of Meat & Livestock Australia.
“If the heat is too low, then the meat will stew or steam and go a bit tough,” he cautions.
After the meat has got some colour on the hot grill, move it to the side where the temperature is lower is the advice of chef, butcher and meat expert Richard H Turner. The ‘barbecue visionary’ who recently joined restaurant group Bodean’s as chef director, says cooking over fire needs attention.
“In European BBQ people tend to cook it too fast. To get the best results in this way, I’d give it a big bit of colour and keep it moving on the grill. Hard and fast to get colour, then rest it.”
Or go low and slow
Steaks, chops and cutlets are great options for speedy serves, but as chef Richard Turner says they need attention and can be easily ruined when cooked over fire. His favoured barbecue style is low and slow, where larger cuts like beef brisket and pork shoulder are ‘kissed with smoke’ or kept away from the intense heat of the grill and cooked at lower temperatures, often in a smoker or a barbecue with lid - to produce softer, melt-in-the-mouth results.
For this style of barbecue, cuts of meat containing collagen (cuts with tendons, like short rib, or Jacob’s ladder) are a must, says Richard. “The collagen breaks down slowly moistening the meat as it does so,” he explains.
Neil at Udale Speciality Foods agrees that ‘tougher, more marbled cuts are ideal’ for low and slow cooking.
“They break down beautifully over time and deliver incredible flavour and tenderness. Think beef brisket, pork shoulder, short ribs, and Udale Herdwick Lamb shoulder. These cuts benefit from longer cooking times and soak up smoke exceptionally well.”
Spice rubs and marinades are often mentioned in low and slow barbecue, but Richard Turner doesn’t recommend their use. Instead, he advises chefs focus on sourcing good quality meat.
“Barbecue is both simple and incredibly complex, and I’m still learning every day. The more I learn the more I’ve realised that good meat really does need just salt and pepper, and smoke.”
Using well-reared meat will make a big difference, agrees Neil of Udale Speciality Foods.
“Marbling, ageing, and animal breed all impact the final dish, especially in low and slow methods where the cut is under the spotlight.”
Eddie at Donald Russell suggests working with your supplier. “When it comes to sourcing, the same principal applies to barbecue as every day. Quality in quality out. Using products from trusted suppliers with years of experience is the best starting point. Knowing the key attribute of each cut you plan to cook gives you the best insight into techniques and flavour matches to use.”
The extras
Sourcing quality meat and understanding how to cook it on the barbecue according to the type of cut, is the best starting point for winning at barbecue, but what about the kit to cook it? Do you need to invest in a top-of-the-range barbecue or smoker to achieve the best results?
‘No’ is the simple answer.
“The best barbecue works out at something like £200, or a small smoker,” says Richard Turner. “The number one piece of kit is a thermometer. Neither you, nor I, are 75-year-old southern pit bosses with 50 years smoking the same meats under their belt. All meat is slightly different depending on source, so a thermometer is your friend.”
Jean agrees there is no need to invest in a state-of-the-art kit. He uses a regular grill. His top tip is simply to experiment with different woods on the fire, and practice until you get the outcome you want.
“It depends if you’re embracing the whole process on the fire, or just finishing off a piece of meat, but I think the main thing is definitely do something. It [barbecue] completely elevates your food and your menu.”
(Written by Emma Eversham)
