Hot shots boost budget

IT’S TIME TO FIRE UP THE BARBECUE TO FEED THE FAMILY FAST – AND ON THE CHEAP

While low-and-slow cooking is known to transform cheaper cuts into melt-inthe-mouth meals, there are other options that don’t require hourslong cooking, says respected butcher Rihann Koekemoer.

Mr Koekemoer says home cooks are starting to experiment with different barbecue styles.

“Low-and-slow barbecueing has had a good run but hot-and-fast cooking on charcoal fires are becoming more popular,” he says. “Cuts that are under-appreciated are things like hanger steak and skirt steak, around the $19 a kilo mark.”

For only $32 Mr Koekemoer can whip up a feast to feed eight people, with nearly 3kg worth of meat, including beef sausages, lamb racks, lamb, feta and spinach burgers, oyster blade steaks and chicken wings. That works out to just $4 per person.

“People think of a butcher shop as being expensive but they will be pleasantly surprised that we compare well with supermarkets,” Mr Koekemoer says.

A tip is to ask your butcher to slice more expensive cuts, such as scotch, into two-minute steaks. “By making a flame-grilled sandwich with your favourite toppings, you effectively halve the price,” Mr Koekemoer says. As the cost of beef has increased in recent times, he suggests looking to other proteins, such as crowd-pleasing chicken.

“Chicken wings are $6 a kilo and are very forgiving,” Mr Koekemoer says.

“They take marinades and rubs very well and can work hot and fast, as well as in low-temperature smoking.” Chicken marylands, which are essentially a quarter chicken, also work well on the barbie and are great value at about $10/kg.

Love lamb? Try ribs, for about $12/kg. “They’re a very underrated cut and versatile in that you can use it hot and fast or low and slow,” Mr Koekemoer says.

When time is on your side, secondary cuts offer incredible value, from beef brisket to pork hocks to lamb necks. Whatever you decide, complement your proteins with vegetable-driven sides that will bulk up the plate, such as this barbecued cabbage and bacon dish from Australia’s Best Recipes, below right.