Grilling Is Healthier Than Frying, What Do We Need To Know?
 The secret to a successful grilling lies with the intense heat. Although
this method of cooking will requires our close attention, nevertheless, the
advantages are that the food cooks quickly and the charred surface
provides an excellent and yummy flavor.
It is essential to preheat the grill to its
highest settings in order to produce succulent meat that is crisply brown
outside and juicy pink inside. On a domestic stove, this will take
approximately between 5 to 10 minutes.
If the grill is not hot enough, the meat's
surface will not brown quickly and juices will leak out, leaving the meat
dry, tasteless and unattractive by the time it is cooked through. And if
the grill cannot be adequately preheated hot enough to ensure the meat is
quickly sealed, then it would be better to pan-fry the food instead.
Unlike braising which is a slow method of
cooking, grilling will not tenderize meat, so ensure that you use only
those tender and choice cuts. To obtain the best results, the meat should
not be more than 5 cm thick, otherwise you are going to get a burnt out
food where the outside is burnt before the inside is cooked.
Never grill a chilled steak as it will still
be cold inside when the outside is already brown and sizzling. Instead
ensure that the meat is already thawed to room temperature before you start
grilling. This is particularly important if you prefer the steak to be
served rare.
You can reduce the heat of the grilling
process once the meat has been sealed on both sides. If possible, it is
best to move the pan a little further from the grill to increase the
distance of the food from the heat rather than by reducing the temperature
of the grill itself.
Grilling is considered healthier method of
cooking compared to frying because those excess fat can drip away during
the cooking process, so it is good for bacon, oily fish, chops, cutlets,
kebabs, sausages and steak.
Grilled Skewered Beef
Recipe
Preparation time: 15 minutes + 4 hours
marinating
Total cooking time: 8 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
500 g (1 lb) sirloin steak
2 teaspoons chili flakes
4 stems lemon grass (white part only),
finely chopped
2 slices fresh galangal, finely chopped
2 slices fresh turmeric, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 teaspoons grated palm sugar or soft brown
sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) oyster sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
Method:
Cut the steak into long thin strips. Place
the strips of meat in a glass bowl. Pound the chili, lemon grass,
galangal, turmeric and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Add the palm sugar,
oyster sauce, salt and oil and combine well. Spoon the marinade over the
meat and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Thread the meat onto wooden skewers which have been soaked in water for 30
minutes.
Preheat the grill to hot; grill the skewered
beef on both sides until browned. Alternatively you can cook the meat on a
hot barbecue grill.
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Happy Cooking,
Carol |
