- Use a fresh, organic, locally-sourced whole chicken or rack of ribs. Your butcher will recommend a good-quality local supplier.

- Create a dry rub for maximum flavour using a mixture of spice and sugars. One of my favourite recipes is to mix a teaspoon of freshly crushed garlic, a pinch of salt, the freshly squeezed juice of one lemon, one teaspoon of freshly milled black pepper, a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a teaspoon of tomato powder and a teaspoon of brown sugar to caramelise. Massage and rub the meat and then leave it at room temperature for an hour to absorb all the flavour.

- When using an outdoor barbecue, grill the meat only over white coals – no orange glows as the meat will burn.

- Keep a basting the meat with a mixture of freshly squeezed orange juice and flavoured oil to keep the meat moist

- Baste the meat regularly. You can get a nice griddle mark on the meat by only turning it once. This will give a professional finish.

- Accompany the meat with light refreshing side dishes such as salads with toasted nuts, a coleslaw dressed in a light crème fraiche/yogurt or a tabouleh/couscous salad. These are great as they absorb the flavours of the meats and juices.

- Always rest your meat for at least five minutes before serving to allow the flesh to relax and stay soft.

- Cheap cuts such as fairy/skirt steak benefit from being marinated in pineapple juice. The juice causes the meat to tenderise.

- Fresh zingy cocktails with some herbs complement the richness of the meat. Try a pink Mojito or a Kentucky lemonade (check out the cocktail menu at www.thechicagoribshack.co.uk)

Explore Food & Drink

• Gordon Ramsay

• Heston Blumenthal

• Recipes

• Wine

• Real Food

• Anjum Anand

• Eating Out

• Video Recipes

Times Recommends

• How to season a wok
• Chicago Rib Shack hits back at its critics
• Gordon Ramsay: Indian barbecue