Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there… this post is for you! Here are a couple of tips & tricks, as well as a recipe that’s guaranteed to maintain your Grill Master status all summer long!
Whether you are team marinade or rub, it all comes down to how juicy and delicious the meat turns out, so here are a few points to keep in mind before you fire up the BBQ.
Dos & Don'ts
Instructions
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Let the meat rest. Nothing is worse than slapping an ice-cold piece of meat on the grill. It literally will seize up and dry out before it’s done cooking, so let it rest at room temperature for at least 30-40 min before.
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Do NOT use salt in your marinade. Salting the meat hours or even as short as 20 min before cooking will draw out all the water from the meat, drying it out before it even hits the grill! Use aromatics & oils for flavour and then add salt just before grilling or even after it’s cooked.
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Vinegars & citrus juice are a great way to tenderize, just make sure not to let it sit too long or it will start to cook the meat! Ideally, you want to balance out the marinade with a high-quality EVOO or if the meat is top quality, you might want to skip the acids altogether!
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Do not cut into the meat to check if it’s done. That beautiful sear not only tastes great but it acts as a barrier, keeping in all the juices! Instead, practice feeling the resistance level you feel when pushing with a set of tongs, the softer the meat, the rarer it is and likewise, if you push down and the tongs don't budge, your meat is very well done!
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Let it rest again! The most common mistake that leads to overcooked meat is leaving it on the grill until the desired doneness. If you like your steak medium rare, you should be taking it off when it just passes the rare point and let it sit on a wire rack for 8-10 min. No, your steak won’t get cold, because the residual heat actually continues to cook the meat even after it’s off the grill. Also, if you accidentally overcook it, letting it rest will actually help relax the fibres which provide a more tender result and saving that overcooked steak!
Now that you know the do’s and don’ts, here is my ultimate marinade recipe, which is actually a hybrid rub that’s easy to modify to accommodate a whole bunch of different meats, fish and veggies!
Meat Me At The Grill
Ingredients
- High-quality EVOO
- Garlic freshly pressed or chopped
- Green onion chopped
- Citrus zest I used lime this time around but lemon would work too
- Fresh herbs I used chives, basil & pineapple sage
- Ground cumin
- Black sesame
- Chilli flakes
Instructions
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This recipe is strongly influenced by Lebanese flavours and is actually more of a rub than a marinade since you cover the meat in all the aromatics and then drizzle and rub in some evoo.
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The quantities of each ingredient will largely depend on the size and the quantity you are preparing, but the order they are listed in is proportional to the amount you’ll want to use.
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You can definitely prep the meat a few hours ahead and leave it in the fridge, the longer it marinates, the more flavour you get.
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Also feel free to use some creativity with different herb & spices, the flavour combinations are virtually limitless!
Happy grillin’!
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