Grilled meat: 6 things to know to make it perfect
Among carnivores, those who do not like grilled meat can really be counted on the fingers of one hand: any food, once grilled, acquires that extra touch that makes it truly unique. Today we will teach you how to grill meat in the right way, through 6 fixed points that will not make you run into nasty surprises, for a perfect barbecue!
Most Asked Questions About Meet Cooking
1)What are the most suitable cuts of meat on the grill?
Almost all types of meat, some more and some less, are suitable for cooking on the grill: the important thing is to choose cuts that are not too lean, so that they do not dry out too much during cooking.
Beef is one of the meats that best withstand cooking, so it can never be missing on your grill: for cutting, you can choose what you prefer, remembering that the tenderest part is always the fillet, possibly with the bone. As for pork, the best parts to do on the grill are ribs and tips, avoiding the leaner cuts, which tend to dry out. Even chicken and veal are great on the grill, but on condition of prior season with a short marinade. Sausages are naturally suited to grilling, as their fat content melts during cooking, making them soft and juicy.
2)Which is the best barbecue?
There are different types of barbecues, but undoubtedly the cooking method that aromatizes the meat the most is the one that uses wood embers: in this way the wood becomes a real seasoning together with the others, and gives the preparations an aroma difficult to obtain with other methods.
The gas barbecue is certainly faster and more practical, but in our opinion, at least once in a while, it would be worth wasting a little time and putting in a little more effort, to enjoy a barbecue worthy of the name.
3)When should the meat be salted?
The meat must be salted absolutely after, and never before cooking: the sodium chloride dissolves the proteins, drawing the water inside them to the surface, and you would risk finding yourself with a boiled slice, rather than grilled! If you have decided to marinate the meat in advance, remember however not to put salt in the emulsion you will prepare, or you will run the same risks.
Once your dishes are ready, each diner can salt them to their liking, according to their tastes.
4)Hot or cold grill?
There are no but: the meat should be cooked on the very hot grill! Heat the embers well, and once it is ready, make sure that the grill is also hot: only in this way will you be sure that the delicious crust forms instantly on the meat, the only one able to keep all the juices inside, keeping it soft throughout cooking.
5)What are the cooking times?
There is no strict rule that establishes the cooking times of grilled meat, as they depend on various factors, including:
- Heat of the embers
- Heat from the grill
- Distance of the latter from the embers
- Type and thickness of the meat
Meanwhile, let’s start by saying that meats such as pork, lamb and rabbit should always be well cooked, while beef, depending on your taste, can also be left rare. While waiting the meat to be cooked, you can check the best beer-food pairings.
Considering a slice of beef, with an average thickness (about 2.5 cm):
For a very rare cooking, just cook it for about 2 minutes per side. For rare cooking about 3 minutes per side. For medium cooking about 4 minutes per side. If, on the other hand, we want a well-cooked slice we will have to sear it over high heat for about 3 minutes per side, and then cook it at a lower temperature for 7-10 minutes, to allow the heat to penetrate inside.
6) How is the meat “handled”?
The meat must be treated with extreme delicacy, never scrambled, turned only once, and it must never be crushed or, even worse, pierced with forks and forks: in this way it would lose all the juices necessary to keep it tender and tasty, becoming dry and nothing inviting. The only meat that you are allowed to poke is the sausage, if you prefer to “lighten” it a little from the fat inside it, but remember that it will become a little drier anyway.