It’s BBQ season. Living in Wales, a country dominated by precipitation, we can’t limit ourselves by saying something so silly as “BBQs are for the Summer’”. Oh no, as long as it’s not snowing, whether it’s gas, coal or an old fashioned wood smoker, you fire that bad boy up and head directly to the fridge!
Burgers and sausages get a lot of acclaim on the BBQ, but are you overlooking something glorious? Have you ever barbecued steak? If not, you definitely should. Steak is easy, it’s not that expensive and it goes great on its own, in a roll, or as a crown for your side orders to wear.
I don’t know about you, but whenever I cook burgers or sausages, someone always wants to cut them open, just to make sure they are cooked properly. They don’t trust you, even when you say in your most reassuring voice, “You won’t get Salmonella or E.coli – I promise!”
If your family and friends aren’t completely convinced by your barbecuing prowess, the Slate House team has put together some top steak grilling tips. That’s right – we don’t just cut and engrave Welsh slate, make soy candles and soaps – in our spare time, we’re working hard to become the ultimate barbequing machines! So pay attention, here’s the important part…
Preparation:
1. Crank the grill up high – as hot as you can.
2. Get a clean kitchen towel and make sure your steak is wiped as dry as possible.
3. Decide how you want your steak cooked. If you’re cooking for others, make sure they tell you their preferences. Once you take the steak off the grill, there’s no turning back!
Cooking:
1. Lay the the steaks gently on the grill, all facing the same way.
Top Tip: Halfway through cooking (each side), you want to rotate the steaks 90 degrees counter clockwise. This will give you those crossing grill marks, like the professionals!
2. Here’ are the all-important timings to follow, depending on how you like your steak:
a quick guide on cooking times for steak
3. Once you’ve presented the steaks to your eagerly awaiting guests, if anyone asks you to cut open their steak to see if it’s cooked, please control yourself and DO NOT slap them with your greasy spatula! The following simple method will help you to reinforce the fact that when it comes to barbecuing steak, you know what you’re doing! The firmness of your hand eerily resembles the firmness of the steak – depending on the cooking time.
4. Once you and your guests are satisfied that the steaks have been cooked appropriately, it’s your time to stand proudly as people start chowing down on their perfectly cooked steak.
Way to go Grill Daddy! Once you’ve mastered the art of barbequing, you may want to impress your guests with your wine and whiskey knowledge. At Slate House, we stock a wide range of Welsh produce – including alcoholic tipples, so why not pay us a visit and let us help you get your BBQ season off to a brilliant start.
