It’s BBQ season in the city! Chef Kamil shares his top tips on shopping for the UAE’s most impressive meat, and preparing to fire it up at home.
On the days you aren’t dining at Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s best steakhouse, we’d like to arm
you with some Hunter knowledge to cook the finest fire-grilled meat possible at home. And with the blissful UAE winter so synonymous with barbecue season, there’s never been a better time to probe Chef Kamil for his expert eye when it comes to feeding your tribe.
The BBQ is tomorrow. I’m standing at the meat counter. Where do I start?
The first thing you need to consider is the type of meat cut you would like to cook at home.
There are two types of cuts to choose from: lean meat (meat without fat) and meat with fat.
The best lean meat to grill on the BBQ is tenderloin steak – the most tender of beef cuts,
succulent and with a buttery texture. For meat with fat, the most suitable cuts are the
ribeye, striploin and rump. For the juiciest and most tender ‘fatty’ steaks, make sure the
streaks of fat are distributed evenly throughout the muscle. This fat is what we call marbling – and the finer the marbling the tastier the meat.
Is the UAE A good PLace to Buy Meat?
Very. And that makes us – as Hunter & Barrel, and as consumers – extremely lucky.
The UAE is a global trade hub, with access to meats from the world’s most premium producers, including Australia! We can also find all grading levels, grain/grass fed meats aged from 125 to 450 days, as well as different classification of marbling scores (level of meat fat). This allows consumers to select from a wide variety of meats, led by their own tastes.
Any types of meat to avoid when cooking with fire?
For barbecue cooking, avoid buying meat with many visible muscle fibers. These fibers mean that the meat is tough with a lot of flavour, better for low and slow type-cooking such as meat stews.
Meat purchase. Is there anything else to consider before we bbq?
It is important to remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them sit at room
temperature for at least 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. This will lower their cooking time and help them cook more evenly.
Choose the most appropriate charcoal for grilling meats –
your fuel can dramatically affect your barbeque flavor – and only begin grilling the meat when your guests have arrived and are ready to eat.
Of course, you can skip the cooking altogether and enjoy one of Chef Kamil’s signature steaks any day at Hunter & Barrel. Book Now here.
Stay posted for part two of Chef Kamil’s BBQ tips, where we take to the fire…