Everyone loves a good BBQ party, especially when there’s a variety of grilled meat to choose from. Although grilling meat may seem simple enough, it’s actually quite challenging, especially if you’ve never done it before. There’s an art to grilling meat. Professionals can slow cook meat while keeping an eye on the big game.
You must do it right or you may ruin the whole BBQ. Grill for too long and the meat becomes tough and essentially inedible. Don’t grill the meat long enough and there could be serious health consequences. You must strive for perfection and using a good instant-read meat thermometer helps. But to do so you need practice and experience. With that in mind, let’s have a look at the art of grilling meat.
Choosing the right type of meat
Whether you’re grilling beef, pork, poultry or fish, choosing the right type of meat is of vital importance. Of course, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to which type of meat they like grilled but if you want to impress someone, you should get the best cuts.
The meat must be fresh and perfectly balanced between muscle tissue and fat. After all, fat gives meat its flavor and helps grill the meat more efficiently. So here are a few examples of meat you can grill for your BBQ party.
- Beef – Ribeye, T-bone and sirloin are perfect for grilling. Keep in mind that beef in general is less fatty and may take longer to cook.
- Pork – Pork usually has more fat and is cooked faster than beef. If you want pork at your BBQ, then go for a pork tenderloin or chops.
- Poultry – Poultry is usually quite dry and needs more sauces and seasoning for it to be juicy enough. You can’t go wrong with marinated chicken wings.
- Fish – Which fish to grill depends on personal preferences. If you want something easy to help avoid mistakes go for tuna, snapper, or salmon.
How long should you grill the meat
Rare, medium, well done and so on are all personal preferences. However, it also depends on which meat you’re grilling. Keep in mind that meat should be cooked well because intense heat and prolonged exposure to such kills pathogens that may be hiding in the meat.
If you grill beef until its well done, it will be hard to chew and dry. Pork on the other hand is best when it’s well-done. In the end, it all depends on the quality of meat and its texture.
Seasoning the meat
Seasoning separates masters of the BBQ from the rest. You need to know when and how much to season the meat and with what if you want to make a great BBQ. Remember, meat has its own flavor and all you need is salt and pepper to elevate that flavor.
Using herbs and spices is okay if you don’t overdo it. This is especially true for herbs with intensive flavor like dill or rosemary. Put too much of that stuff and it will completely overshadow the flavor of the meat.
Grilling meat is more than just throwing it on the grill and waiting for it to cook. Grilling meat is an art on its own and you must master this art to create a perfect BBQ party.