The sun is out, gardens are sprouting and my pasty legs have been released from their cloth caves. Summer must be approaching!
With summer comes one of my favourite ways to cook: the BBQ.
It's such a simple way of cooking, but so efficient and delicious. Who doesn't love a good barbeque? We all have childhood memories of dad in the backyard with no shirt, beer in one hand and prodding some slab of meat with a pair of tongs. And let's be honest, about half the time that slab of meat came off more than a little charred. This week, I'll share a couple tips with you so you can grill like a pro.
No. 1: Choose your meat wisely. We're lucky to be neighbour with Alberta and some of the best beef in the world and Summerfield Farms here in Prince George has an amazing product as well.
For grilling, choose a steak that is well marbled (the fat lines that run through the meat). Ribeye & T-Bones are my favourite, but striploins are a great less-expensive alternative. Flank steak are also becoming popular, but can be chewy if cooked past medium or sliced incorrectly.
Never buy premarinated steak. Marinades are used to cover up "off" smells or flavours of meat past its prime. Yum.
No. 2: Rest your steak. Cooking is strenuous activity for meat and it needs time to calm down and soak its juices back. Pull your steak out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling, and let it rest for five to 10 minutes before slicing. You'll have a tender steak and your taste buds will thank you.
No. 3: It's all in the rotation. Those cool crossed-grill marks you see on a restaurant steak or on TV? Not just for show.
For a half-inch thick at rare steak, cook it for two minutes, rotate it 45 degrees and cook for 2 minutes, flip and repeat the process. For a medium rare steak, it's three minutes a rotation, medium is four minutes and well done is five minutes.
So get outside and enjoy some family time. Next week maybe I'll discuss the proper footwear to compliment your new Kiss The Cook apron.
