Techniques for Juicy Meats
Are you tired of eating meat that has the same consistency as shoe leather? Do you have to drink a glass of water to choke down every bite? If your answer is yes to either of these questions, then you’re eating dry meat. Good meat should never be dry unless you’re on a camping trip, and even then there’s a cure for uncle Jerry’s dry mouth jerky. So what’s the cure? Glad you asked. Simply put, it’s important to match the correct equipment and techniques with the types of food you like to cook. Top restaurants don’t typically use 2 star utensils to cook 5 star dishes, they buy quality and they buy once. In this article I will point out the type of equipment needed to create juicy grilled foods, juicy rotisserie foods, and juicy smoked foods.
When it comes to grilling juicy food most people do not have trouble with foods that have a high fat content such as beef hamburgers, sausages, and chicken thighs. Backyard cooks usually struggle with leaner meats such as fish, chicken breast, and pork chops. In order to consistently cook juicy restaurant quality meat, you need a Lynx grill. Lynx grills use radiant heat technology, which allows the grill to get hot without bombarding your food with loads of dry air. Most of the other lower end grills have a direct heat cooking system, uneven heat distribution, and you will probably get lots of flare ups. A poorly manufactured grill with an outdated grilling system means you will be playing musical chairs with your food to avoid hot spots and your lean meats will dry out faster than a speeding bullet. A few other manufactures that have the latest and greatest in grilling technology for keeping your favorite foods juicy are Twin Eagles and Fire Magic’s all infrared grill.
Another great way to keep foods juicy is by using a quality rotisserie. Using a quality rotisserie will keep meats juicy by self-basting while cooking. Notice I said quality rotisserie. Brands such as Lynx, Twin Eagles, Fire Magic, Sole, and Viking reduce you having to worry about the gears slipping or the motor burning out while you’re using the rotisserie for your favorite dish. If you’re a devout purist or want your food done the old fashioned way I recommend the Round Rock Rotisserie, which also doubles as a fire pit.
Cooking foods low and slow is one of my favorite ways to cook and keep foods juicy. When it comes to cooking foods low and slow there are two cookers that come highly recommended which are none other than the Big Green Egg and the Primo.
The BGE and the Primo are all ceramic cookers that can go for hours using very little lump charcoal. Both cookers can be used for slow cooking, grilling and baking. The best part about these two cookers is the freedom to set it and forget it, thus there is no need to add fuel or worry about a water pan. Whether you get the BGE or the Primo you can look forward to many years of cutting the breast meat of your holiday turkey with a fork.
What is the secret to grilling juicy meat? In the words of my old shop teacher “use the right tool for the right job”. Whenever I have a customer who is struggling between buying a poor quality grill and a premium grill I simply ask them “do you plan on eating the food you cook on your grill? Then get the latest and the greatest and enjoy your food”.
So there it is folks, whether you’re grilling, using the rotisserie, or cooking low and slow, you can create mouth-watering restaurant quality dishes. Happy grilling.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ivan Stewart has helped consult hundreds of people on the art of designing an outdoor kitchen. His motto is “if you can dream it, we can build it”. He recently took first place in a local barbeque competition in the East Bay. Ivan has helped many consumers learn how to choose and use a barbeque that will complement their lifestyle. When he is not helping clients, he is working at perfecting his craft as a pit master.
