Grill kisokos
With the arrival of the good weather, more and more shopping carts are filled with charcoal, barbecue sausages, meat pies, grilled cheese or BBQ sauce. Let’s enjoy a barbecue outside, in good company. KOMETA’s latest newsletter “The meat eater” takes you into the world of grilling: from the secret of the perfect marinade to types of grills and recipes.
Barbecuing is a real family activity, where everyone can do their part in the preparations: who does the marinating, the marinating, who sets the oven, and even the delicious salad.
What to grill?
A variety of grilled meats and sausages are popular at garden parties, as they make a complete lunch or dinner with salad and fresh bread. Meatballs can also be cooked to perfection on the barbecue, topped off with a fresh burger bun and delicious toppings.
The best meat for grilling is the fat-covered loin, which makes the most succulent meat. You can cook it in slices or whole.
Depending on the type of grill and oven you use, you can expect to cook the steak for about 20-30 minutes after marinating for a couple of hours, while if you prefer a whole steak, you should marinate it a couple of days in advance and then wrap it in aluminium foil and grill it for 5-6 hours, turning it regularly.
You can also grill sidealas, but if you choose this part of the pork, KOMETA’s meat expert says that pre-cooking can make the meat even tastier, as the meat takes on the flavour of the spices and vegetables even while cooking (e.g. pepper, chili pepper, and even whole onions can be added to the stock), and the cooking juices should not be poured out, but can be used as a marinade base, which can be used to coat the cooked ribs and then put on the grill.
You can also grill leaner, drier meats, such as chicken breast and pork chops, but you need to be careful to choose the right marinade, and you may even want to add sauce, as the lower fat content can make these meats dry out and chewy.
In addition to meats, you can of course also use cheeses such as camembert, goat cheese and vegetables such as mushrooms, courgettes, onions, corn on the cob or even potatoes wrapped in aluminium foil, which are perfect with fresh rosemary. Pairing vegetables and meat is also a good barbecue base, such as saslik (meat and vegetables on skewers) or even asparagus wrapped in bacon. But you can also enrich peeled sausages or grilled sausages with bacon.
Most seafood can also be grilled, for example, crab with citrus marinade is a real orgy of flavour.
A good marinade can perfect the meat. Marinating is a creative activity, as you can vary the seasonings to your taste, but there are a few rules to keep in mind to get the perfect result. And, of course, it’s not just meat that can be marinated; vegetables can be enriched with spices, citrus, etc.
Ingredients of the marinade
Oil and flavouring are essential for a good marinade, and you can play around with acidity, says KOMETA’s meat expert.
What could be an acidic component? Anything that penetrates the fibres and softens and tenderises the meat, e.g. citrus fruits such as lemon, lime, but also vinegar, beer, wine, or even dairy products such as sour cream, yoghurt.
But you can also achieve a looser texture by gently tapping the meat you want to grill.
The different oils used for marinating make things easier because they allow the substances that leach out of the spices to reach the meat in a uniform way, and you can experiment with more distinctive flavours, such as pumpkin seed or poppy seed oil.
In addition to the type of meat, the spices and the way it is prepared are also responsible for the flavour. The spices can be fresh or dried, and the marinade can contain sliced onions, garlic cloves, soy sauce, honey or mustard. A combination of the latter two gives a particularly delicate flavour.
Types of marinades: dry, oily and wet marinades
Dry curing add a little oil to the spice mixture and rub the marinade into the meat. Depending on the type and thickness of the meat, it is best to leave it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but it is best to prepare the marinated meat the night before. It’s enough to take it out of the fridge just before grilling, so you have time to prepare everything else before grilling. Half an hour or so is plenty of time for marinating fish and vegetables.
From oily marinade differs from dry marinade in that the marinade covers the whole meat. So if the meat is covered in oil everywhere, it is not getting oxygen, so it is also excellent for preservation. Plus, if a meat is properly oiled, it won’t burn on the hot grill grate with a little care,” KOMETA’s meat experts point out.
A wet (e.g. beer) marinade penetrates the meat, making the fibres crumbly. Depending on the ingredients, you can marinade the meat for a few hours or even days.
KOMETA tip: how to use salt in pickling
Be sure to salt the meat moderately just before grilling. It's important not to add the salt to the marinade beforehand, as it will remove some of the moisture from the meat, but it's fine to salt the meat before grilling.
Other tricks, practices
Make sure that the marinade covers all the meat. This can be easily achieved by placing the meat in a plastic bag, pouring the marinade into the bag and shaking the bag well. Always store the marinated meat in a cold place, e.g. covered in the fridge, preferably in a glass or non-oxidising metal container (the material of these containers will not react with the marinated meat), and then remove it a little before grilling, so that it can start to warm up and the cold meat does not cool down your grill.
Pickle: how much is that?
Neither too little nor too much is good, because if you don’t have enough, you don’t get the desired effect, and if you have more, you don’t need it, and even if it’s just a little, it’s a waste of food. Everyone has their secret recipes, but the important thing is to be careful with really intense spices like thyme or coriander.
Tip KOMETA: marinades
Pork knuckles and pork tenderloin are excellent with beer poured over meat rubbed with mustard and pepper. Wine spiked with juniper berries, rosemary and carrots adds a special flavour to grilled game. When marinating in oil, pay attention to the flavour of the oil alongside the meat and combine the seasoning accordingly. A sweet marinade is a good choice, but if you want to cook the meat on a barbecue with a sugar and/or honey marinade, cook it on a low heat or on charcoal to avoid burning the marinade around it and to get the perfect flavour.
And if you don't have time to marinate before the guests arrive, or you just want a quick dinner, you can check the fridges for a range of marinated meats. For example, KOMETA pork with herbs and garlic or KOMETA Hungarian pork. KOMETA has also thought of those who prefer drier meats, so we also offer a variety of marinated pork chops.
Main types of barbecues
If you don’t have a barbecue but are thinking about getting one, there are several things to consider before you buy. For example, would you want to use it indoors, or should you choose one that has a top and is easy to move around in case of a summer shower? KOMETA’s round-up looks at the most common types of barbecue, with pros and cons.
Gas barbecues are quick to get up and running, and their ease of use makes them very popular. As with the gas stove, you can set the right temperature once the flame is lit by means of a control knob. If it has a lid and densely spaced grill bars, it can be used to prepare a wide variety of dishes. No embers or ashes are produced, making the appliance easy to clean. The charcoal aroma can be achieved by placing wood chips infused with different aromas on the grill. Its use is mostly stationary, it is difficult to move.
The charcoal barbecue has no equal, but it’s good to have a routine. Give yourself some time if you are just getting to know this type of grill. It takes longer to fire up and reach the right cooking temperature, and the temperature is less controllable, but the smoky flavour of the food you cook makes up for everything. If you have one, make sure you only use a good quality charcoal and use tongs instead of a meat pin to avoid fat dripping onto the coals.
When using the electric grill, you can use heated metal plates to cook your food, and it is also suitable for indoor use. It’s quick and easy to use, but you’ll have to give up the smoky taste if you choose this type of grill.
Smokers are becoming increasingly popular in our country too. By using them, food is not cooked over a direct fire, but is cooked by the heated smoky air. Cabinet smokers range from family size to restaurant size. They are known for their excellent thermal insulation properties. Offset smokers consist of two parts: a firebox and a cooking chamber, the heat is achieved by burning hardwood or charcoal. Their advantage is that they can be used not only for smoking but also for traditional grilling. The most modern of all are pellet smokers, where the pressed hardwood is fed into the firebox by a spiral, maintaining a set temperature level. They also have smart functions so you can set cooking parameters remotely.
The disc may not be a classic barbecue, but it should not be left out of this list. Originally used in agriculture, the mildly curved wok-like disc is a favourite in many households. Like the wok, the disc can be heated all over; you can sear or grill on the edges, fry in fat in the middle, or stew and cook in it covered. In addition to sliced meats and vegetables, it is also suitable for grilling larger pieces of meat and even small quantities of single dishes. With the edges of the meat and the juices dripping down the centre of the disc, the side dish can be prepared with a unique flavour experience, without the worry of dripping fat. A popular pairing is, for example, belly eel and sausage wrapped around the edge of the disc when frying, followed by potatoes fried in their fat in the middle of the disc, accompanied by some onions. No need to wash it, just wipe it off.
KOMETA’s meat industry expert also recommends an old Hungarian method, the use of the Mátra baking nettle. The baking dish is a traditional iron baking dish, available in several sizes, from a two-person dish to one that can accommodate a large family. The spherical shape of the dish allows you to place a variety of vegetables (onions, peppers, tomatoes) alongside the meat, and its sealing system preserves all the valuable flavours and aromas. The pot is not exposed to direct flame, it should be placed in the coals and the flavours should be allowed to meld for hours, while you can cool off in the shade of a tree or prepare a delicious meal after your gardening work is done. The origins of the pot can be traced back to the hay-burners and woodcutters of the Mátra, who could prepare their healthy meals in it while they worked.
And if it’s raining and all you have is an outdoor, uncovered barbecue, and all the ingredients are already on the counter or in the fridge, don’t despair, because the pan and the oven are equally suitable for barbecue, so you don’t have to sacrifice flavour for atmosphere.
