Preparation
One of the most important tips for successful barbecuing is to clean the grill or plate thoroughly and season it each time you use it. There is nothing worse than black particles from previous barbecues stuck to your freshly-cooked food.
Heat your barbecue
Before starting to cook, on one side of the barbecue place a tray for the raw, marinated meat and sprinkle it with salt. On the other side have a rack over a tray to drain and rest the cooked meat.
Chef Pfyl likes to have half of the barbecue hotter than the other. He sears the meat or fish on the hot side, then moves it to the side with less intense heat to cook through.
Don’t overload your barbecue
If you have a lot of items to cook, Chef Pfyl recommends searing meat or fish, then finish cooking in the oven so you have room for the next item.
How to cook a piece of meat perfectly
Using tongs, lift the meat out of the marinade, wiping it slightly on the side of the dish to remove some of the marinade.
Place on a tray and sprinkle lightly with salt. Using tongs, lay the marinated meat on the hot grill away from you to prevent splashes.
To get neat crisscross char stripes, place the meat at a 2 o’clock angle. After a minute or so, lift a corner of the meat with tongs and have a peep underneath to see how the char stripes are doing.
However, don’t move it too soon. Let the protein harden and caramelise first or the meat will stick.
Lift the meat and put it back on the same side in the 10 o’clock position. This nicely criss crossed side will be the presentation side.
When nicely marked but not burnt, turn the meat over and place on the medium heat side of the barbecue to cook through more slowly.
When cooked to your liking, move the meat to the rack over a tray to catch drips, and let it rest.
If you wish to finish the meat in the oven to make room on the barbecue, heat a pan, add a little oil, and place the meat in the hot oil. Put it in a hot oven (180degC) for 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness or until it’s done to your liking).
How to tell how a piece of meat is cooked
Touch your index finger to your thumb lightly and feel the pad at the base of your thumb. It will be soft and this is how a piece of meat cooked medium rare will feel.
Holding the middle finger and thumb will make the pad feel slightly harder, like a steak cooked medium; ring finger and thumb is like medium well done, and pinky finger and thumb will feel hard, like a well done steak.
Keep checking by pressing the meat as it cooks.
Resting meat
It is important to rest grilled, roasted or barbecued meat after cooking, as it allows the proteins that have hardened during cooking to relax and reabsorb the juices and for the temperature within the meat to rise and even.
A well-rested piece of meat will be juicy and smoothly graded in colour when cut.
If you cut an unrested piece of meat, the juice will run out and the meat will be dry.
To rest meat, remove from heat and stand in a warm place for at least five minutes (for a steak). A large piece of meat, such as a roast, may take 20 minutes or more.
When rested, slice and serve.
