When foremost US barbeque guru, Steve Raichlen, came a calling at my door a year ago, he was armed with curiosity about the barbeque food culture of our “food mad” nation (a unique term that now carries some association with our Uniquely Singapore). To me, food had always first, been about the result, not quite the technique. No methodology in any kitchen guarantees ambrosia.

I bought some time with him talking about the wonderful US barbeque makan that has become icons and the simplicity of it. It is the most natural way of cooking (with wood fire) and eating (preferably in the open with friends), as it is always conducted as a hunger group therapy session. We spoke about the perfect done-ness for a tenderloin and the differences in agreement over chilled and frozen meats and on how some vegetables morph into something totally delectable when they are baptised over fire (all this while my mind was racing behind the scene trying to find answers to satisfy this guru about our “pengang” makan culture. It had to at least, pique his interest.). His award-winning barbeque bible, “How to Grill”, is a 500 page tome on almost all aspects of firing up all sorts of meal, including grilled Tangerine Teriyaki Tofu and Wasabi Oysters. You cannot “smoke” this man.

Then my epiphany – images of all the smoky corners and backyards of eateries surfaced. So I went on about the nocturnal affair the local palate has, with sins like barbeque stingray and seafood (quite a misnomer as they actually pan-fry them these days), grilled otah, chicken wings, satay, tandoori meals and even grilled toast with our national breakfast roti kaya. I dared not tell nor show him the unfathomable grilling culture going on at the East Coast Park every weekend and during school holidays. The kind of things they burn over the prettily designed stone and iron barbeque stations should be criminalised. How they burn it is another charge of mischief or manslaughter. So here I am now wondering - why do seemingly sane folks get in to this half naked trance like state each time they circle the barbeque fire by the beach?. They toss in stuff like sad skinless sausages from Taiwan, crabsticks, sotongballs, heating up canned food, marshmallows and of course otah and the pre-requisite chicken wings. Okay, having grilled chicken wings with otah on a marshmallows and crabsticks at the side can be sane by today’s standards but having it charred like meat you find after a forest fire, is not. Not having any greens with it, is not normal too.

This elegant meal for six should cost you no more than $100. Simply grill meats over a charcoal fire, then present on melamine plates with non-disposable cutlery to give your barbecue an upper-class air.

So here’s my offering to that crazy ritual - break that spell and do it in style. It’s not going to cost you more nor is it more difficult to do. To begin with, plan. If you enjoyed that slick western set lunch you once had that set you back by $25, then know that you can echo something similar at your next barbeque session for a fraction of the price, with perhaps more stuff. So, armed with about $100, I set out to feed 6 friends at a poolside covered barbeque pit (would’ve loved East Coast Park, but it was drizzling). I bought 800 grams of frozen tenderloin, lamb racks, six slabs of teriyaki sauced boneless chicken chop, grill-sized shiitake mushrooms, corn, potatoes, two boxes of raw uncut salad greens, a pineapple and 12 strips of streaky bacon (we wrapped the bacon over the cubed pineapples). Get it all with one stop at the major supermarkets here.

To begin with, get a good fire going - charcoal or briquettes are okay. Steve says the best way is to heat up the charcoal is over a bed of burning newspapers or our local “tamat” fire starters. Don’t wet them with kerosene or lighter fluid – it’s bad for you. When the charcoals are glowing with a small intense fire and heat, that’s when the action starts. One thing we don’t do often enough is to oil the grill, this helps prevent it from getting sooty and sticky. The key here is to enjoy the process as well as the results. Do not over grill your tenderloins (it should be soft, juicy and pink inside – better to under-grill than over do it) and wrap the lamb rack bone in foil to prevent it from charring. Marinate the meats simple with salt and pepper and oil with butter (not margarine) as you grill and enjoy the meats like how the restaurants would have you do so. Enjoy the process.

Finally, plate them on simple melamine plate and use iron fork and knives with a nice fabric napkin – plastic, tissue and stryrofoam are for standup comics. Present it proudly (see internet pictures) and recapture the magic of a good barbeque meal with your pals during this month long holidays. Then go dance around the fire and break out in a song!