind that the produce on your barbecue is properly cooked. I’d recommend you follow the advice of the Food Standard Agency and ensure that the internal temperature of any meat product cooked at home is at 70 degrees for at least two minutes.

“Don’t feel that pre-grilling burgers or sausages in the oven is a cop-out.

“With processed meats you can still get all the chargrilled flavour by finishing them off on the barbecue, and also be confident that the meat is properly cooked through.

“While a solid piece of meat may have bacteria on the outside, a minced-up burger or sausage could have bacteria throughout, so its really important that they are properly cooked through.”

Tom from 64 Degrees says the preparation of your meat can really make a difference. Take time to marinade the day before for some spectacularly flavoursome results.

He said: “Put time into marinating, brining and dry rubbing your meats and fish,

“And don’t be afraid to really char – verging on burning – what you’re cooking, it’ll really add to the flavour.”

Head chef Jimmy Gray of Jeremy’s Restaurant at Borde Hill agrees that taking time to prepare your meat in advance really adds to the flavour.

He said: “It obviously depends on what you are cooking.

“But blitzing a selection of fresh herbs – mint, basil, tarragon – with some good olive oil, crushed garlic and lime zest will work nicely for lamb, chicken, squid, tuna and monkfish.

“Add some chilli, ginger and dried spice like cumin for more exotic flavours.”

It goes without saying that food hygiene needs to be taken into account when barbecuing.

Ensure that you are keeping your hands and work surfaces clean.

It’s easy to mix up cooking utensils which can create cross-contamination and potentially lead to upset tummies.

Give disposable barbecues a miss.

It might sound like an attractive option but they don’t heat up well nor last long enough to cook meat properly.

And never, ever barbecue inside – and that includes the garage if it’s raining. You risk carbon monoxide poisoning, so always keep your barbecue outside and grab an umbrella if you need to.

But the top tip is to always barbecue your bun.

Briefly pop your bread on the grill for some extra taste.

For further advice on how to safely cook food at home, visit www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/cooking-your-food.