Published by Programme B
Getting the right meat for your barbecue is a venerable task. It will be sanguine and satisfying when you make the right choice of meat for the right reasons. The reverse can be frustrating.
First, visit your local butcher and ask for those special cuts. To get the best, it is always preferable to visit the butcher or better still, a meat market. Make sure you don’t get your meat in the prepackaged or frozen form — you can’t really tell how old such a meat will be. What is needed for a perfect barbecue is young meat; older meats are annoyingly tough. Keep in mind that there are varying grades of meat. Prime grade meat is unarguably the best for barbecue and also the most expensive. It can only be gotten in meat markets. It is sure worth the pain though as this meat is always grill friendly
Next in line to prime grade is choice grade. You may be lucky to find it in grocery stores sometimes. But remember, stores have their own butchers. You don’t want unpredictable refrigerated meats.
How Do You Make A Good Choice Of Meat
When you go shopping for your barbecue meat, keep the following points in mind:
- The meat must be fresh and not in a frozen state. Ensure it still has its original natural color and that its juices haven’t all leaked out.
- Barbecue meat needs to have a layer of fat on it. The fat keeps the juices from escaping and melts into the meat while cooking. It also keeps the meat tender.
Assuming you’re not a person with an affinity for fats, don’t worry. You can cut out those fats after the grilling.
- The thickness of the entire meat must be even. If one part is thicker than another, it is best to ask for a change from the butcher. No one wants to have meat with undercooked or overcooked parts.
- Avoid flank steaks. They are usually thin and have little marbling. If you must use them for your barbecue, be sure to marinate them well before cooking.
A helpful hint when you plan to do a barbecue is to get your meat days earlier and refrigerate it yourself to improve its look and feel. Set to get grass-fed organic ribeye steak as your first choice. Except it is not available, that is the most preferred barbecue meat for the best reasons.
Now, Let’s Go Cutting
Making the right cut for your barbecue is a delicate activity. It all depends on personal choices though, but you sure must do it well to get that desired satisfaction.
If your take is beef, cut the most tender portions. It is better to take your cut from the tenderloin like the filet mignon. Ribeye steaks or porterhouse, beef knuckle, t-bone, or strip steaks are okay.
For pork, it is common to get your cut from the ribs. The pork shoulder like those used in the pulled pork specialties, pork steaks, or butt roast is great to pick for a perfect barbecue.
For marinades, use beef tri-tip. It is a triangular cut you get from the bottom sirloin. It is loose, uneven, and has a rough texture.
For a rub, use skirt steak. They’re thin and loose. They cook faster and are great when seared. Use flank steak alike for a spice rub turned delicately crusty. Skirt or flank steak are often served as thin slices making for the most soothing bite.
If you’re budget conscious, take chicken wings instead. Beef sirloin is also okay. Though it is lean and can dry out when overcooked, it is perfect for skewers. Chicken wings are very pocket-friendly and require nominal spending especially if you’re trying to be frugal. But they give a tasty bite anyway.
For weight-conscious fellas, chicken breast that is both boneless and skinless is great. They do well on the grill and are much more preferable to beef in the weight check cooking. They have to be pounded or butterflied to correct the uneven shape and size and allow for a more even cooking or even prevent them from drying out.
For flavor cooking, beef ribs or that of pork will do just fine. The meat on the rib bone of pork and beef is quite flavorful. You need to lengthen the cooking though. No rush. The longer you keep the ribs cooking, the richer and plenty the flavor will get.
If you love luxury and are the munificent type, then go for porterhouse steak in which they use two cuts of beef; NY strip and filet mignon. Both are separated by a juicy bone on the porterhouse steak. The meat shrinks while cooking and gives you a protruding bone; something quite the perfect fit for a grill with a direct source of heat and is only done there.
Now, you’re well-informed. Be sure to follow these guidelines when going shopping for your next barbecue meat. You’ll see you saved yourself a lot of disappointments.