Grilled meat, discover how to become the king of barbecue!

Spring is here and with it opens the grilling season and meat on the grill. Outdoors with friends or family, in this season, weather permitting, it’s the right time for a nice barbecue. Grilling meat is one of the oldest techniques used by man to make food edible. Over time, however, man has equipped himself with increasingly advanced techniques, from the coals to the woods used for cooking, to smoking, not to mention marinating and flame management. The charm of grilling, its preparation, and the conviviality created by a nice meat barbecue, accompanied by beer or good wine - here we give you the tips for pairing grilled meat and wine - do all the rest. And there are many types of meat suitable for this type of cooking (here are some tips from chef Mida Muzzolon). Let’s discover together which meats to use and how to prepare them to become the king of the barbecue!

Grilled meat, which types of meat to use

Ribs, arrosticini, steaks, hamburgers: the cuts of meat to put on the grill are different, each associated with a unique flavor. First of all, beef is the best for this type of cooking because it withstands high cooking temperatures better than others. To impress relatives and friends, the recommended cuts are: tenderloin, sirloin, ribeye, rump, loin, round, and flank. Usually, it is better to choose a cut that comes from the back of the animal if you want to make steaks. Beef is also perfect for preparing hamburgers. Veal is not commonly used for grilling since being tender, it cannot withstand long cooking times. However, if you decide to use a cut close to fatty parts of the animal, you can achieve remarkable results. Pork is also perfect for grilling.

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Whether it’s capocollo or ribs, chop or loin, without forgetting spar ribs, sausages, luganega and skewers. For a tasty result, place this type of meat on the outer edges of the grill, so that it receives less intense heat and cooks more gently, allowing the fat to melt slowly. Lamb chops and arrosticini are ideal for quick cooking, while you can choose the shoulder or leg for slow cooking over lower heat and not on the blazing coals. If you want to grill chicken, it’s better to choose thighs or wings: they are particularly suited to grilling due to their high fat content. If you prefer to focus on the breast, marinating will be necessary to keep the meat tender even after cooking.

Grilled meats, how to prepare the perfect barbecue

In most barbecues of meat, the use of charcoal is preferred. For a perfect barbecue, avoid lighting the charcoal with lighter fluid or any flammable liquid; while they help ignition, they smell bad, and if we can avoid these odors, it’s better. It’s better to first light a fire with traditional wood and then add the necessary charcoal. Remember that it’s very important to distribute the coals well that cook your steak. Distribute them evenly over the entire cooking surface. Otherwise, you will end up with some foods burnt and others undercooked, far from the perfect barbecue. Be careful of flare-ups that are inevitable when using charcoal or wood. Avoid turning the steaks constantly; they are meant to be cooked and most of the time it’s enough to turn them just once during cooking. Remember that each cut of meat has its own cooking times. A skewer will need to cook longer than a steak, chicken should be cooked at low temperatures and without haste, and an arrosticino takes definitely less time than a ribeye. Only experience will make you sensitive to the different cooking times. Another tip, for grilling meat prefer coarse salt over fine salt. Also know that it is not true that putting salt before cooking will ruin your steak.

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Grilled meats, marinating is essential and good for health

Marinating meat is a real art; it’s the secret recipe to make your meat barbecue unique. Mastering this technique allows you to cook the meat tenderly and flavorfully, leaving your guests in awe. Marinating is also useful to counteract the possible negative effects of grilling meat, especially red meat. Frequently grilling meat makes it particularly carcinogenic for humans: marinating meat before grilling helps avoid this risk and allows you to enjoy a nice barbecue whenever you feel like it. Marinating should be done in the fridge and its duration varies depending on the meat: for red meats, from 4 to 6 hours; for pork and chicken from 2 to 4 hours. Every marinade consists of three elements: an acid, an oil, and spices and herbs. For the latter, just choose the right mix, where rosemary is usually the essential element since it is a super-efficient anti-cancer agent. For the oily element, there’s no doubt: extra virgin olive oil. While the acidic element, in our case lemon, can be replaced with vinegar, wine, or beer. Now that you know the tricks and secrets for a perfect meat barbecue, all you have to do is order the necessary items on Spaghetti & Mandolino and have them conveniently delivered to your home!

ps. Do you have a vegetarian friend invited? No problem; here are some ideas for their vegetarian barbecue with cheeses and the pairing with sauces, and finally some other tips also for grilling fish.