Get Your Grill On – Jack Cook from Walter Rose Tells us the Best Cuts to Barbecue

GET YOUR GRILL ON…

With the sun finally coming out, it’s the time of year when thoughts turn to barbecue.

Jack Cook from Walter Rose butchers has shared his tips for some of the best things to throw on the Barbie this summer.

Rib of beef
A rib of beef works very well on a barbecue, or you can take it off the bone for steaks. There’s quite a lot of fat on a ribeye so it lends itself to barbecuing at high temperatures.

When you’re choosing your rib you need to make sure that the eye of the meat (the main part of meat in the centre) is not too small. If it’s too small then you’re going end up with steaks which are small and a bit pathetic looking.

You also want to look for a good amount of marbling.

The outside of the meat should be nice and dark and it should be quite hard – if you flick it, it should feel like you’re flicking wood – and it should not be sticky.

Grisken chops
A grisken chop is a loin of pork that has been taken off the bone and had the rind removed. All you need to do is to season it with a little bit of salt and just be careful not to overcook it.

People often worry about undercooking pork and they think that if it’s slightly pink you’re going to get sick but that’s a myth. Actually you could eat pork raw – it’s just not very enjoyable!

If you cook it so it’s just a little bit pink in the middle then it’s lovely. Grisken chops are also quite a cheap cut which is always a good thing!

Beer can chicken
It’s been around for a while now, but beer can chicken is still one of my favourites.

Just cut the end off the beer can, add some herbs and spices, stick it up the rear end of the chicken and put it on the barbecue. It makes a really moist chicken and the most amazing gravy.

It’s a fabulous dish to serve in a pub garden in the summer, with everyone sitting around sharing it and getting involved.

You have to be a bit more careful when you’re cooking a chicken, but the idea that all chickens have salmonella just isn’t true. All the chickens we use at Walter Rose have been immunised so they are perfectly safe. If you touch a raw one and put your fingers in your mouth then you won’t get sick. Raw chicken just isn’t very nice because you add most of the flavour during cooking, and the texture isn’t pleasant.

Burgers
Everyone loves a good burger!

The secret is to use a cut of meat that has enough fat. You need around 20 per cent fat to make sure it’s really nice and juicy.

We use a mixture of chuck and rump trimmings because they have a good amount of fat and they are flavoursome cuts.

It is best to add the seasoning as you cook rather than to mix it in unless you are cooking them immediately because the salt starts breaking down the proteins and you will end up with a more sausage-like texture. Also, adding it as you go will draw out the moisture so you’ll get a nice crust on the meat.

I would cook a burger medium/well done so they are just a little bit pink in the middle.

Jacob’s Ladder (Beef shortribs)
Jacob’s Ladder is the beef equivalent of pork spare ribs. You can add all kinds of rubs and seasonings to create something really delicious.

These work really well if you cook “low and slow”. Put them on the barbecue on a Saturday night and leave them overnight then by Sunday lunch time they will be ready.

They are a really cheap cut but make lovely dishes.