14
COOKING HINTS
COOKING WITH CHARCOAL
ADDING FLAVOUR TO YOUR COOKING
FLARE UPS
People love the traditional method of cooking over
charcoal. The idea is to cook directly above the
charcoal so the oil dripping down infusing the meat
with the flavour.
Finding the sweet spot may vary depending on what
you’re cooking. By adjusting the coal basket you
will be able to raise the charcoal to the best suited
distance between your meat and fuel.
This technique is a skill which will develop over time. If
you find the meat is cooking quicker in one particular
spot, you can move your food to slow down the
cooking down.
Always turn the meat with tongs. A fork will pierce
the sealed surface and let out the juices.
Don’t slash the steaks to see if they are cooked. Press
the top of the steak: if it is soft, it is rare; if it is slightly
springy, it’s medium; less springy, medium; when firm,
it’s well done.
If time permits, marinade the meat for added flavour
and tenderness. A basic wine, herb, onion and garlic
marinade is fine.
Fruit and vegetable accompaniments can be
cooked alongside meat. Some are best wrapped
in foil to retain juices or you can place them on
skewers.
Go easy on sugar and honey in marinades and
basting sauces as very sweet mixtures tend to scorch
easily.
Grilling the perfect steak requires the grill to be
preheated well so that the grill is hot. This is why when
you place your steak on the grill, it will sear the meat
quickly on the outside of the steak. It is best to turn
the steaks over often (around every 20-30 seconds)
to ensure the meat’s fat and enzymes are evenly
cooked. You may like to cook your steaks until the
blood shows through them before you turn them
but you will not be able to cook rare or medium rare
steaks this way as they will start to overcook in this
manner.
Place sausages on the grill and turn them frequently
to brown the surface evenly. Be careful not to use
to much heat as sausages contain a lot of fatty oil
which will cause the flame to flare up burning the
outside of the sausage when cooked over the open
grill.
When using charcoal barbecues, most people like to
experiment with smoking their meats or fish.
You can get a variety of different wood chunks or
chips that work for all occasion and flavours. When
using wood chunks, they can be placed on top of
your charcoal to add a different flavour.
Another great tip for adding extra flavour to your
barbecue is adding fresh herbs onto the charcoal
while cooking.
Flare ups are a common when using charcoal.
They’re nothing to worry about as the extreme heat
and oil from the meat causes flare, infusing the meat
with flavour. To avoid flare, just move the meat away
from the hot area where the oil is dripping.
When cooking fatty foods, flares will occur more
than usual causing your meat to char or burn if not
watched properly.
Содержание CHARCOAL DELUXE
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