Natural born grillers
Barbecue expert Adam Roberts shares his tips
IF YOU have the responsibility of cooking the meat for your next barbecue, there are some basic things you can do to get the perfect grill.
The time it takes to cook your meats will vary depending on what’s on the menu, so it can be a juggle to manage everything at once, but we’ve got you covered with Barbeques Galore barbecue expert Adam Roberts’ foolproof cooking strategy.
Temperature tips
Roberts says cooking meats to their optimum internal temperature can greatly improve the tenderness and texture of the meat.
“Each meat or poultry cut has an optimum internal temperature range for tenderness and also doneness,” he says.
For beef, he says we already know about rare, medium rare and medium cooking preferences, but each of these finishes actually corresponds with an internal temperature.
So, how can we achieve the exact temperature? A digital thermometer can be stuck into the meat to give you a perfect result every time.
Using a thermometer
“Simply probe the meat with the digital thermometer several times during the cooking process until you reach your target internal temperature,” Roberts says.
For chicken and other poultry cuts, you really want to be cooking the cut to a ‘safe to eat’ range, but Roberts says it’s common to overcook the chicken so it ends up dry and chewy.
“Done right, chicken should be soft, moist and still full of flavourful juices. Achieving this is made really easy with the use of a digital thermometer,” he says.
Optimal internal temperatures:
● Lamb cutlets – medium rare: 55C
● Beef scotch fillet steak – medium rare: 58C
● Chicken breast – safe range: approximately 74-76C
Timing is everything
Avoid leaving dishes resting and cold after they’ve been grilled by strategically planning the order of your meat grilling.
“Start cooking the meats or foods that take the longest first, and then add the extras to the grill in order to how long they take to cook,” Roberts says.
For more expert tips, visit lifestyle.com.au.