The film The Barbecue gives an hilarious spin on this backyard tradition.
Starring Shane Jacobson, Manu Feildel, Julia Zemiro, Magda Szubanski, Nicholas Hammond and Frederick Simpson, this Aussie film is full of meaty puns that keep the laughs sizzling.
Jacobson who plays the key character of Dazza Cook (proudly boasting himself to be a descendent of Captain James Cook) is chosen to represent Barbecues Galore at the Australiasian Cooking Bonanza. His competitor is French chef Andre Mont Blanc ( Feildel).
The barbecue salesman had earlier hospitalised 12 family members and neighbours after serving barbecued prawns that had been stored in a switched off fridge. It is his tradition to hold weekly barbecues for all.
He seeks coaching by Scottish butcher (Szubanski) who holds a personal grudge against Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc had sabotaged her work as chef to Balmoral castle, giving her the name as the botulism butcher and forcing her to move to that “God foresaken place known as Australia”.
The pair visit a guru of Wagu beef to learn the nuances of meat marbling before facing their nemesis where the “stakes” and the steaks are a hot be(a)d. And all this at the risk of losing his (steak) Dianne (wife) and vegan daughter. Meanwhile his son learns a few truths about his Captain Cook heritage.
Manu and Jacobson came to the Yatala Drive In on January 17 to give a few of their own barbecue tips and to launch the film.
“I’m not taking over. I’m just showing you how. Now, where is the sauce?” Manu said.
When asked whether you need to turn sausages a lot, Manu said they were sausages and it “doesn’t matter”.
"Who cares? They're sausages." Manu
“We have the meat on the heat. Now are there any questions?” Jacobson said.
In the film however the barbecue is described as a canvas with a palette of charcoal and wood. Cook says taking away his own personal inherited barbecue handed down potentially from Captain Cook himself, would be like taking the bat off Bradman.
The visit to the drive in was a step back in time with its continued use of speakers and diner style kiosk.
The Barbecue will be released on February 22.