Barbecuing and summer are inextricably linked – or at least that is how it feels. The almost clichéd image of outdoor parties with the terrace, sun, pool and barbecue is what shapes our image of what barbecuing should be. But actually, nobody dictates when this barbecuing season begins and when it ends. Inveterate barbecue fans have long proclaimed: there is no such thing as a “barbecue season” – they even barbecue in winter. However, the time between the standard barbecue season and the romantic winter barbecues in the snow has a very special charm. Five reasons why barbecuing in autumn is a great thing to do.  

 

Variety on the grill: pumpkin and mushrooms

Autumn is the most culinary diverse of all the seasons. During this time an unbelievable variety of ingredients flourish in nature and in the fields, which enhance any barbecue party and provide you with special seasonal and regional gourmet moments. Where do we begin? Mushrooms for example. They flourish in German woodland and in meadows from the north to the south from August onwards. Whether it is porcini mushrooms, chanterelles or even field mushrooms: on the barbecue, mushrooms really come into their own with a few roasted flavours and make a sensational side dish. They are even great as the main event on your plate. There are also vegetables like pumpkin or celery that can be added, which are now ripening in the fields. Cut into sections, lightly marinated and oiled and then seasoned with pepper and salt – it is poetic. Almost all home-grown vegetable varieties benefit from being browned on the barbecue. The Maillard reaction, which hides behind these roasting marks, ensures you get a delightful depth of flavour. You can entirely forget about meat for once. 

 

 

Autumn is game time

Autumn is game time – at least that is what a lot of people say. That isn’t completely correct, as you can get game from May onwards. Yet stag, deer and wild boar only move into the gourmet community's focus from August onwards. This is when the range in the butcher’s window displays grows and game takes the barbecuing world by storm. We think that barbecued game is massively underestimated. The meat is always produced in a species-appropriate manner (you can hardly get more organic than that), is extremely low in fat and is therefore very healthy and wholesome. However the most important thing is: game tastes outstanding barbecued. As the muscle structure of game is distinctively tender almost all parts of the animal can be pan-fried as a steak. Tip: Why not try pan-frying parts from the haunch instead of fillet or saddle. There is a particularly large amount of flavour inside the haunch and the haunch is one of the most affordable parts in this range. 

 

Barbecuing without sweating

Quite frankly: as lovely as the idea of summer barbecuing is, ultimately the relentless sun often upsets your plans. If you are standing by the hot barbecue in the early afternoon then you will be in urgent need of a sweatband after an hour or so of standing there. Even standing under a parasol the heat builds up from two sources of heat at the same time. The more relaxing option is to have a barbecue party on a beautiful day in September. The thermometer still always reaches 24 degrees and at that time the sun no longer beats down so brutally from the sky and you won’t have sunstroke by the end of the day. If there is also a gentler autumn wind, spending the day by the barbecue is really something that is truly relaxing for both the guests and the people standing by the barbecue.

 

 

Finally everyone is back from their holidays

Everyone has experienced this scenario: you want to invite everyone to a big barbecue party, but at least 30% of the friends that you definitely want to be there are currently on holiday or agreed to go other events weeks ago. In summer the desire to be active suddenly substantially increases and then weeks are all frantically booked up in advance. This can ruin any kind of spontaneous plans. Tip: just hold large barbecue parties in autumn – it only has advantages (see above) and suddenly everyone is free again. Everyone is rested and completely relaxed too because they have just had their annual holiday. Perfect conditions for the best barbecue party of the year. 

 

Meat and new wine

Why does (almost) everyone actually drink beer when barbecuing? Where is the good wine? One could say “wine packs too much of a punch”. Not, however, in autumn. This is when new wine comes onto the market – with all of its benefits. Federweißer & Co are just lightly fermented, so they don’t just taste sparklingly fresh, but they are also very low in alcohol. This means that in the evenings you can then also switch to the “right” wine. After all, wine and meat is a combination that has significantly more culinary potential than one bottle of beer after the other. Tip: Step away from the ‘red wine with meat’ paradigm for once and experiment with dry white wines accompanied by a nicely marbled steak. The times of strict wine dogmas are now long gone.

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