Come Baqr Eid and the aroma of barbecue fill the air as everyone seems to be having a barbecue party. You don’t have to be an expert chef to have your own barbecue but still some tips are always handy to avoid any last minute problems.

• Start early; don’t wait for the guests to arrive to start your work. To make sure that everything runs smoothly make a list of tasks handy.

• Check the grill for any residues that were left from the previous barbecue. To be sure the grill is clean, squirt a mild abrasive cleaner onto the grill, leave it for a while to soften the burnt-on food, and rinse with damp towel.

• Keep a stock of supplies like coal needed for the grill handy.

• Fix up gadgets: metal skewers, grill pans, a few sheets of paper (to stoke the fire for the charcoals to blow), long-handled tongs, spatula, long-handled brush for applying oil glaze, forks, knives, paper towels and aluminium foil to cover cooked food after removing from grill. Decide crockery and choose vibrant tablecloths to brighten up the eating space.

• Set up a menu, depending on the number of guests. Give a few extra twists to the usual tikka, boti and kebab by adding appetisers like fresh fruits or veggies on wooden skewers, pita bread halves, mashed or baked potatoes, cheddar cheese slices, an array of dips, coleslaw, barbecue sauce, fresh veggies and pasta salad, fresh lemons, etc. Chilled pitchers of lemonade, soda and orange juice with a regular supply of ice and some cream cakes, ice cream, cupcakes or brownies for fancy windup go down very well.

Planning a barbeque on Eid? Don’t miss these essential tips to make your event a scrumptious success

• Scrumptious barbecue is a matter of choosing right meat cut pairing with a great marinade. Opt for cuts that work well with dry heat, remain moist and tender after cooking. Boneless cuts; bottom round cut (the boneless portion of cow’s rear leg), sirloin top (the meat from lower back top round of a cow, with a light outer layer of fat) and boneless leg cut of goat are best-suited for grill.

• Grind meat for kebabs or meat balls with ratio 80 per cent meat and 20pc fat to yield a juicy piece, that won’t cause flare-ups on the grill when excess grease hits the coals. Chunk the meat into 2 x 2 inches cubes.

• Sear an ultimate steak with tenderloin (a long cylindrical muscle that rides under the rib cage next to the backbone) or T -bone (the bone that separates portions of tenderloin)  with a buttery texture and more tender than any other cut; be careful as they may dry out  if overcooked . 

• Marinating does more than infuse food with flavour; it also inhibits the formation of potentially carcinogenic HCAs (heterocyclic amines), which form when grilling “muscle meat”. Fresh meat with fewer ingredients taste better than pouring half of pantry seasonings into marinade, so go with simple marinade and rubs. A good marinade not only keeps grilling moist and flavourful, but makes it healthier.  

• Irrespective of the meat cuts for barbecue, meat tenderiser is needed to break the connective tissue, boosting delicacy and reducing grilling time. Add three tablespoons of ground raw papaya for each kilogram or if using ready-made meat tenderiser follow the instructions on the packet or ground pineapple with sea salt, crushed ginger and garlic, green chillies, yoghurt and vinegar or lemon juice in marinade to increase moisture. Spice up with freshly grounded black pepper or red chilli flakes for at least four hours before grilling. Refrigerate during marinating; at room temperature meat never binds with marinade. 

• Charcoal grills are convenient as they are portable, produce a hotter fire with legitimate smoky aroma and are cost-effective. Fire the grill with charcoals by placing several strips of cardboard or rolled-up paper at the bottom of the grill; douse one strip in any methanol or ethanol based fluid. These strips will kindle underneath the charcoal, helping the briquettes to reach maximum temperature. In about 20 minutes they are ready to spread evenly in the bottom of the grill; at the moment the flame is high and not suitable for grilling. It will only take about five minutes to go from high heat to medium high and most of your direct grilling will be done at this temperature.

• Cook one recipe per batch, different items require different heat. Use x square or twisted metal skewers, that hold meat better than round ones. To keep food from slipping off during cooking and turning, use two parallel rather than a single skewer. 

• Properly heated grill fix meat on contact, keeps the insides moist and prevents sticking. Oil or butter glaze trims off the chance of sticking meat to skewers or grill. Let browned meat rest on a clean platter, covered with foil, for about 10 minutes before carving so juices can redistribute evenly.

• Food safety is a top priority, avoid cross contamination by using separate utensils and platters for raw, marinated or cooked meat.

A happy barbecue EID!

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 25th, 2015

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