The Great Aussie BBQ
 When it comes to casual cooking, there is nothing quite as relaxing as a barbecue.
A juicy steak, tasty chop or kebab, a touch of marinade and a healthy salad is simple to prepare, and enjoyed by everyone.
Follow these tips to have a better barbecue!
Preparing the Meat
* Trim meat of any fat.
* Frozen meat doesn't need defrosting, just allow extra cooking time and test accordingly.
* Don't salt meat before cooking. Salt will draw out juices, making the meat tough.
* For extra flavour, marinate meat for kebabs before threading onto skewers.
* Soak bamboo skewers in water in water for about an hour to stop them charring.
Keeping it Tender
* Don't turn meat too often or use too low a heat as meat will stew and toughen due to lack of time and heat needed to seal in juices.
* Test meat by pressing with blunt tongs, don't cut with a knife as juices will escape causing dryness.
* For extra tenderness and flavour marinate meat in a wine or citrus juice marinade.
* Speed up the marinating time by around half by placing the meat in a plastic bag, seal and massage-in marinade for a few minutes then place in coldest part of fridge for around 30 minutes.
Extra Hints
* Throw a few green gum leaves on the fire (if using a wood BBQ) to give an Aussie bush flavour.
* Oil the grill, hotplate or foil to prevent food sticking. When using foil to wrap food, place food on the shiny side, allowing the dull side to face the heat.
Marinades
Dry marinade – of crushed herbs and spices.
Paste marinade – made from fresh or dried herbs and spices, blended with a little oil and ingredients such as garlic or citrus peel. This flavours meat in advance and keeps the meat moist while it cooks. For any Asian cooking soy sauce may be substituted for oil.
Oil-based marinade – is wetter than a paste. Oil blended with aromatic ingredients will add flavour as well as protecting and enriching the meat while it is marinating.
Acidic marinade – are used to tenderise and may be based on wine, citrus juices, wine vinegar or yoghurt with the addition of herbs and spices and a little oil to prevent drying.
How long do I marinate for?
Marinating time varies according to the type of food and the intensity of flavour required. Meat can be marinated at room temperature for 2 hours or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Meat which is to be tenderised using an acidic marinade can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Helpful Tips
Only use glass, stainless steel or quality plastic to make and store marinades, because the acid can react with some surfaces.
To stop the spices burning in a dry marinade; just before you put the meat onto the hot plate or grill, squeeze some lemon juice over the meat.
About 1 cup marinade (10 – 12 tablespoons) is enough for 1 kg of meat.
Important note
Never use the marinade to serve over the meat unless it has been brought to the boil for 10 minutes then allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Boiling it will kill the harmful bacteria.
This article is courtesy of The Main Meal, for more great articles and fantastic recipes - Click Here. |