The evening breeze, sizzling meat and a cold beer – barbecues are the perfect summer combination. Just don’t turn them into a baptism of fire and burnt fingers.

Life is a number of firsts. The first time you drove a car on your own, your initiation trip abroad, your first job, and the first time you grilled meat on an open fire – these experiences all stay with you. In the case of your first barbecue, literally so, because you probably still stink of hot fat and smoke.

Barbecues are dirty and tiring. You end up arguing with your loved ones over the right way to grill a sausage and your fingers will be so badly burnt that you will not be able to use your keyboard for a whole week. And yet, it’s not summer without them.

What makes barbecues so attractive is their primitive appeal – sizzling a hunk of meat over a naked flame is as old as civilisation itself. Then there’s the deceptive simplicity of the whole process. You might think barbecues are a matter of throwing some food over a fire – wrong. There is a method, from deciding what type of wood to use and what spice rubs to grind to the endless temperature checks.

So before you put on a funny apron and start calling yourself Charcoal Charlie, there are some things you need to take into consideration.

The barbecue

Choosing the right barbecue depends on a number of factors. First, there’s your budget. Charcoal barbecues aren’t expensive and have the added drama of fire – moreover, they give the food that smoky flavour. Gas barbecues, on the other hand, light up instantly and cook evenly – however, they cost more.

Secondly, there’s your menu. If you’re cooking burgers and pieces of chicken, an open grill will do. However, if you want to cook joints of meat or a whole chicken, you’ll need a barbecue with a lid.

The fuel

The more straightforward fuel options are charcoal and gas. If you’re using wood, then choose carefully. Hardwood will enhance the flavour of your food, as will wood from fruit trees. You can opt for a mixture of charcoal and wood chips or briquettes, which are charcoal dust bound together with glue.

The meat and marinade

With meat, it’s best to buy fresh as this has more flavour than frozen. Also, buy quality meat – a good product will fuel your barbecue’s success. Most foods taste good on a barbecue. However, there are some which are simply fantastic, like speciality sausages, fresh prawns, sirloin steaks and mackerel.

Having a vegetarian guest to a barbecue can spell disaster. However, there are various veggie options which taste great. You can chargrill aubergines and sweet potatoes and serve them with mint and yoghurt, or toast pumpkin cubes with some nigella seeds.

Haloumi cheese is also lip-smackingly delicious – serve haloumi on its own or in vegetable skewers. For dessert, you can grill some figs and serve with ricotta and honey.

Marinades are essential to barbecuing – they make the meat more tender and enhance its flavour. There are no hard and fast rules for marinades – just don’t go overboard with the amount of ingredients you use. Sometimes, the simpler a marinade is, the better it tastes.

The cooking

First of all, check that the temperature of your barbecue is even before starting to cook. Also, don’t be in a hurry to serve – with some meats, the longer you cook, the better they taste. As a guide for cooking time, anything that takes less than 30 minutes to cook can be done directly over the coals, while anything that requires longer is best cooked in a kettle barbecue.