The Big Grill Festival will return to Dublin’s Herbert Park for four fabulous days of fire, food and fun this week.
From August 17th – 23rd, this summer’s festival is set to be the biggest yet with almost 25,000 people expected to attend and the best ever line-up of Irish and international chefs, restaurants, pitmasters and barbecue experts flying in from around the world.
With an increased focus on niche, skilled and in-depth live demos, many of which will never have been seen in Ireland before, it’s no surprise that tickets for Big Grill are in hot demand. But the big question we all want to know is, what is there to eat?
Alongside the live demos and in-depth masterclasses at Bastecamp, and the drinks-related tastings and programme on the Brewcamp stage, Big Grill will also play host to a number of specially invited Guest Restaurants where some of the festival’s very best BBQ talent will take charge of the grill at various points throughout the weekend.
Guest Restaurant chefs and their hero dishes include:
- Andy Stubbs of Low and Slow will be serving up free range smoked pork ribs, vinegar slaw and bread and butter pickles, also joined by Billy Durney (Saturday only) cooking his smoked bacon ribs with grilled hispi cabbage – a unique take on Ireland’s traditional bacon and cabbage combo
- Irish boy done good stateside, chef Trevor Moran will be bringing the legendary Tennessee tomato sandwich hand roll to Dublin – trust us when we say, you have to try this umami mania
- From The Ashes will be manning Big Grill’s meat carousel for the first time, spinning the carousel with flanken beef ribs. Get your order in for Costillar Asado side of beef flank on the bone with flatbread, burnt spicy salsa and crème fraîche
- Pat Martin’s West Tennessee Whole Hog, part of the end of festival celebrations on Sunday afternoon, will see two extra large Oxford Sandy pigs from Dermot Allen’s Winetavern Farm slow-roasted in a traditional brick pit for 30 hours, before being chopped and served with slaw in a bun, the old-school way.
As it’s a serious BBQ festival, it’ll come as no surprise that the Big Grill has a paradise in store for meat lovers.
Taking their turn at the fire and cooking for the crowds will be:
- Hang Dai, joined by American chef Andy Ricker. Hugely passionate about Northern Thai cooking, Andy will join the Hang Dai team (when not on the Bastecamp stage!) to cook his favourite Baa Mii Tom Yam Muu Daeng — wheat noodles with roasted red pork, tom yam flavours, peanuts and long beans. Don’t miss the incredible Hang Dai duck pancakes too, featuring wood-fired Skeaghanore duck, Irish leeks, cucumber and finger-licking duck sauce
- Hawksmoor, making their festival debut with grilled native grass fed beef with ember baked onions, bone marrow garlic butter and focaccia
- Team Reyna and their custom built, vertical charcoal döner grill cooking Irish lamb döner kebabs with Turkish salad, flatbread and garlic & chilli sauce
- Bahay firing up a Liempo BBQ with crispy pork belly skewer, banana ketchup glaze and marinated courgettes
- Mursal Saiq from Cuepoint London, one of the UK’s first inclusive BBQ companies, is bringing Afghan-London BBQ to Big Grill with oak smoked beef rib on fluffy Afghan naan, Jameson Black Barrel BBQ Sauce, jalapeño jam and pickled chilli farnish
- The Chimac crew are mixing it up with Korean cheesesteaks of thinly cut ribeye, marinated Bulgogi style, with peppers, onions and caramelised grated potato (to catch that moreish jus)
The world of BBQ has something for everyone to enjoy and the team at Big Grill are always committed to showcasing the chefs and restaurants that pack serious flavour into their dishes, featuring all kinds of vegetables, seafood and cheese on the grill as the hero ingredients.
Keep an eye out for:
- Neighbourhood’s wood-fired courgette flatbread with smoked garlic and lovage emulsion, brown butter, hazelnut dressing and Knockalara cheese
- BBQ’d Scamorza crostini from Crudo, using Remus’ crusty sourdough, with flame-roasted Toonsbridge Scamorza cheese and chilli crisp honey or burnt onion jam
- Bites by Kwanghi’s BBQ miso aubergine marinated in chilli and black garlic with pickled sweet corn
- And all the holiday vibes with grilled Mexican street corn from Los Chicanos with guajillo and lime aïoli and cotija cheese
- Baste BBQ’s ode to a Buenos Aires hole-in-the-wall grill ‘Parrilla’ where Argentine chef Mecha Solis will be manning the grill with a Morcipan leading the way. A popular street food from Buenos Aires, it includes Morcilla sausage with salsa criolla served in a demi-baguette.
And the best bit? All the hero dishes are priced at just €7 each.
In addition to the festival’s hero dishes, there are loads more Big Grill menus featuring serious contenders for this year’s festival favourites.
Rockefeller oysters from Hang Dai complete with typhoon crumb and tom yum (€4), BBQ’d baby squid alla diavola with preserved lemon and garlic mayo from the Crudo crew (€11) and disco dusted gambas from Happy’s, grilled with prawn chilli oil and pinakurat garlic mayo (€10).
Adding a star irish ingredient to proceedings, don’t miss the Parrilla by Baste BBQ where they will be putting Taytos in their steak AirgintÃneach sandwich with chimichurri, aïoli and Worcestershire sauce (€12). Talk about tasty!
There will also be plenty of entertainment across the weekend, with Sing Along Social among the many musical acts confirmed to perform at the festival.
Attendees can also nab a ticket to Rancho Relaxo, an exclusive area within the festival where you can kick back and catch up with mates, work buddies and take a breather from the festival action.
The Rancho and garden will feature a private bar, fire pits, guaranteed seating (unreserved), DJs, garden games, posh loos and two complimentary drinks on arrival. You’ll also get fast track entry to the festival via the dedicated Rancho Relaxo lane.
To view the full festival programme and to buy tickets for The Big Grill Festival 2023, see www.biggrillfestival.com
General Admission tickets are priced from €24, and General Admission + Rancho Relaxo Access is priced at €55 (plus booking fees).Â
