Eidul Azha is the festival of barbecues, roasts and mouth-watering kebabs. In fact, it’s a beef and mutton extravaganza in almost every Muslim household across the world.
With barbecue season well underway, there’s no time like now to offer some tips to make your barbecue the most successful in the neighbourhood. As compiled from Reader’s digest and Lifehack, here is a list of some tricks you can try to make this Eid a meaty one.
1. Get the fuel ready in advance
Make sure you have ample fuel well in advance so that you can be more spontaneous when the mood takes you. Wood is a great fuel for a BBQ as it adds a smokey flavour to meat and creates ambiance. If you can’t get your hands on good hardwood, charcoal can also make just as successful a fire. Whatever you use, make sure your fire is big enough. You can always light a second one a little later and use it to feed the first one.
2. Marinate before hand
The more you marinate, the better the meat will taste. This is where the advance planning comes in handy. If you marinate the night before, the meat will become tender and tastier, leaving less up to your cooking skills on the day.
3. Use two sets of BBQ tongs
Two sets of BBQ tongs are always a good idea. Use one with a good grip to turn the meat. The other pair you can use for moving hot coals into position. This way, your food won’t get dusty and the grease won’t make the coals flare up. Having a barbecue at a single temperature is a bad idea. Use the two tongs to move the coals or wood so that one half of the grill is hotter than the other, allowing you to regulate cooking temperatures as well.
4. Grease your grill before you add food
This will not only help the food cook but also stop residue from sticking to the grill and prevent your food from getting stuck, which means you won’t lose that barbecue-charred goodness that gives it flavour. Use garlic-marinated oil to give the food extra taste.
5. Worried about meat sticking to the grill?
Lay it on a bed of lemon or lime slices before skewering it. This will give it a juicy citrus tang too, while also keeping the meat from breaking.
6. Spray the meat
A bottle of apple juice does wonders! Spray the meat with it for a moist, tender texture along with extra flavour. This technique works particularly well with beef.
7. Remember ‘10 & 2’
This is the perfect formula to get those photogenic criss-cross marks on your meat slabs. Think of your grill as a clock. Angle the meat so that it is pointing towards 10 o’clock. Cook halfway through. Then turn it but don’t flip it yet, so that it’s pointing to 2 o’clock. Flip and repeat for the other side.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2016.
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