BBQ Secrets: How To Get The Best Tasting Barbecued Meat

BBQ Secrets: How To Get The Best Tasting Barbecued Meat – Below are a few tricks to help you up your grilling game & impress your guests

Achieving amazing tasting barbecued meat can be tricky. We’ve all experienced burnt burgers and dry chicken. Just what is the secret to making sure your meat is juicy and flavoursome? Below are just a few tricks to help you up your grilling game and impress your guests every time.

Select your cuts carefully

The first most important tip is to select high quality meat. Say no to cheap supermarket cuts and instead consider shopping at your local butcher store (or try an online butchers). Thick, tender cuts of meat are better for quick high-heat grilling. If you’re slow-smoking meat over several hours, look for marbled meat with lots of fat to help it keep it succulent. It’s possible to cook all kinds of meats on a barbecue, but do your research so that you know exactly how long to cook for.

Salt the night before

Dry-brining overnight transforms ordinary meat into something special. Generously sprinkle sea salt over your cuts and let them rest uncovered in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours. This helps to create a beautiful crust on your meat when grilling while maintaining a juicy centre (dry brining meat brings out moisture, but then reabsorbs it). It’s a common restaurant trick for achieving more tender, flavoursome meat.

Flavour the smoke

Smoke is partly what gives barbecued food its signature taste. You can flavour the smoke by burning ingredients on the charcoal – hickory can help give beef a bold flavour, apple and cherry can bring a subtle sweetness to pork, and mesquite can add an intense note to dark meats. If you’re using a gas grill, you can still achieve a smoky taste by soaking wood chips and placing them below the metal grill. It’s important to control the temperature to maintain low smoke rather than billowing clouds so that your food has a smoky depth without it being overpowering.

Apply glaze near the end

Glazing meat with BBQ sauce can give it a tasty coating, but a common mistake that many amateur BBQers make is adding this too soon. Wait until the final few minutes of cooking to apply your glaze. This prevents the sugar from burning so that you have a warm and sticky coating instead of a charred coating. Apply only very thin layers using a brush as opposed to thick layers of sauce. There are many pre-made sauces that you can buy or you can make your own.

Flip your meat frequently

Forget the myth of flipping only once. Turning your meat every few minutes helps to promote even cooking and prevents hot spots from drying out on one side. It also helps to build a consistent crust throughout the meat. Use tongs instead of a fork to avoid piercing the meat and letting out juices. Flip less if you’re trying to slow cook larger cuts of meat. 

Follow these steps next time you have a barbecue and see the difference it makes. You can also experiment with glazes and different woods to come out with your own unique recipes.