Do we barbecue properly?
Tips to improve your skill at the grill
by News Canada
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(NC) Many of us may barbecue frequently, but are we doing it properly? McCormick Canada’s executive chef, Michael Cloutier, CCC (Certified Chef de Cuisine), has a number of tips to help improve your technique:
- Season meat before it is put on the barbecue, but only on the side that will be placed on the grill. Just before flipping, apply seasoning to the other side. The seasoning pulls some of the moisture to the surface that now becomes caramelized—creating a wonderful flavour.
- For steak or shrimp, that require little cooking time, high heat should be used. High heat locks in the juices. This is mostly for meat served medium rare or less with a total cook time of about 12 minutes
- Poking or puncturing meat on the barbecue should be avoided at all costs. Piercing the meat makes a hole in the sealed crust that allows juices to escape. Gently turn the protein with a pair of tongs to avoid any puncturing.
- Flip only once. When raw meat is placed on the barbecue, moisture is forced to the other side of the meat. Flipping drives some of the juices back into the meat, towards the centre, keeping the product moist. But if there are multiple flips, more moisture is lost in the long run. Flipping once maximizes moisture retention.
More information is available online at www.clubhouse.ca or toll-free at 1-800-265-2600.
