An Australian journal of fire and steel
Fire, steel and the Australian backyard
Barbecue GrillsIndependent long-form writing for Australian backyards, balconies and campgrounds.
The table
Lamb for Australia Day, ham at Christmas, prawns, vegetables and the unglamorous work of feeding a crowd.
Recipes in this journal assume a backyard grill, a salad and people who will not wait. We write for Australian lamb, Christmas ham, local seafood and the vegetables that survive a hot plate. Measurements are metric. Doneness is described in Celsius and by feel.
Begin with Australia Day lamb or the seafood barbecue if the weather is kind.
Feeding a crowd on an Australian barbecue is a sequencing problem. Two zones, a short menu, cold drinks in the shade, and a plan for who eats when the first tray is ready.
Jess Nguyen · 16 April 2026
Halloumi, mushrooms and firm vegetables can be the whole barbecue, not a sad side. Give them two zones, oil, salt and the same attention you would give a chop.
Jess Nguyen · 6 April 2026
Prawns, barramundi and bugs like a clean hot grate, a little oil and a short cook. Buy them cold, dry them, and take them off the fire as soon as they turn opaque.
Jess Nguyen · 22 January 2026
Lamb chops for the impatient, a butterflied leg for the table, and salads that survive January. Light early, watch the fire bans, and do not cook through the worst of a heatwave.
Jess Nguyen · 12 January 2026
A Christmas ham on the barbecue keeps the oven free and the kitchen cooler. Score, glaze and heat it with indirect fire, then watch the sugar at the end.
Jess Nguyen · 2 December 2025