As barbecue season gets underway, The Staff Canteen talks to those in the know to find out how to get the best results from meat cooked over coals or smoke.
The UK's National Barbecue Week this year takes place between May 26-June 1.
Cooking meat over fire comes naturally to Jean Delport, executive chef at Michelin-starred Restaurant Interlude in West Sussex.
Growing up in South Africa, firing up the barbecue - or ‘braai’ as Jean calls it - was a regular occurrence, so now this style of cooking influences the dishes on his multi-course menus.
“All our main proteins – our fish and main courses – are finished on the fire,” he explains.
“Some are cooked from the beginning while some are literally just tickled on the end with some smoke, but cooking over fire is great and brings a completely different flavour profile into a dish. You can’t get the same in a pan, in a sous-vide bag or in the oven.”
Neither type of barbecue – the cooking over fire, or the low and slow kind – have traditionally been associated with high-end cuisine, but as Jean says, these methods can be integrated to great impact, providing smoky layers and/or changing the texture of the meat.
We’ve already seen Jean’s fire-cooking prowess in action. Appearing on the 20th series of Great British Menu, the chef won the chance to cook both the fish and main courses for the banquet with the main elements of these dishes – sole for the fish course and a rack of goat in his main – barbecued.
Eddie McDonald, executive chef at Scottish meat supplier Donald Russell, says it was ‘no surprise’ to see barbecue used ‘a lot’ in this year’s Great British Menu.
“It is a great opportunity to introduce real diversity into your menu,” he says, “meats and seafood can all be elevated with the added ingredient of smoke from wood or charcoal.”
The Brits also have a love affair with barbecue – the UK barbecue market is set to reach £173m this year and predicted to grow to £205.6m by 2030 according to the European Union’s More Than Only Food & Drink campaign – meaning it has huge potential for hospitality.
While there’s a growing use and appreciation of barbecue, there aren’t many chefs who share Jean’s confidence in this field, so if you don’t have the experience, but are keen to get some barbecued meat on your menu this summer and beyond, what do you need to consider?
Grilling with confidence
There are two methods of barbecue – over fire and low and slow. If you’re looking to dabble in the former, ‘leaner, quicker cooking cuts’ like rump steaks, lamb cutlets, pork chops and flat-iron steaks, are a good place to start as they offer ‘fast cooking with maximum flavour’ says Neil Udale, managing director of Udale Speciality Foods.
Leaner cuts can also benefit from a marinade for a flavour boost suggests Eddie of Donald Russell. “Try a Flat Iron Steak with a miso-based marinade or finish with a classic Chimichurri - I find they are always a crowd pleaser.”
You don’t have to stick with lean, or small cuts to get pleasing results over coals however, says Richard Sanders, country manager United Kingdom at Meat & Livestock Australia, who says fattier steaks like ribeye or larger cuts with a cap of fat over them, like the picanha, barbecue well over fire – with some care.
“Well marbled steak cuts can be simply enhanced with smoke and fire by using the high heat to sear, caramelise and develop the crust, whilst also adding that extra ingredient, a touch of smoke. The process gives both texture and an additional layer of flavour,” explains Eddie of Donald Russell who is partial to a Cote de Boeuf (boned ribeye) cooked over coals.
The kind of wood used can also change the flavour, says Jean, who uses charcoal as the base to his and different hardwoods – like birch which grows locally to his restaurant. “The key for us is to impart flavour into the cooking.”
If you’re cooking a fatty cut, ensure the grill is hot before you throw the meat on, advises Richard 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)
